What Is The Truth Behind The Legend Of Merlin | Merlin - The Legend | Chronicle 

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Had icicles in his hair and snow up to his hips clearly walked the same route to school as some of our parents lol

Time to fall asleep learning about Merlin

I like to think Merlin was the last if not one of the last Druids of Celtic Britain.

My grandfather and uncle’s name was Merlin and when my uncle passed I was pregnant and named my son Merlin. Idk why I always loved the name.

"Because stories are important. People think that stories are shaped by people. In fact, it's the other way around. Stories exist independently of their players. If you know that, the knowledge is power. Stories, great flapping ribbons of shaped space-time, have been blowing and uncoiling around the universe since the beginning of time. And they have evolved. The weakest have died and the strongest have survived and they have grown fat on the retelling...stories, twisting and blowing through the darkness." - Sir Terry Pratchett

As a teenager I read a book called the Crystal Cave. It was so such a good story about Merlin. It made me read Le Morte D'arture.

Alan Lee - *sits down to sketch Merlin, draws Christopher Lee* 😄 Both Lees are treasures.

I think Obi-Wan Kenobi is a great example of a modern interpretation of Merlin. Teacher, mentor, keeper of vast knowledge. Great job on this video!

I lived in a town in Wales called Carmarthen. Through Carmarthen runs the river Towy. On the banks of The Towy was a large Oak tree which legend had it hid a door to Merlins home. It was said if tree were ever cut down the river would flood the town. They cut the tree down and the river has flooded the nearby buildings ever since. I moved to Alderley Edge and a local tale says that in a cave under The Edge sleeps Arthur and his Knights put under a spell by Merlin, they wait in slumber ready to do Battle when Britain is in its hour of greatest need.

Although I am not from England, I have to admit that the story of Camelot is the one that has always been fascinating me the most.

Merlinus Magus is a character that will never cease to exist. Thank you so much for the history.

Im a boy from Albania. I know the legend of Merlin and king Arthur for more than 10 years ago, lets say when i was 8 year old ( now im 21 ). I have studied this legend many times and this is my favorite legend, especially Merlin part. Merlin made me like magic and now im interested in every aspect of magic. This is great documentary! Thanks a lot!

Nicol Williamson will always be Merlin to me. His voice is legendary.

A legend till the end of time ~ simply because we need him. ❤

I have always loved Mary Stewart’s version of the Arthur and Merlin legend. The Crystal Cave and its 2 sequels make fascinating reading.

History is just so Interesting 👌 I love to put docs like this in background while i work. Thanks for the vid 🔥🔥

Alan Lee! What a legend. His art is so breathtaking.

god i absolutely adore fantasy novels. having an olden, wise guide that is mysterious in all ways while none is beautiful to me. i am so glad merlin was created

I always found the connection between Merlin and Odin fascinating

We need Merlin in our World to give us some magic.

After fn around in modernity all day for fiat currency but definitely mastering capitalism at great expense to my soul…I’m tired. This is all I needed to enjoy my Saturday. Thanks!! ❤️❤️❤️🧙‍♂️

I've always liked the idea of how Merlin aged in reverse, He came in as an old man and as the years went by he grew younger

This is awesome! The more I can learn about the Merlin, the better! I'm probably weird, but I'm devolted to both him and Lord Herne. I've just learned to go with it. Merlin is so many things rolled into one. I see him as one linked to that Otherworld, even though so many on this plane saw that as madness, somewhat analagous to the Holy Fool in Eastern Orthodoxy--one who is judged insane by those whose spiritual eyes do not see beyond this world, but who actually has a very strong connection to Deity and can actually be a bridge from the Otherworld to this. Thank you so much for posting this!.

I am always watching British history documentaties, so I recently came across your channel. Thank you for all of the great documentaries you upload on your channel, ones I cannot find anywhere else. This was another great one. Thanks from Louisiana, USA

Loved seeing Mary Stuart's work. I've read them all when I was a teen ager and loved them all.

I love it that you mentioned Mary Stewart's books. That's my favourite version of the Merlin story

I presumed he was an alchemist/ could identify metals, plants and rocks. And that he used his wisdom with those things to help mentor others who struggled to understand the complex science back then. Often times, I just realise that people believed in mythical beings because it was hard to educate themselves, still discovering animals and plants. History and mythology is so fascinating. I often wonder how they were so smart for their time.... without being given. The answers like this generation...

This was a great documentary on this mysterious entity, not talked about in history. It was a day today. Thank you for your hard work. It made my evening!!!

The wise man does not lay up his own treasures. The more he gives to others, the more he has for his own.

I'm glad she wraps that up for us in the first three minutes. I nearly watched the whole thing!

