Written in Latin by Geoffrey of Monmouth, Prophetiae Merlini (Prophecies of Merlin) was written around 1150 CE. An earlier work by Geoffrey, Vita Merlini, was written between 1130-1135 CE and both incorporated and printed separately to Geoffrey’s well-known Historia Regum Britanniæ (History of the Kings of Britain).

How accurate are these? Although modern scholars doubt the accuracy of Geoffrey’s work, for many years they were viewed as a definitive history well into the 16th century. Geoffrey states he was given a source for this period by Archdeacon Walter of Oxford, who presented him with a “certain very ancient book written in the British language” from which he has translated his history. He also cites Gildas and Bede as sources.

A lot of the facts presented have since been discredited, such as the Trojans founding the British nation. Others are corroborated, such as Julius Caesar’s invasion of Britain. However, the details of Merlin can not be dismissed entirely, and Geoffrey considered him to be an important figure, and he made him an integral part of Arthurian legend.

How much is true, and how much is pseudo history is debatable. But it does draw from ancient Celtic sources, and the magical story and prophecies are so well loved that they have been retold many times, inspiring many authors right to the present day. Merlin is an inspiration to magic and mysticism, so his story is worthy of examination.

The story of Merlin

Our story introduces Merlin as a prophet and king of Dyfed. Merlin takes part in a battle alongside Peredur, king of Gwynedd, and Rhydderch, king of the Cumbrians, against Gwenddoleu, king of Scotland.

Gwenddoleu is defeated, but three of Merlin’s brothers are among the slain. Merlin so grieves at their deaths that he goes mad and runs off into the Caledonian Forest, where he lives on grass and fruit.

News of Merlin’s whereabouts eventually reach his twin sister Gwenddydd (who is also a powerful prophetess) and wife of King Rhydderch. Gwenddydd sends an emissary into the woods to find her brother (although not stated, I like to believe that the emissary was Taliesin – this ties in with the conclusion). There, Taliesin finds Merlin lamenting the harshness of the winter and responds by singing about the grief of Gwenddydd and Merlin’s wife Gwendolen. The sweetness of this song soothes Merlin so effectively as to bring him back to lucidity, and he is persuaded to visit his sister at Rhydderch’s court.

Once back in Rhydderch’s court, Merlin feels the strain of facing crowds, which brings on a relapse. Merlin is chained to prevent his return to the woods. When Merlin sees a leaf in his sister Gwenddydd’s hair, he laughs. He refuses to explain his laughter unless he is freed. Then he tells King Rhydderch that the leaf got into Gwenddydd’s hair when she lay outdoors with her lover.

Gwenddydd then seeks to discredit Merlin. She brings a boy before him on three occasions and dresses him in three different outfits to disguise that it is the same boy. On each occasion, she asks Merlin to prophesy how each will die. The first time Merlin says the boy will die in a fall from a rock, the second that he will die in a tree, and the third time that he will die in a river.

King Rhydderch is thus persuaded that Merlin can be fooled and that his judgement is not to be trusted. In future years, the boy brought before Merlin fell from a rock, landing in the branches of a tree beneath it, entangled upside down with his head in a river where he drowned.

Back in the woods again, Merlin reads in the stars that his wife Gwendolen is remarrying, so he attends her wedding mounted on a stag. Wrenching the antlers off his stag, he throws them at the groom and kills him, but is captured and taken back to Rhydderch’s court.

Back there, Merlin sees a beggar and then a young man buying leather to patch his shoes, and he laughs at each of them. King Rhydderch again offers Merlin his freedom if he will explain why he laughed, and Merlin answers that the beggar was unknowingly standing over buried treasure and that the young man’s fate was to drown before he could wear his repaired shoes. When Merlin’s statements prove true, his reputation is restored, and Rhydderch lets Merlin go.

Back in the woods again, Merlin watches the stars in an observatory his sister Gwenddydd has made for him. There, the astrologer prophesies the future history of Britain as far as the Norman kings. King Rhydderch dies, and Gwenddydd grieves for him.

Taliesin goes into the woods to see Merlin, and there they have an intellectual discussion on subjects from cosmology to the natural history of fishes. They end on a survey of the world’s islands, including the island of apples where Morgen tends King Arthur.

A new spring of water miraculously appears, and when Merlin drinks from it, his madness lifts, and he gives thanks to God for his cure. On hearing of his cure a number of princes and chieftains visit him in the woods and try to persuade him to resume his kingship of Dyfed, but Merlin refuses due to his advanced age and the delight he takes in nature.

Later, when a madman appears, Merlin recognises him as an old friend, Maeldinus. Maeldinus had been driven to madness from eating poisoned apples that had been intended for Merlin. Maeldinus is cured by drinking from the spring that cured Merlin. From that day on, it is resolved that Maeldinus, Taliesin, Merlin, and Gwenddydd will remain together in the woods, in retirement from the secular world.

When a flock of cranes appears in the sky, Merlin teaches the chieftains about the habits of the crane and goes on to discuss the habits of many other kinds of bird.

The poem ends with a prophecy from Gwenddydd detailing events in the reign of King Stephen, and Merlin renunciates his gift of prophecy.

Lessons from the Tale

There are some powerful lessons in Vita Merlini. It does not gloss over the horrors and futility of war. Today, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD could describe what Merlin suffered at seeing his three brothers killed in battle.

Women in history get forgotten. Whilst Merlin’s tales have survived to this day, his twin sister Gwenddydd is barely remembered. She is equally as important in the tale of Merlin and also a great prophetess and role model for modern-day witches and Vates.

Another aspect of the tale is that of paying heed to false accusations. People are not only out to discredit others. They are also quick to listen to propaganda and one side of the story.

On the other hand, loyalty and friendship also shine through. Merlin’s friendship with Taliesin is a great example of true Anam Cara. They were bound together and spent their last days together. Taliesin was always there for Merlin, and it was a mutual friendship. These are the kind of friends we want in our lives. Not the fickle friends who listen to gossip or gossip about you. But the ones who are there for you always.

The most interesting aspect of Merlin’s story is not his prophecies, though. It is his connection and observations of nature. Remember Caesar called Druids “philosophers of nature.” Although never called a Druid, Merlin is, in fact, the very essence of a Druid.