Merlin: Biography on Undiscovered Scotland (2024)

Merlin: Biography on Undiscovered Scotland (1)
Stobo Kirk: Merlin is said to have been baptised nearby

Merlin, also known as Myrddin Wyllt, Merlin Caledonensis, or Merlin Sylvestrus lived from about 540 to August 584. He is a figure from Welsh legend who served as a bard before ending his days as a madman, prophet and mystic in the forests of Tweeddale in the Scottish Borders. The wider picture in Scotland at the time is set out in our Historical Timeline.

Merlin is, of course, best known from his role in the Arthurian Legends. These started with Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae or "History of the Kings of Britain", completed in 1138. They have since taken such a hold on popular imagination that separating the fragments of history from the many layers of legend is no easy task. What seems clear, however, is that King Arthur's Merlin as described by Geoffrey of Monmouth was a combination of two separate historical characters. One was our Myrddin Wyllt, and the second was Ambrosius Aurelianus, a war leader of the Romano-British who won an important battle against the Anglo-Saxons in the 400s. The result of this merger was the wizard "Merlin Ambrosius".

The real Merlin, Myrddin Wyllt, was born in about 540 and had a twin sister called Gwendydd. He served as a bard to Gwenddoleu ap Ceidio, a Brythonic or British king who ruled Arfderydd, a kingdom including parts of what are now Scotland and England in the area around Carlisle. Gwenddoleu was killed in the Battle of Arfderydd, near modern Longtown, in 573 during a defeat by King Rhydderch Hael of Strathclyde. An alternative legend places the death of Gwenddoleu at the Battle of Arderyth, or the Battle of Airdrie, in 577. In this version Merlin was awarded a golden torc for his recording of the battle, possibly by King Rhydderch Hael, and he then spent time at the king's fortress at Dumbarton Castle. It is said that Merlin subsequently went mad, retreating to live as a prophet and recluse in the forests of Tweeddale.

In August 584 Merlin, later also referred to as Lailoken, is said to have encountered St Mungo or St Kentigern near the site of what is now Stobo Kirk. The result was Merlin's conversion to Christianity by Kentigern. According to a later chronicler, Kentigern was told by Merlin that he had foreseen his own death by falling, stabbing, and drowning. Late on the day of his conversion Merlin was chased by a group of shepherds and as a result fell off a cliff into a river, where he was impaled on a stake securing a fisherman's net and drowned. Merlin is believed to have been buried beside a thorn tree at Drumelzier, near the River Tweed and close to a tiny settlement called Merlindale. There is no record of his ever meeting the best Scottish candidate for the basis of the legend of King Arthur, Artuir mac Áedáin, but the two were contemporaries.

One of the oddities of this and other stories from south-west Scotland is why they should have been preserved in Welsh rather than Scottish folklore. The answer is that the British Kingdom of Strathclyde was much more aligned, both culturally and linguistically, with Wales than with any part of modern Scotland. The Kingdom of Strathclyde was extinguished almost without trace five centuries after the era we are talking about here, and the theory is that as Brythonic or British culture contracted back towards its Welsh heartland it took with it the folklore of Strathclyde.

Merlin: Biography on Undiscovered Scotland (2024)

FAQs

What is Merlin's real name? ›

Merlin's real name is Myrddin Wyllt. Myrddin is his given name, Wyllt is a family name, or his surname (last name) as a sixth century Celtic druid. Emrys is his druid name. When translated from original Welsh, and then anglicized, his druid name would be Ambrosius.

Is Merlin based on a true story? ›

Merlin was indeed an historical figure, living in what are now the Lowlands of Scotland at the end of the sixth century A.D. … he was an authentic prophet, most likely a druid surviving in a pagan enclave of the North.

Who was Merlin's wife? ›

Gwendolen

Why is Merlin called Emrys? ›

Unlike most sorcerers, Merlin was born with the ability to use magic. According to the Great Dragon, Merlin's birth had been prophesied by many cultures. The Druids, for example, referred to him as "Emrys" (The Beginning of the End).

Who is Merlin in love with? ›

Merlin has a one-sided crush on Meliodas. Merlin met Meliodas when she was a child and he saved her from the wizards who persecuted her. From that moment she developed romantic feelings for him, because Meliodas showed her a concern that nobody had ever given her.

Is Merlin evil or good? ›

In contemporary versions of the legend, Merlin is almost always depicted as good. T.H. White makes him a bumbling but wise teacher in The Once and Future King. BBC turns him into a young, foolish, but lovable magician who constantly defeats the forces of evil that plague Camelot in their series Merlin.

Where is the real Merlin buried? ›

A Wiltshire mound where the legendary wizard Merlin was purported to be buried has been found to date back to 2400 BC. Radiocarbon dating tests were carried out on charcoal samples taken from Marlborough Mound, which lies in Marlborough College's grounds.

Who was the real life Merlin? ›

The real Merlin, Myrddin Wyllt, was born in about 540 and had a twin sister called Gwendydd. He served as a bard to Gwenddoleu ap Ceidio, a Brythonic or British king who ruled Arfderydd, a kingdom including parts of what are now Scotland and England in the area around Carlisle.