These shows remind me old history channel segments that you watch at like 11pm. So glad to see these. You have a subscriber!

I have recently finished rereading Mary Stewart's Crystal Cave and her two wonderful sequels, The Hollow Hills and The Last Enchantment. They are well written, rich in content and just fun.

There is also a Cornish connection. All of the main megalithic sites used by them is in Cornwall, lady of the lake. Entrance to Avalon, stone circles, king Arthur’s hall, dozmary pool, davidstow Celtic war tribe meeting monument. There is even a knights Templar building from 12th century near by this area with depictions and stone engravings of the holy grail… also tintagel and merlins cave… Cornwall has just as much Celtic significance if not more than Scotland and wales. Is was even in Cornwall, then “dumnonia” that the last of the Celtic tribes and kings along side Dane vikings fought Wessex. Wales fell to Wessex way before Cornwall…

Mary Stewart has a really good series of books on Merlin starting with The Crystal Cave. She does a good job of crossing the legend of Merlin the magician and “humanizes” many of his skills. Though she maintains many parts of his prophetic nature. Edit, I wrote this comment before I got to the part about her. 😂

I love it! Thank you for Upload it :D

Love the knowledge thank you so much 🙂

Merlin has the knowledge we seek. Thank you! Great video.

I love Welsh mythology which is, for me, true as true! I have Welsh blood as my G,G, Grandfather was from the Brecon Beacons & although obviously i never met him, my mother has described this mountain of a man ( she was a child when he died) very tall she thought about 6ft 5ins, slender with a very long, to his trouser belt, snow white beard & his hair of which he had a mane of it, also snowy white & gentley curled was long. everyone in the family was in awe of him & a little afraid with his booming voice. My mother wasnt afraid of him & told him so, when she was 5yrs old & he loved it He was born & bred in Wales but married a young woman from Northumberland & its how my mothers people came to live here GGGrandfather John Thomas Lloyd Jones was steeped in Merlin Lore & through my grandmother to my mother & me told of all the stories GGGrandfather Jones knew. He said he was a Bard & a proper member of the Fraternity of Bards & used to travel all over Wales storytelling, for a whip round, a good meal & best bed for the night. I wish id met him, all i have is a sepia type photo which needs restoring but you can see his hight & the almost halo of white hair down his shoulders & long beard he was about 85yrs old yet still a handsome man. He was born in 1842 & died in 1928 or there abouts ( my grandmother was a Victorian ..just ! Born in 1898) Dressed in breeches, long socks & yes buckle shoes, fancy shirt with bow & a 3/4 cloak, his Barding attire. His day profession was as a Gunsmith & these were like duelling pistols in those days he also did Blacksmithing & told of Wayland Smith stories. It makes me proud to know im from such stock, as well as a proud Northumbrian As well as part Basque & Scandinavian whoa what a mixture!! Lol Beautiful country in Wales, quite magnificent & ive been to the Brecon Beacons & its wild down there, literally primeval forests like the ones far north of Sweden & Norway, never seen forests like that anywhere but Wales & Scandinavia. Im sure some parts are untouched from countless millenia! Plus they are palpable places, you have to have stood in these forests to know what i mean, there is awareness & intelligence of a kind in those trees & its a humbling experience to have stood in their presence Just amazing & sobering & almost unknowable.

I think what I love about this style of documentaries is that they say so much but so little. They make it really easy to tune out and dissociate which is peaceful

My favorite version of Merlin is Nicol Williamson in Excalibur [1981]. His wit and that he's outsmarted by a fish in the river is perfect to his otherwise intense power. Also, his description of "The Dragon" is esoteric.

That story about the fight between the two dragons where Merlin predicts that Britain will rule the world seems to have come true quite astonishingly

Fantastic stuff. Really enjoyed this.

I find it interesting that this documentary Completely and Totally Ignored the aspects of Merlin starting out as old and growing younger as time passed!!! 🤔

The wet weather of Wales is central to the entire myth. So it begins: West Africa across the sea, to the Caribbean, to boil in the Gulf of Mexico, then a northward turn to assault the Mississippi basin, northward again through the great cities, then speeds off to clip Canada, back to the North Sea and a long northward run to slam into Ireland….then across another sea to hammer Wales. Amazing journey the water takes to shape our lives, our dreams, our landscapes.

It's like someone goes out into the land to learn the creation and come back and share or use the wisdom they receive.

Woe...woe to us of the so called modern age. We have lost so much. Turned out backs to our true history. Abandoned hope in exchange for money and the illusion of power. Good God, keeper and source of the Brightest of Lights; I pray that you will rescue your lost children.

That was great. And I look forward to discovering those pieces of media you haven't heard of right along with you!

