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Merlin

The First Meeting of Vortigern and Rowena/ Renwein painted by William Hamilton (Public Domain)

The Shadowy Reign of Vortigern, The King Who Gave Away Britain

Vortigern was a semi-mythical fifth century king most famous for inviting the Saxons to Britain to help him vanquish the invading Picts of Scotland. A disagreement compelled the Saxons to break their...
The many faces of the famed medieval sorcerer, Merlin. Source: rolffimages / Adobe Stock

The Many Faces of Merlin: Prophet, Architect, Holy Man

The character of Merlin has been a recurring figure in Western popular culture ever since the Middle Ages. In his many iterations, Merlin is most often associated with the legendary King Arthur...
Detail from one of the fragments showing the name Merlin.  Source: University of Bristol

13th Century Magical Merlin Manuscript Shares Original Legend

After two years of hard work, scholars have now finished an Old-French-to-English translation of a centuries-old manuscript that tells of the adventures of Merlin the Magician , King Arthur, and...
Mug Ruith was one of the most powerful and enigmatic characters in Irish mythology. Source: Rainer Fuhrmann / Adobe Stock

The Legendary Mug Ruith: Irish Wizard, Sun God, Or Ancient Astronaut?

The Irish Celtic heritage is filled to the brim with unique and wondrous characters. From the tales of ancient and venerable High Kings, to their colorful pantheon and powerful wizards, Irish history...
Statue of King Arthur at Tintagel. Source: Ian Capper / Gallos / CC-BY-SA-2.0.

King Arthur: A Very British Messiah?

King Arthur is undoubtedly one of the most enduringly popular heroes to come out of the medieval era, and he has meant many things to many people for hundreds of years. Over time, the mythology of...
Prophecy has had a strong influence since ancient times

Prophecy Through the Ages: Society, Power and Legend

“Prophecy is an emanation sent forth by the Divine Being through the medium of the Active Intellect, in the first instance to man's rational faculty, and then to his imaginative faculty.” -...
Wales Flag on Blue Sky.

How the Welsh Flag Became the Coolest Flag in the World

One of the most striking national flags is that of Wales. In an online poll, it was voted the coolest of all the over 200 national flags around the globe. Its main feature is a dragon that is meant...
Bardsey Island

Bardsey Island – A Small Land for 20,000 Holy Souls

For being only one mile long by less than a mile wide, Bardsey Island is a small piece of land, but it is of great historical and cultural significance. The island’s reputation is bolstered through...
King Arthur. Detail. Charles Ernest Butler, 1903.

Archaeologists May Have Discovered the Birthplace of King Arthur: Legends Come to Life?

The discovery of 1500-year-old ruins at Tintagel in south-west England made headlines around the world. What appear to the be the walls of a Dark Age palace have been found in the exact place, and...
Merlin the Magician representation

The Legendary Origins of Merlin the Magician

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. The...
The legendary Welsh dragon. Credit: warpaintcobra / Adobe Stock

The Legendary Welsh Dragon that Expelled the Saxons

The Welsh Dragon is a heraldic symbol of Wales, and arguably one of the country’s most recognizable symbols. The image is most notably seen on the flag of Wales. Additionally, this symbol is also...
The Elgin Marbles on display at the British Museum, London. Source: Justin Norris / CC BY 2.0

Lost in Time Faces Revealed on the Elgin Marbles

The Elgin or Parthenon Marbles are among the most controversial artworks in the world. 19 th century plaster casts of the sculptures have been analyzed using 3D images and have revealed new details...
The Magic of Merlin ( denissimonov/ adobe stock)

The Magical Message of Merlin Versus Modern Materialism

Approaching a subject such as lore about Merlin the Magician is to engage an old, old story that has been cast in poetry, history, music, art, and literature. Through it all is woven a story that has...
Morgan Le Fay by Frederick Sandys

Morgan le Fay: How Arthurian Legend Turned a Powerful Woman from Healer to Villain

In the new movie The Kid Who Would Be King , the protagonist Alex thinks he’s just an ordinary schoolboy until he stumbles upon Excalibur, the legendary sword of King Arthur, in a building site...
Detail from one of the fragments showing the name Merlin.

Fragments of Ancient Manuscript About Merlin Have Been Discovered and Could Change Arthurian Legend

A lucky discovery in a rare book has the potential to transform our knowledge of perhaps the most famous story from the entire Middle Ages. Some damaged manuscript pages found inside the volume are...
Cloaked man; Deriv

Merlin: Warrior & Poet. Two Historical Figures that Inspired the Legend

It’s only a few weeks now until the movie King Arthur: Legend of the Sword hits the big screen. It will be particularly interesting to see how it portrays Merlin, the royal puppet master in the...
Sword in a Stone and Fairy Tale forest

Who Pulled the Sword from the Stone? The Truth of the Swords of King Arthur

This spring a new movie, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword , is to hit the big screens. Staring Charlie Hunnam as the fabled warrior, the film title suggests that the central theme is Arthur’s...
Main: A painting titled “Sylvan Men” by Albrecht Durer, 1499; “sylvan” means of the forest. (Wikimedia Commons). Inset: The Wild Man has a long history in humanity’s legends and myths. This photo shows the spoon handle found near Ipswich. (Photo by Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service)

Medieval Wild Man relic discovered by treasure hunters has roots in ancient history

English metal detectorists have found a Medieval spoon handle depicting a figure of the Wild Man, a hairy, club-wielding legend who existed on the edges of civilization from ancient times. Stories...
The Thirteen Legendary Treasures of Britain

The Thirteen Legendary Treasures of Britain

The ancient Greek writer Hesiod once wrote that there were five ages of mankind – the Golden Age, the Silver Age, the Bronze Age, the Heroic Age, and the Iron Age. Similarly, in Hinduism, there are...
Ancient book of Arthurian stories

Ultraviolet light reveals hidden text in ancient book of Arthurian stories

Scholars in Wales have discovered that parts of one of the most important books in Welsh history was erased and some of the texts on its animal-skin pages overwritten. The book is titled The Black...