These blended real history with myth to present an imaginative version of the story of Scotland. Merlin, Arthur and Anglo-Scottish relationsįrom the fourteenth century onwards, the Merlin of Arthuriana began to appear as a character in Scottish pseudo-histories. In his book Scotland’s Merlin, medieval historian Tim Clarkson explores the origins and evolution of the legendary wizard, as well as the influence that his story held over real political events. It seems that the Merlin we're familiar with today is an amalgamation of several different stories.
Sir Thomas Mallory would be the first to place Merlin in proximity to King Arthur and his court with his work Le Morte d’Arthur, which was completed around 1470. Merlin’s image would evolve as his story was retold throughout the Middle Ages. Related: 6 Fascinating, Mythical Places That Most Likely Never Existed This work interwove Merlin's gifts of divination with commonly known Celtic works of that period. Monmouth also wrote the Vita Merlini, a poem which depicts several of Merlin’s adventures. Monmouth’s Historia regum Britanniae, or History of the Kings of Britain, was published later in the 12th century, featuring Merlin as a prophet who gives forth predictions about England’s political future. This book was the first to portray Merlin in the form that most people recognize today. His earliest work, Prophetia Merlini, or The Prophecies of Merlin, was published in the early 1130s. Geoffrey of Monmouth, a n English bishop and chronicler of history, wrote one of the earliest sources on Merlin. Related: 7 Medieval Books to Transport You Back in Time It’s also believed that Merlin was partially based on Ambrosius or Emrys, two prophetic figures that appear in historical texts from the ninth century. Alternatively, he was also said to have originated from the Lowlands of Scotland, although his exact place of origin in Scotland is contested some stories depict him living in the Caledonian Forest others, in the forests of Tweeddale.
He first appears in various sixth-century Welsh poems as a "wild man" and prophet who lives in the forest. Is the legend of Merlin based on a real person, and if so, who?Īs it turns out, Merlin, who has also been called Myrddin Wyllt, Merlinus, and Merlin Caledonis, was not always connected to Arthurian legend. But as historians speculate about the accomplishments of King Arthur-or whether he even existed at all-they have also debated the identity of the mystic in his court. The characters involved in the retelling have varied, but one figure that’s a constant fixture is his trusted advisor: the wizard Merlin. There have been countless books, film, and television iterations of King Arthur and his medieval court.
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