As Merlin is sleeping against my chest, I am watching these documentaries. I have always loved Merlin, and loved the past stories. ❤ I hope to have a new story of Merlin to add to people's book shelves one day. Keeping the traditions up of making him forever loved by all.

Amazing documentary, thatbk you, 🧙‍♂️

This documentary inspires me to embrace my own magic, thank you for uploading! Many blessings!

That dairy woman in Wales is a lovely soul and I want her to teach me everything she knows.

Fabulous documentary, wonderful to trace the history and journey of The Merlin.

Man. I'd love to see an hour long documentary where scholars examine Christian Mythology in the same tone as this...

I’m always amazed when historians give presentations about the influences and origins of King Arthur and Merlin and never notice the main one. Europeans and specifically English writers were steeped in biblical history and the stories in the Bible shaped everything in the culture. One of the most influential parts of the Bible is the Old Testament story of the obscure shepherd boy David from the most humble family in the most humble tribe among the Israelites. David was selected and anointed by the prophet Samuel and eventually became the King of Israel and drove out their enemies as well as brought about a renaissance of the culture and a golden age of the nation before it all collapsed again due in part to his own immoral behaviour and that of his son Solomon. So the wizard Merlin is the miracle working prophet Samuel, the boy to be king Arthur is David (who also slew a giant and as with Uther, took another man’s wife and impregnated her with a future great king in Solomon) and the rebellious nephew/son Mordred is David’s son Absalom who rebelled against and fought a civil war against his father King David. There are, of course, other influences of the Arthurian myth, but the origin story of the boy to be king David certainly influenced Monmouth and others to a great degree and the similarities should be noted in any examination of the myth. I'll be doing a presentation of this on my channel at some point as it's a very interesting topic.

Oh, that little black book 📖 is such a gem 💎 how it's managed to last for centuries is beyond me. Amazing video.

Merilns beard!

It's interesting but I am surprised that there wasn't any exploration of Merlin's connection to the older Woden/Odin of Germanic/Scandinavian myth because the venn-diagram of overlap between the two is huge. I suppose if that connection was ever explored it would take twice the time to cover, though, with how complex the two characters are.

Merlin was advisor to pendragon, healer, part Nostradamas, and mentor, guide to Author. I would say Merlin studied healing somewhere and a little bit of other things to combat the evil of men. I like M K Hume's version of Merlin, where she has him growing up studying healing, which many of his time would be confused with majic. Then later becoming advisor/healer to the kings of his time.

Being from America we don't have a very long history so it's really fun to learn about ancient European history. Keep them coming.

Myrddin Wyllt (Welsh: [ˈmərðɪn ˈwɨɬt]-"Myrddin the Wild" Myrddin Emrys ("Ambrosius"), Merlinus Caledonensis ("of Caledonia") or Merlin Sylvestris ("of the woods").[2] The real Merlin, Myrddin Wyllt, was born in about 540 and had a twin sister called Gwendydd. He served as a bard to Gwenddoleu ap Ceidio, a Brythonic or British king who ruled Arfderydd, a kingdom including parts of what are now Scotland and England in the area around Carlisle. Gwenddoleu was killed in the Battle of Arfderydd, near modern Longtown, in 573 during a defeat by King Rhydderch Hael of Strathclyde.

I am _so_ glad that my first real introduction to Merlin was in “The Once and Future King,” which I read at about the age of 14 and a few times since! To me, it was a very literate and _very_ humorous retelling of the Merlin tale, and because of this I’ve never been at all interested in taking the legend seriously. Even though I’m an avid reader of history and biographies,I have no idea how people allow themselves to become so fixated on periods of the past that they cease to live in the “now.”

Merlin is adventure, freedom, hope, wisdom, imagination, bravery, and redemption. All the ideals we aspire to.

The idea of Merlin as an advisor is sound. Reason being is that someone who is willing to learn in life, and truly understand the world, make the best advisors. Usually, people who are unable to separate their personal lives from decisions that need to be made in life, are the ones you need to watch out for. "The one who is at peace with him/herself, his/her knowledge, his/her understanding and the world at large, is the one that offers the most. Priceless will be the thoughts of such an individual." SJM

26:52 The clouds form a hooded Merlin figure - in my imagination anyway! Great documentary, thank you!

It was mentioned that Tolkien did not depict as a divine figure, on the contrary: Gandalf was in fact an angel sent in human form as a form of guidance to counter Sauron.

I read Jack Whyte's Skystone series of books. It is about the legend of Arthur and Merlin and their stories along with the founding of Camelot and Britain . Very good books and detailed, highly researched. jack Whyte is a Scotsman, now living in Canada. Hard to beat.

