10 reasons legendary Merlin continues to fascinate scholars, storytellers, and curious minds alike. A blend of early Welsh verses, Geoffrey of Monmouth’s medieval chronicles, and archaeological breadcrumbs points to a genuine prophet, holy man, and bard who may have walked the British Isles.
10 reasons legendary: The Case for Merlin’s Historic Roots
10 The Collapsing Tower Story Has A Historical Basis
In the sixth century, the monk St. Gildas recorded the tyrant Vortigern’s desperate flight from the advancing Saxons. Later Welsh annals, notably the Nennius compilations, recount Vortigere’s attempt to raise a fortified citadel in Snowdonia.
Geoffrey of Monmouth narrates that the tower Vortigern erected kept tumbling down. To halt the collapses, his advisers urged him to sacrifice a fatherless youth—Merlinus Ambrosius—on the site. Merlin then directed the workers to dig beneath the foundations, where they uncovered a pool sheltering two dormant dragons, one scarlet and one alabaster.
In The Quest for Merlin, Nikolai Tolstoy argues that Vortigern consulted a figure of spiritual authority named “Myrddin Embreis,” identified with Merlin. Tolstoy posits that this man succeeded the druidic line that once guarded Britain’s symbolic “navel,” which he hypothesizes was the ancient monument of Stonehenge.
Although the tower‑collapsing tale is mythic rather than strictly historical, the place‑names and personal names it invokes are genuine, lending a tangible backdrop to the legend.
9 Geoffrey Of Monmouth’s Information Is Sound
Since its appearance in 1198, Geoffrey of Monmouth’s work has faced criticism for alleged inconsistencies and possible translational slip‑ups. Yet, twentieth‑century scholars began to defend Geoffrey, pointing to the wealth of contemporary written and oral material that could have informed his accounts. They argue that Geoffrey’s meticulous chronicling renders much of his narrative credible.
For instance, archaeologist T.C. Lethbridge employed Geoffrey’s descriptions of giant figures to locate the massive chalk carvings in Cambridgeshire’s hills. Likewise, an inscribed pillar stone uncovered in Ireland corroborates Geoffrey’s claim that Vortigern’s son fled across the Irish Sea.
8 Merlin Is The Narrator Of History Of The Kings Of Britain
In his seminal work History of the Kings of Britain, Geoffrey attributes the source material to Merlin, claiming he translated the ancient Brittonic prophecies into Latin. Geoffrey even wrote to Alexander, Bishop of Lincoln, stating, “The regard which I owe to your great worth, most noble prelate, has obliged me to undertake the translation of Merlin’s prophecies out of British into Latin.”
While scholars have long debated the authenticity of Geoffrey’s alleged “small book” of Merlin’s sayings, Norma Lorre Goodrich notes in her study King Arthur that Geoffrey possessed a working knowledge of Brythonic, bolstering the plausibility of his source claim.
Goodrich further observes that the “small book” Geoffrey mentions could have been a modest manuscript, akin to those described by Charlotte Guest—tiny volumes roughly eight centimeters by fifteen centimeters in size.
Given modern scholarship’s reassessment of Geoffrey’s material, it is not unreasonable to accept that the Merlin‑attributed prophecies may indeed reflect a genuine, now‑lost source that Geoffrey faithfully rendered.
7 Arthur’s Merlin Was Archbishop Dubricius
In the monograph Merlin, Norma Lorre Goodrich proposes that the legendary wizard and the historical Archbishop Dubricius were, in fact, the same individual. She identifies Merlinus Dubricius Ambrosius as the cleric who crowned Arthur at Carlisle, founded the priory at Llandaf, and established early centers of learning and astronomy.
Goodrich highlights striking parallels: both men emerged from a priestly Celtic lineage, both lacked known fathers, and both displayed prodigious intellect and wisdom. Over time, the Roman Church appears to have absorbed Merlin into its hagiographic tradition, transforming him into a saintly figure.
Thus, while the mythic Merlin became a staple of folklore, the historic Archbishop Dubricius remains a verifiable ecclesiastical figure.
