King Arthur
...Merlin, Dragons & The Sword In The Stone
Merlin frequently appears in early Celtic literature as a mystical wild man of the woods, but it was cleric and writer Geoffrey of Monmouth (c. 1100-1155) who characterised him as King Arthur’s wizardly sidekick. 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. A well-known Carmarthen belief refers to an old oak which used to grow in the town: "When Merlin's Oak shall tumble down, then shall fall Carmarthen town". When the rotten remnants of the gnarled old tree were finally removed in 1978, Carmarthen suffered its worst floods in living memory. A branch can still be seen in Carmarthenshire County Museum.
Carmarthenshire County Museum
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- Region : South West Wales
- Grid Ref : SN 44075 20968
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Merlin frequently appears in early Celtic literature as a mystical wild man of the woods, but it was cleric and writer Geoffrey of Monmouth (c. 1100-1155) who characterised him as King Arthur’s wizardly sidekick. 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. A well-known Carmarthen belief refers to an old oak which used to grow in the town: "When Merlin's Oak shall tumble down, then shall fall Carmarthen town". When the rotten remnants of the gnarled old tree were finally removed in 1978, Carmarthen suffered its worst floods in living memory. A branch can still be seen in Carmarthenshire County Museum.
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