Merlin and Wales: A Magician's Landscape

by Michael Dames

The name of Merlin lives on as powerfully as that of King Arthur himself in tales and place names that span Wales, Cornwall, Cumbria, and Caledonia. Michael Dames shows us here the many aspects of this elusive and mercurial enchanter and sage, at ease in the royal court and in the wilderness, on land and in water. With illustrations of the art and artifacts pertaining to the Merlin legend as well as the author's own evocative photographs of mythic sites, the book guides us through the many versions of the story of Merlin and his sister/lover—from the mysterious boy on Dinas Emrys who aroused the embattled red and white dragons in their hidden pool, to the metaphor of his retreat to the holy land of Bardsey off the coast of Wales. The myths about this most famous of magicians carry Egyptian and Roman traces, and emerge in several languages across the centuries, in oral tales, folk rites, early literatures, and visual symbols. Especially loved by the people of rural Wales, as their folklore shows, Merlin is often subversive, a maverick, and a trespasser. All those entranced by Celtic lore and locations will want to own this book and use it to visit the places that still seem to echo with Merlin's name. 160 illustrations and maps, 22 in color.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Arthurian, Folklore

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Susie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This books mixes archaeology, mythology, folk beliefs, and history. It has a lot of information inside, which often mixes all these elements together. And that, really, was my problem with the book. It was interesting, referencing pieces of evidence with various bits of writing from throughout the centuries, but when it states that more modern things are a pieces of Merlin’s history, that’s when it gets a bit ridiculous. But I guess it depends what you’re looking for. If you’re looking for something that puts all the facts together, it does do that, in a fashion, but with all those bits of mythology and history thrown in as well!

I guess, all in all, I wouldn’t mind if it was one or the other. I think that there are many of us who like to think of Merlin as a real person, having once existed, with the facts and myths having been blended over time to form the various legends we have today. But this mixes things up a bit too much for me, which is just a bit strange.

Obviously, the book wasn’t without learning, so it wasn’t a complete waste of time. Below is a list of facts that I bookmarked for myself to reference later:
– I wasn’t really aware of how the Merlin myth spread throughout Wales, starting with the hill known as Dinas Emrys. There are many references to Merlin/Emrys/Myrddin throughout Wales.
– There is a Welsh variant of chess, a game pre-dating the modern game, called “Gwyddbwyll”, named after King Gwenddoleu, one of Merlin’s patrons.
– The gorge of Afon Conwy is often called the Pool and is also known as the “Fairy Glen”, considered to be one of the entrances to Annwn.
– One of the possible sites for Merlin’s grave is at Llysan y Lleian, where there was once a farmhouse called Hafotty Llysan.
– The history of Gwili/Abergwili: Gwili was a river goddess come harvest mare, but because of Christian pressure the meaning of the word Gwil changed to also mean “wanton or unchaste woman, whore”.

Final rating: ★★★☆☆ – Sort of liked/OK

[Larry Cunningham · Rating 4 out of 5]

For anyone wishing to delve into the stories and legends of Merlin, and Welsh culture and mythology in general, this book is highly recommended. The book includes in-depth discussions which are difficult to find outside of more-technical works.

[Sean Helms · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was so-so; it had some information in it that was new to me, but really worth what I paid for. I can't really recommend this one except to a diehard lover of Wales.