Merlin (or Myrddin)

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The earliest English traditions regarding Merlin (such as Geoffrey of Monmouth) place him in the dark ages, and as a cross-over or nexus between Christianity and Celtic Magic traditions; in him, there is no separation of the two, he combines them together, and coexists in both words without condemnation from either. Merlin is the "wild card" within the developing tradition of courtly romance, in which he does not really fit.

It is clear that Geoffrey is drawing on older traditions from the 6th century and after (such as the "The Presage of Britain" of 930), and he alters the name of Merlin from Myrddin. Merlin features in three books by Geoffrey, the Prophetiae Merlini , the Historia Regum Britanniae , and the Vita Merlini.

The older traditions appear to have been Welsh, which is what we would expect from historical fragments from the Dark Ages, when the Celtic/Christian traditions were taken by the Britons to Wales, Cornwall and Brittany when they were forced out of England by waves of invading and settling groups (Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, Danes). In some of the original forms, Myrddin appears much more as a poet-prophet than a magic worker, and with the Celtic tradition, as a Seer (or future teller). There are also traditions of similar figures in Irish history such as Suibne. In this stories, there is also a fusion between the figures of "wildness" and "hermit-saint".

Whether Merlin is legendary or not, it is also significant that when the stories arose in the 12th century, there was no condemnation of the linked Celtic Magic and Christian traditions. In fact, Geoffrey of Monmouth became Bishop of St. Asaph in 1151. Clearly, at this time, there was not a conflict between the roles played by Celtic Magic, Seer and Prophet.

The Twelfth Century Black Book of Carmarthen (The Welsh name of Carmarthen is Caerfyrddin ( Caer+ Myrddin ); contains examples of poetry attributed to Myrddin. Many are general, or comments on the history of the time. But here is an example of a more prophetic poem:

Hail, little pig, with sharp claws,

An unmannerly bed-mate when you went to rest,

Little knows Rhydderch Hael tonight at his banquet

What share of sleeplessness was mine last night:

Snow the height of my hip with the wolves of the wilderness,

Ice in my hair, and my state was sorry.

It will come, that Tuesday, the day of fury,

Of battle between the Lord of Powys and the host of Gwynedd.

And Hiriell shall arise from his long resting

To fence from their foemen the bounds of Gwynedd.

Other sources include the "Song of Myrddin in his Grave", which is very prophetic in nature, and speaks so:

There will be ploughing without reaping in a world of war,

Better the grave than living for all that are needy.

 

Maidens stripped bare, women wanton,

Kinsfolk that love not their kindred.

Later, the Merlin traditions were domesticated and changed almost beyond recognition by Tennison, TH White, or Disney (who borrowed from TH White).

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Sources:

Cyfarwyddyd: Welsh Tales and Foreign Adaptations: http://www.uwp.co.uk/book_desc/rb8d.html

A History of Welsh Literature by H. Idris Bell, Thomas D. Parry; Clarendon Press, 1955

The Celts by Otto Hermann Frey, Venceslas Kruta, Sabatino Moscati, Barry Raftery, Miklós Szabó; Rizzoli, 1991

The Development of Arthurian Romance by Roger Sherman Loomis; Hutchinson University Library, 1963

Perfect Fools: Folly for Christ's Sake in Catholic and Orthodox Spirituality by John Pasca Saward; Oxford University, 1980

The Feudal Transformation: 900-1200 by Eric Bournazel, Jean-Pierre Poly; Holmes & Meier, 1991

Studies in Irish Literature and History by James Carney; Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1979

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