Was Merlin Welsh or Scottish? ›

The shapeshifting sorcerer had become iconic and unchangeable; he was an ancient magical being in a long robe with wild white hair and beard. His name was Merlin and he was Welsh.

Who was Merlin's child? ›

Once Arthur was born, Merlin took the baby to be raised away from his parents. After Uther died, Merlin said that the next king would be the man who could remove the sword Excalibur from a stone. Many knights failed to remove the sword, but Arthur succeeded. Merlin then helped Arthur to claim the throne.

Did Merlin have a daughter? ›

When Nimue and Merlin meet in the fifth episode, she asks the wizard why her mother instructed her to bring him the sword. By the end, viewers learn that not only did he and her mother have a relationship, but Nimue is actually Merlin's daughter.

Was Merlin a man or a woman? ›

Merlin, enchanter and wise man in Arthurian legend and romance of the Middle Ages, linked with personages in ancient Celtic mythology (especially with Myrddin in Welsh tradition).

What ethnicity was Merlin? ›

Merlin's character originated in Welsh folklore featuring the wildman-in-the-woods motif, a half-savage on the fringe of civilization possessing great power & wisdom. Merlin first appears in literature in the History of the Kings of Britain by the Welsh cleric Geoffrey of Monmouth (c. 1100 - c.

Who did Merlin end up with? ›

The finale was “a love story between two men”

Most notably, the showrunner confirms that Merlin and Arthur did indeed grow to love each other by the end of the series, calling it a “pure” love. “We did, very genuinely, think of the episode as a love story between two men.

Who was Merlin's father? ›

As a Dragonlord, Balinor had very rare and special powers. Forced into hiding by Uther's Great Purge, he lived as a hermit for twenty years before being persuaded to use his talents to help save the kingdom. He was Merlin's father and passed his gifts on to him when he died.

Who did Arthur marry in Merlin? ›

Though their courtship was complicated by their differing social classes (and later by interference from Morgana), they were ultimately married in the final episode of series 4. As of Arthur's death in the series finale, Gwen is now his widow and rules Camelot in his stead.

Who is Merlin's half sister? ›

Morgause
Gender:Female
Family:Morgana (Half-Sister) Vivienne (Mother, disappeared) Gorlois (Step-Father) †
Statistics
Affiliation:Morgana Pendragon Ravenna Cenred (betrays and takes his throne) † Gaius (formerly)
7 more rows

Who was Merlins enemy? ›

Mab: Merlin's nemesis. A powerful witch and sworn protector of the "Old Ways." Sister of the Lady of the Lake. Merlin: The last sorcerer. Mordred: The evil child produced by the union of Arthur and Morgan Le Fey.

What powers did Merlin have? ›

Powers and abilities

He could battle gods single-handedly, instantaneously teleport anywhere in the world, or summon mythological creatures to do his bidding. He also possessed astral projection, telekinesis, reality manipulation, and the ability to bring anyone back to life.

Why is Merlin so famous? ›

Through her popular films, an icon of American pop culture, power with the successful films, publicity, modeling, and more; the undeniably gorgeous woman even created the culture for "the next Marilyn Monroe."

What is the legend of Merlin? ›

Merlin is a man of mystery and magic; contradiction and controversy surrounded his life. Merlin wore many hats: he was a wizard or sorcerer, a prophet, a bard, an adviser and a tutor. He appeared as a young boy with no father. He appeared as an old, wise man, freely giving his wisdom to four successive British kings.

Did Merlin have any descendants? ›

Arylwren, called Wren, was born of a single night of passion between Myrddin Emrys, better known as the Merlin, and Deirdre, high priestess of the Druids.

Was King Arthur a real person? ›

Was King Arthur a real person? Historians cannot confirm King Arthur's existence, though some speculate that he was a real warrior who led British armies against Saxon invaders in the 6th century.

Is the story of Arthur and Merlin true? ›

What is much clearer is that other elements of the story, like the wizard Merlin, Arthur's sword Excalibur, wife Guinevere, and his Knights of the Round Table, are almost entirely fictional and appear together in Geoffrey of Monmouth's c. 1136 AD chronicle The History of the Kings of Britain or its later adaptations.

Did Merlin still alive? ›

Yes, in some versions, Merlin was turned into a tree by Nimue. In BBC's Merlin, he still lives, waiting for Arthur to rise again. Who is Mordred in the Arthurian legend?

Who wrote the original Merlin story? ›

Geoffrey of Monmouth, an English bishop and chronicler of history, wrote one of the earliest sources on Merlin. His earliest work, Prophetia Merlini, or The Prophecies of Merlin, was published in the early 1130s. This book was the first to portray Merlin in the form that most people recognize today.

Where is the birthplace of Merlin? ›

Merlin is strongly associated with Carmarthen: the town's Welsh name is Caerfyrddin ('Merlin's Fort') and he may have been born in a cave nearby - perhaps at Bryn Myrddin ('Merlin's Hill'). The 13th century Black Book of Carmarthen includes earlier poems featuring Arthur, and Merlin as a clairvoyant.