Wow. Very good..Enjoyed that. Thought The Mists of Avalon deserved a mention too though 💚

I know this documentary is about Merlin,but the thing I find hardest to believe is that people disliked the "nasty wilds" so much. Especially considering how disease and poo filled the cities were then.

Merlin was probably some science teacher from our day in age. Knowing all sorts of crazy science shit that was perceived as magic.

An oversight not to mention T.H. White's wonderful interpretation of Merlyn and White making his message relevant to twentieth century conflict, which in my opinion White succeeded better in doing than did either Tolkien or Lewis.

Merlin was a G

The miracle of hope and courage will always have its place for humans to reach no matter the time in space. That is magical

Curious that the expert would say that with Tolkien's "Merlin," Gandalf, he's not talking about the divine (42:00). Within Tolkien's mythos, Gandalf is literally an angel. On a symbolic level, Gandalf is a Christ figure, dying and rising. How much more divine can you get?

Awesome seeing my ‘Schooling town’ Caerleon on this great documentary 👍

Great video I was completely impressed

How do I find the guy at the end of the documentary with the paintings I would really like to find him and purchase one if it all possible

Named my daughter Avalon after this legend .. In welsh means ‘Isle of apples’

Merlin lived, was Welsh. He was "The General of Generals." Following a great battle, in which his Lord, and his two sons were killed. At this point, it appears that Merlin became depressed, exhausted and wash likely suffering with PTSD. He removes himself from society and lives in the forest for some period of time. He has communication w Arthur/Pendragon. Both Merlin and Arthur are both Welsh, and not English. The Brits have stolen this history. Neither did Arthur or Merlin wear plate armor. They lived at a time when chain mail was worn. They did not have the skills to make plate armor, besides it was far too expensive. There is a book, written by a Welshman....I believe his name was James Wilson. There are RU-vid videos by this man. I have been unable to locate a copy, as it is out of print. If anyone can help me locate a copy, I would be more than grateful.

A beautiful piece.

The knight that built the round table was Sir Cumference.

The entire story is allegory. Merlin was the moon, King Arthur the sun. His knights the 12 houses of the Zodiac. The grail mystery is also allegory for the pursuit of perfection, which cannot be obtained, but the quest itself is the improvement of oneself. Other mystery schools use the same allegory worded differently, "Turning lead into gold", "Making a good man better", etc.

Theory: Merlin was a scientist who knew about damast steel. He showed his buddy Arthur, who was a blacksmith. You know, the guys pouring metal into a stone form and getting a sword out of it. ;-)

That kid considering that there might not be magic for a moment and then equivocating the thought with the lack of reason to exist is the best part of this entire doc.

I love this RU-vid Channel, anything medieval times is here from History, to Merlin, to freaking King Arthur, i have a suggestion Medieval Spanish and Portuguese history or at least the kingdoms that existed back then i would love it if you were to research topics about Spains history such as the chalice of donna urraca or other things such as theories and mysteries regarding Spain's and Portugals history during the middle ages because theirs more than you think!! Again it's just a suggestion you dont have to do it buts its a great idea if you want to.

Did you *seriously* refer to Geoffrey of Monmouth-author of the *immensely* influential *HISTORY OF THE KINGS OF BRITAIN,* as “an obscure, little-known 12th-century clergyman?!?!? To anyone who studies British medieval and early modern literary and cultural history, Geoffrey of Monmouth is not “obscure” at all.

Merlin is amazing but it is sad that Taliesin the Bardic equivalent is often overlooked. Taliesin is said to have been Merlin's bardic mentor.

This is fascinating, but what is it with the recurring dub over of all the whispering voices? Did Peter Jackson edit this video? Is Merlin putting on the One Ring?

I'm the proprietor of Excalibur Shovels. We use Merlin, Arthur, Lancelot, Sir Kay & Galahad. The Merlin tradition lives on! 🧙‍♂️

Merlin/Myrddin was Welsh 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

We know that Pendragon was title awarded to the chosen King to become the King of all the tribes. The same with Myrddin was also a title, given to the great bard and wizard of the day which is why over a period of 2000 years of the ruling Cymru of the British, these names popped up again and again in different stories and different time lines.

I have loved Merlin nearly as long as I can remember. so much so I named my Hypnotherapy business Merlin's Mind Hypnosis !!!! Thank you so much for this

A Very Good Video 👍🏻

The prophet Samuel and King Saul : Merlin the magician and King Arthur

Wise-ard, wizard is the fable, Merlin King Arthur's literal and figurative, Oldest friend. Nick names Merlin the wise, he was Arthur's personal advisor to the throne.

The telly programme is good! 👍🏻

Sooo glad the music covers the words...

merlin was REAL

Often, too often in fact, the background music drowns out what the people are saying. Except for when the woman is talking. The woman is good.

Really enjoyed this ty