Merlin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Merlin |
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| Matter of Britain character | |
The Enchanter Merlin, Howard Pyle's illustration for The Story of King Arthur and His Knights (1903)
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| First appearance | Prophetiae Merlini |
| Created by | Geoffrey of Monmouth |
| Information | |
| Species | Cambion |
| Occupation | Prophet, magician, bard, advisor, warrior, others (depending on the source) |
| Spouse(s) | Gwendolen |
| Relatives | Ganieda |
| Home | "Esplumoir Merlin", British woods |
Merlin is a famous legendary character. He is most known as the powerful wizard in the stories of King Arthur. Merlin was King Arthur's trusted advisor and teacher.
In many tales, Merlin later vanished from the story. He left behind many predictions about future events. One popular version says that Merlin was enchanted and trapped by his student, the Lady of the Lake, after he fell in love with her. Other stories say he simply retired or passed away.
Merlin is often a mysterious figure. He rarely explains why he does things. People usually say that Merlin is very connected to nature, which is where his great power comes from.
Merlin's story likely first appeared in Welsh legend. His character is based on parts of several real and fictional people. The Merlin we know today was first described by Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 12th century. Later, the French poet Robert de Boron and others added more to his story.
Contents
Merlin's Amazing Adventures
Merlin is known for many important events in the Arthurian legends. Here are some of them:
- Merlin's unusual birth from a human mother and a supernatural father.
- He helped save his mother and showed his special knowledge from a young age.
- Merlin helped Vortigern understand why his castle tower kept falling down.
- He used his magic to help build the famous Stonehenge.
- Merlin helped Uther Pendragon (Arthur's father) to meet Igraine, leading to Arthur's birth.
- He chose the first Knights of the Round Table.
- Merlin set up the challenge of pulling the sword Excalibur from a stone. This proved that young Arthur was the rightful king.
- He warned Arthur about the birth of Mordred and the future fall of his kingdom.
- Merlin helped start the search for the Holy Grail by the Knights of the Round Table.
- The story of Merlin was written down by a character named Blaise.
- Merlin was eventually trapped by the fairy Viviane.
How Merlin's Story Began
Geoffrey of Monmouth created Merlin by combining different characters. One main inspiration was Myrddin Wyllt, a poet and seer from ancient Wales. Myrddin was said to be a bard who went mad after seeing terrible war. He then lived as a wild man in the forest.
Geoffrey also got ideas from Emrys, a character based on a real war leader named Ambrosius Aurelianus. In an old story, King Vortigern tried to build a tower, but it kept falling. His advisors said he needed to sacrifice a child born without a father. Ambrosius was thought to be such a child.
When Ambrosius was brought to the king, he revealed that two dragons were fighting under the tower. These dragons represented the Saxons (white dragon) and the native Celtic Britons (red dragon). Geoffrey retold this story and added new parts connecting Merlin to King Arthur. Geoffrey said this Ambrosius was also called "Merlin."
So, Geoffrey's story of Merlin's early life comes from this tale. Merlin's mother is not named in some early versions, but he is born with hair and can speak like an adult. He also has special knowledge that helps save his mother. The story of Vortigern's tower and the dragons is the same.
Geoffrey wrote about Merlin again in another work, Vita Merlini. In this story, Merlin lives after Arthur's reign. He spends time as a madman in the woods and later retires to a house with many windows to observe the stars. His sister Ganieda, who also has prophetic powers, often visits him.
Some historians believe Merlin might have been based on a real person. Perhaps he was a druid living in Scotland around the 6th century.
How Merlin's Story Grew
Around the 13th century, Robert de Boron retold and expanded Merlin's story in a poem. This poem became very popular and influenced many Arthurian tales. The story was then continued in the Merlin Continuation. This version shows Merlin's role in King Arthur's early wars. Merlin uses his magic to predict and influence battles, helping the young king.
This longer version of Merlin's story became part of a huge series of French works called the Lancelot-Grail (also known as the Vulgate Cycle). Later, another version, the Post-Vulgate Suite du Merlin, added new parts. For example, Merlin gives Arthur the magic sword Excalibur through a Lady of the Lake. In these later stories, Merlin's magic is sometimes less grand, and his character becomes less perfect.
Merlin's prophecies were also used for political reasons. For example, Henry VII of England used prophecies attributed to Merlin to support his claim to the throne.
Merlin's Final Chapter
Many places are said to be Merlin's burial site. One is a cave inside Merlin's Hill near Carmarthen, Wales. Carmarthen is often linked to Merlin, even having a local legend about "Merlin's Oak."
In North Wales, some stories say Merlin retired to Bardsey Island. There, he lived in a glass house with the Thirteen Treasures of the Island of Britain. Another possible burial site is Marlborough Mound in Wiltshire. An old text from 1215 mentions that the mound was named after Merlin.
In Scotland, a 15th-century book says Merlin died a "triple-death" at the hands of shepherds.
Merlin in Modern Times
Merlin and his stories are still very popular today. This is especially true since people became interested in the King Arthur legends again. Merlin is one of the most often shown Arthurian characters in books, movies, and TV shows.
Merlin often represents the balance between knowledge and power. In early Welsh stories, he was a symbol of wisdom. In the Middle Ages, he became an advisor to kings. Today, he is often seen as a mentor and teacher.
Since the 1800s, Merlin is usually shown as a wise old man with a long white beard. This image has influenced many other fantasy wizards. Think of characters like JRR Tolkien's Gandalf or JK Rowling's Dumbledore.
Many things have been named after Merlin. These include an asteroid (2598 Merlin), companies like Merlin Entertainments, a handheld game console, and even several British warships called HMS Merlin.
Images for kids
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Merlinus (Merlin) in the Nuremberg Chronicle (1493)
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Jean Colombe's drawing of Merlin's unusual birth (around 1480)
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Merlin and Nimue in Romance of King Arthur (1917)
See also
In Spanish: Merlín para niños