How was Merlin born? ›

Merlin was said to be born from an Incubus and a human maiden named Adhan, making him a Cambion (Half-demon, half-human) which is why he has magical powers.

Who gave birth to Merlin? ›

Back in the forest and the birth of Merlin

In a cave in a forest, the Devil summons Lucina and the Fates to attend Joan as she gives birth to Merlin.

Who is Merlin half brother? ›

Merlin is renowned as one of the greatest magicians of all time, famed wizard to King Arthur. Known to few as the son of the Archfiend Belial and a mortal witch from Ur, he summoned his half-brother Etrigan to save Camelot from the evil forces of Morgaine le Fey.

What is Merlin's mother name? ›

Hunith is the mother of Merlin.

What religion did Merlin follow? ›

In the legends Arthur's religion varies. Some retellings describe King Arthur as a pagan king, very tolerant towards differing religions as Merlin is often referred to as being a druid.

What does Merlin look like? ›

Adult male Merlins are slaty gray to dark gray; females and immatures are browner. The chest is usually heavily streaked and the underwings are dark. The dark tail has narrow white bands, and the face often lacks a prominent malar or “mustache” stripe.

Why did Merlin turn into an old man? ›

Merlin had requested Gaius to make an ageing potion, and upon taking it, he transformed into an older version of himself.

How did Merlin get immortality? ›

Merlin's magic was so powerful he was able to achieve immortality as shown in The Diamond of the Day as he was capable of living forever as he was still alive even in modern times. His immortality may be because of his powerful magic or his destiny that ties him with the return of Arthur.

Who is the Lady Morgana? ›

Morgana, also called Morgaine or Morgan, is a staple figure of the Arthurian legend. Her relationship to Arthur varies but usually she is introduced as Arthur's half-sister, the daughter of his mother Igraine and her first husband Gorlois, the Duke of Cornwall.

What does the name Merlin mean? ›

Derived from the name Myrddin, Merlin is a baby boy name of Welsh origin, meaning “sea fortress.” From the medieval era to World War II, forts have been used to defend nations against enemy ships and planes.

Is Merlin's real name Emrys? ›

He was apparently given the name Emrys (or Ambrosius) at his birth in Caer-Fyrddin (Carmarthen). He only later became known as Merlin, a Latinized version of the Welsh word, Myrddin, taken from the place of his birth.

Who is Belialuin? ›

Belialuin was a city populated by wizards and witches, who remained neutral during the Holy War between the Goddess Clan and the Demon Clan. It was a capital blessed with prosperity, where the superior wisem*n of humanity lived.

Is the Merlin's daughter? ›

When Nimue and Merlin meet in the fifth episode, she asks the wizard why her mother instructed her to bring him the sword. By the end, viewers learn that not only did he and her mother have a relationship, but Nimue is actually Merlin's daughter.

What is Merlin's last name Harry Potter? ›

Merlin has no surname! In his time surenames were rare and pointless and we don't know his origins, have no idea about his parents, he pops up in literature and gives a twist to the Arthus legends. A cool twist, but even if he was a historical figure he never needed a surname.

Where is Merlin buried? ›

"Merlin's Grave" (Site): According to legend which is at least as old as the 15th century, the wizard Merlin was buried 200 yds NNW of Drumelzier Church, on the level haugh close to the right bank of the River Tweed.

Is Merlin a human or demon? ›

Twelfth and thirteenth century authors depicted Merlin as a hybrid human-demon who overcame his demonic half to demonstrate that defeating demonic temptations was possible. In twelfth-and-thirteenth century romances, Merlin imparted a moral lesson by epitomizing how humans could defeat challenges presented by demons.

Is Merlin a demon? ›

According to the legend, Merlin was born to a human mother and a demon father. He gained his magical powers from the demon. Some stories said that Merlin was evil. Others said that he was good, despite his demonic background.

Who was Merlins son? ›

Balinor also told Merlin the Dragon's true name, Kilgharrah. During their time together, Merlin revealed to Balinor that he was his son, a revelation that shocked him.

Who was Merlin's sister? ›

The novel is the second in The Lost Queen trilogy that follows the story of Lailoken—who through legend becomes “Merlin” —and, more importantly, his twin sister, Languoreth, who was erased by patriarchal history but is resurrected by Pike.

When did Merlin exist? ›

There may have been a real Merlin, such as the one Nikolai Tolstoy describes in Quest for Merlin: "... Merlin was indeed an historical figure, living in what are now the lowlands of Scotland at the end of the sixth century A.D...an authentic prophet, most likely a druid surviving in a pagan enclave of the north."

Is Merlin's father a dragon? ›

As a Dragonlord, Balinor had very rare and special powers. Forced into hiding by Uther's Great Purge, he lived as a hermit for twenty years before being persuaded to use his talents to help save the kingdom. He was Merlin's father and passed his gifts on to him when he died.

Where is Merlin from? ›

Merlin was probably born in the town of Carmarthen. Because of his link with a demon and God, Merlin had great wisdom and powers from the two opposing forces.

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