Top 10 Facts about Merlin

Post On: January 7, 2019
By: Andi

Do you know about Merlin? Fortunately, this article will tell you the top 10 facts about Merlin. Merlin is a legendary figure well-known as the wizard featured in Arthurian legend and medieval poetry. The other cool fact about Merlin would be told below.

Facts about Merlin 1: The General Information about Merlin

The occupation of Merlin is Prophet, wizard. Gwendolen is the spouse and Ganieda is the relatives. The standard description of the character first appeared in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historian Regum Britanniae, written c. 1136, and is based on the amalgamation of a previous historical and legendary figure.

Facts about Merlin 2: The Name of Merlin

the cool 10 facts about Merlin

The name of Merlin is come from the Welsh Myrddin, the name od the bard who was one of the chief sources for the later legendary figure. Then, Geoffrey of Monmouth Latinised the name to Merlinus in his works. He chosed the Merlin rather than the regular merdinus to avoid a resemblance to the Anglo-Norman word merde (from Latin merda) for feces.

Facts about Merlin 3: Geoffrey

Geoffrey had Myrddin Wyllt in mind when he wrote his earliest surviving work, the Prophetiae Merlini (Prophecies of Merlin), which he claimed were the actual words od the legendary poet and madman.

Facts about Merlin 4: Geoffrey Sources

Geoffrey’s composite Merlin is based on the legendary “madman” poet and seer Myrddin Wyllt (“Myrddin the Wild”, sometimes called Merlinus Caledonensis in later sources influenced by Geoffrey) and Emrys (the Old Welsh: Embreis), a fictional character based in part on the 5th century.

Facts about Merlin 5: Later Version of the Legend

Robert De Boron retold on this material about Merlin in his poem around 1200. Not many of his poems survive, but a prose retelling became popular and was later incorporated into chivalric romances.

Facts about Merlin 6: Geoffrey Background for His Works

Geoffrey Prophetiae do not reveal  much about Merlin’s background. He included the prophet in his work, Historia Regum Britanniae, supplementing the characterisation by attributing to him stories about Aurelius Ambrosius, taken from Nennius’ Historia Brittonum.

the cool 10 facts about Merlin

Facts about Merlin 7: The Early Life of Merlin Ambrosius’

Geoffrey’s account of Merlin Ambrosius’ early life in the Historia Regum Britanniae is based on the tale of Ambrosius in the History Brittonum.

Facts about Merlin 8: The Medieval Works also Deal with The Merlin Legend

There are some works that deal with the legend of Merlin. One, Les Propheties de Merlin (c. 1276) it contains long Prophecies of Merlin (mostly concerned with 11th to 13th century Italian history and contemporary politics).

Facts about Merlin 9: The Merlin that Retold in Recent Works

As the Arthurian myth were retold and embellished, merlin prophetic aspects were sometimes de-emphasised in favour of portraying him as a wizard and an elder advisor to Arthur.

the cool 10 facts about Merlin

Facts about Merlin 10: Merlin in the Modern Works

In the modern works, Merlin and Morgan are never enemies in any medieval tradition. Instead, Merlin loves morgan so much.

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