Merlin reciting his poem in a 13th-century illustration for ‘Merlin’ by Robert de Boron ( Public Domain ) Merlin’s Love and DeathĮventually, from the various tales emerged Merlin’s downfall, at the hands of Niviane (Vivien), the king of Northumberland’s daughter. In some tales Merlin was viewed as an evil figure who did no good in his life, while in others he was viewed favorably as Arthur’s teacher and mentor. Some writings placed much focus upon Merlin as Arthur’s mentor, while others did not mention Merlin at all. Over the years, Merlin was interspersed through the tales of Arthurian legend. Boron also introduced Blaise, Merlin’s master.īoron’s poem was eventually re-written in prose as Estoire de Merlin, which also places much focus upon Merlin’s shapeshifting. Boron’s Merlin has the same origins as Geoffrey’s creation, but Boron placed special emphasis on Merlin’s shapeshifting powers, connection to the Holy Grail, and his jokester personality. Many years after Geoffrey’s Historia Regum Britanniae, Robert de Boron composed a poem called Merlin. From a manuscript of the Roman de Brut by Wace. Geoffery’s character of Merlin quickly became popular, particularly in Wales, and from there the tales were adapted, eventually leading to Merlin’s role as Arthur’s tutor.Ī giant helps Merlin build Stonehenge. Geoffrey does not include any stories of Merlin acting as a tutor to Arthur, which is how Merlin is most well-known today. This was the extent of Geoffrey’s tales of Merlin. These include the tale of Merlin creating Stonehenge as the burial location for Ambrosius, and the story of Uther Pendragon sneaking into Tintagel where he fathered Arthur with Igraine, his enemy’s wife. In Geoffrey’s version of the story, he included a long section containing Merlin’s prophecies, along with two other stories, which led to the inclusion of Merlin into Arthurian legend. Illumination of a 15th century manuscript of Historia Regum Britanniae showing king of the Britons Vortigern and Ambros waching the fight between two dragons.
Geoffrey retold this story with Merlin as the child born without a father, although he retained the character of Ambrosius. Ambrosius convinced Vortigern that the tower would only stand with Ambrosius as a leader, and Vortigern gave Ambrosius the tower, which was also the kingdom. Ambrosius was thought to have been born without a father, so he was brought before Vortigern.Īmbrosius explained to Vortigern that the tower could not be supported upon the foundation because two battling dragons lived beneath, representing the Saxons and the Britons. He was told that to prevent this, he would have to first sprinkle the ground beneath the tower with the blood of a child who was born without a father. In Historia Brittonum, British king Vortigern wished to erect a tower, but each time he tried, it would collapse before completion. Ambrosius was a figure in Nennius' Historia Brittonum. Geoffrey combined stories of North Brythonic prophet and madman, Myrddin Wyllt, and Romano-British war leader, Ambrosius Aurelianus, to create Merlin Ambrosius. Merlin was created as a combination of several historical and legendary figures. Merlin was paradoxical, as he was both the son of the devil and the servant of God. While a large portion of Historia Regum Britanniae is a historical account of the former kings of Britain, Merlin was included as a fictional character (although it is likely that Geoffrey intended for readers to believe he was a figure extracted from long-lost ancient texts). While Merlin the Wizard was a very prominent character in the stories of Camelot, that is not where he originated. Writer Geoffrey of Monmouth is credited with creating Merlin in his 1136 AD work, Historia Regum Britanniae – The History of Kings of Britain. It is common belief that Merlin was created as a figure for Arthurian legend. (Andy/ CC BY ND 2.0 ) Merlin and Ambrosius It took many decades of adaptations before Merlin became the wizard of Arthurian legend he is known as today. While these general tales are well-known, Merlin’s initial appearances were only somewhat linked to Arthur. The powerful wizard is depicted with many magical powers, including the power of shapeshifting, and is well-known in mythology as a tutor and mentor to the legendary King Arthur, ultimately guiding him towards becoming the king of Camelot. Most people today have heard of Merlin the Magician, as his name has been popularized over the centuries and his story has been dramatized in numerous novels, films, and television programs.
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