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So, in a way, Merlin really did predict the future of England. The keenness with which rulers and historians applied themselves and historical events to his prophecies ensure each came true in some form or another.
Apr 6, 2011 · In revising the myths for a new generation Merlin travelled far from his Scottish roots but also managed to carve his place in popular imagination around the world.
Oct 15, 2012 · Merlin's prophecies reassuringly foretold Britain's path, establishing an ancient ancestral line and linking biblical prophecy with more recent times. Merlin helped to put British history into world history.
- Anne Lawrence-Mathers
- Name & Origin
- Geoffrey's Merlin
- Wace, Chretien, & Robert de Boron
- Vulgate Cycle & Prose Merlin
- Malory's Merlin
- Conclusion
Merlin first appears in literature in the History of the Kings of Britain by the Welsh cleric Geoffrey of Monmouth (c. 1100 - c. 1155 CE). The Merlin character's name is not a proper name (designating an individual in this case) but a toponym (a place name), specifically the Welsh Caermyrddin (“Merlin's Town”), referring to the city of Carmarthen, ...
In Geoffrey's History, Merlin features as a prominent character in Books VI-VIII. King Vortigern, the usurper, is having trouble building a tower because the foundation will not stand firm. His wizards advise him to find a youth in the kingdom who had no father and sacrifice him, sprinkling his blood with the mortar, and then the foundation would b...
Robert Wace translated Geoffrey's History but added to the story from his imagination. Like many French poets of his time, he was patronized by Eleanor of Aquitaine (c. 1122-1204 CE) to whom he dedicated the work. Wace is responsible for some of the most famous aspects of the Arthurian Legends such as the Round Table and the name of Arthur's sword,...
The Vulgate Cycle continued and developed this tradition and also marks the first time the Arthurian Legends appear in prose. In the Middle Ages, prose was used for works on history, theology, or philosophy which were considered “serious” subjects; poetry was used for works of the imagination. The anonymous authors of the Vulgate Cyclechose their f...
Sir Thomas Malory was a political prisoner at Newgate, London 1468-1470 CE when he wrote Le Morte D'Arthur. Although his primary source was the Post-Vulgate Cycle, scholars agree that he probably had access to a good library and was well-read in Arthurian lore. Malory's Merlin is the final culmination of all the other versions of the seer pre-1469 ...
Throughout all of these works, Merlin is central to the narrative and the character remains among the most popular of the Arthurian Legends. Welsh writers following Geoffrey wrote their own works about the seer. Italian and Spanish poets drew on the French and Welsh traditions to feature Merlin in their own works and his popularity is attested by t...
- Joshua J. Mark
Merlin was known as a prophet, meaning that he could predict the future. He predicted that Arthur would be king. He also predicted Britain’s defeat by the Saxons .
In Britain, Merlin has remained as much as a prophet as a magician up to and including the 16th century, when political content in the style of Agrippa d'Aubigné continued to be written using Merlin's name to guarantee their authenticity.
Dec 11, 2013 · Along the way Merlin appeared to foretell recent events, such as the Norman conquest, before setting out a future for Britain that, though a bit hazy on detail, sounded reassuringly solid,...