6 The Legendary Merlin Is Linked To The Worship Of The Celtic God Lug
Early literary references connect Merlin to the ancient Celtic deity Lug, prompting Nikolai Tolstoy to argue that the wizard’s tales conceal a real priest‑like figure representing Lug’s cult. Tolstoy notes that pagan customs persisted in post‑Roman Britain, and the Lughnasa festival—celebrating Lug—was still observed during Merlin’s alleged lifetime.
The Welsh poem Cyfoesi Myrddin, likely composed before 1100 AD, records Merlin forecasting the succession of kings after Rhydderch, speaking “in his grave” – a phrase suggesting an otherworldly voice. A parallel episode describes Lug appearing to the Irish hero Conn to reveal the line of Irish monarchs.
These thematic overlaps, along with ritualistic evidence, support Tolstoy’s contention that a historical Merlin served as a terrestrial emissary of Lug within Celtic spiritual practice.
5 Merlin Went Mad After The Battle Of Arderydd
In northern Scotland near Carlisle, the Battle of Arderydd erupted in the latter half of the sixth century. Geoffrey of Monmouth recounts that, following the clash in which Merlin’s patron Gwenddolau fell, the wizard descended into madness, retreating to the woods and “forgetful of himself… lurking like a wild thing.”
Historical research by W.F. Skene pinpoints the battlefield’s location, while Tolstoy places Merlin’s hermitic withdrawal at a spring known today as Hartfell Spa, lending geographic credence to the legend.
4 Merlin Was A Druid
In The Quest for Merlin, Nikolai Tolstoy argues that the Battle of Arderydd occurred amid Christianity’s assault on Dark‑Age Britain’s pagan power structures. The Welsh poet Myrddin, identified with Merlin, is portrayed as a druid, with numerous druidic motifs woven throughout his verses.
One emblematic line mentions a “sweet apple tree” that shields Myrddin from his rival, King Rhydderch. Moreover, Myrddin is depicted as a prophetic shapeshifter linked to Cernunnos, the horned god who leads the Wild Hunt, underscoring his druidic identity.
3 Merlin Was A Dark Ages Soothsayer
Merlin’s status as a genuine sixth‑century prophet is supported by a passage from The Life of St. Samson. The text recounts that Anna, mother of St. Samson, and her husband sought counsel from a famed seer described as “a man sought out from many regions because all who had consulted him were assured of the truth of all he told them.”
This excerpt, drawn from an authentic historical source, underscores the contemporary reputation of a figure whose fame and abilities match those later attributed to the legendary Merlin.
2 Merlin Prophesied The Time Of His Own Death
The Huth Merlin manuscript records that Merlin foretold a darkening of the sun at the moment of his demise. Austrian astronomer calculations identify 8,000 solar eclipses spanning 1207 BC to AD 2161; eclipse number 4,143 was visible across Britain on 1 September AD 536, aligning with the purported date of Merlin’s death.
1 Merlin Was Buried At Bardsey Island
If Merlin and Archbishop Dubricius are one and the same, The Text of the Book of Llandaf records that his original interment took place on Bardsey Island, a sacred burial ground described as housing “the bones and bodies of martyrs and 20,000 saints.” His remains were later transferred to Llandaf in 1120.
Bardsey Island served as a revered necropolis for Britain’s elite—royal lineages, clerical families, warriors, and nobles—collectively termed the “Treasures of Britain.”
Sources:
Goodrich, Norma Lorre, King Arthur. (Harper & Row, 1986)
Goodrich, Norma Lorre, Merlin. (Franklin Watts, 1987)
Hennig, Kaye D., King Arthur: Lord of the Grail. (DesignMagic Publishing, 2008)
Monmouth, Geoffrey, History of the Kings of Britain. (In parentheses Publications, 1999)
Tolstoy, Nikolai, The Quest for Merlin. (Little, Brown and Company, 1985)
11 Further Reading
For more tales of mystery, magic, and history, explore these curated lists from our archives: 10 Of History’s Most Fascinating Sorcerers, 10 Mysterious Swords From Legend And History, 10 Notable People Thought To Be Immortal, and Top 10 Medieval Urban Legends.
Davanna is a writer living on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Contact her on Twitter.