humanities.lit.authors.shakespeare

Lyra wrote:
> >
> > ```````````````````
> >
> > > > Map for Carmarthen
> > > >
> > > > It is to the
> > > > north-west of Clydach.
> > > >
> > > > Why Carmarthen? The Birth of Merlin.
> > >

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(quote, excerpts)

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Magical Merlin and Carmarthen

Wizard at the 2005 Merlin festival

Last updated: 16 May 2007

Summer 2006 saw Carmarthen stage it's fourth annual Merlin & Magic
festival. But just how is the town connected to the legendary wizard,
and the Arthurian world?

Merlin is an historical figure that has captured the imagination of
people across the world, writes Greg Jones.
His links with King Arthur and the scores of books, cartoons and films
devoted to his adventures have propelled his status to one under the
constant scrutiny of global debate.

Carmarthen is a town said by many academics to be the most closely
connected to Merlin, and 2006 marked the fourth occasion the 'Merlin,
Magic & Mystery' festival was held in his memory.

Ann Dorsett is a senior museums curator at Carmarthenshire Council.
She said:
"Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote the History of the Kings of Britain in
1136 and he links stories about Merlin with those concerning King
Arthur.

"In his story, a boy called Merlinus was found by messengers of
Vortigen, King of the Britons, in a town named Kaermerdin. The boy was
needed as a sacrifice to stop a new tower from mysteriously falling
down. Merlin showed Vortigen that the tower stood upon an underground
pool containing two dragons. When the pool was drained, the dragons
awoke and began to fight. Merlin explained that the red dragon
represented the British people and the white represented the Saxon
invaders. Geoffrey took a lot from earlier legends and histories, and
many Merlin prophecies featured in early Welsh poems."

Professor Stephen Knight is the author of Arthurian Literature and
Society.
He said: "Merlin appears to have been aristocratic and fled to the
woods after being traumatised by a battle that took place close to
Carlisle in 573AD. He became a visionary who prophesied and
represented knowledge. Geoffrey of Monmouth linked him with South
Wales and, in particular, Dyfed.

"He's become especially associated with Carmarthen because of the
town's name along with its standing and dignity. Merlin is a term
that's still connected with power. One only has to recall the Merlin
engines of the World War Two Spitfires to illustrate that."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/southwest/sites/carmarthen/pages/merlin_town.shtm=
l

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>
> (quote, excerpts)
>
> ```````````````````
>
> Carmarthen
>
> History
>
> Roman
>
> Main article: Moridunum (Carmarthen)
>
> When Britannia was a Roman province, Carmarthen was the civitas
> capital of the Demetae tribe, known as Moridunum (meaning sea fort).
>
> Carmarthen is possibly the oldest town in Wales and was recorded by
> Ptolemy and in the Antonine Itinerary. The Roman fort is believed to
> date from AD75-77. A coin hoard was found nearby in 2006 [1]. Near the
> fort is one of seven surviving Roman amphitheatres in the United
> Kingdom.
>
> The name became Carmarthen (Caerfyrddin in Welsh). Someone may have
> treated the name as meaning "Royal residence of a man called Myrddin".
>
> Medieval
>
> The strategic importance of Carmarthen was such that the Norman
> William fitz Baldwin built a castle probably around 1094. The existing
> castle site is known to have been used since 1105. The castle was
> destroyed by Llywelyn the Great in 1215. In 1223 the castle was
> rebuilt and permission was received to wall the town (a murage).
> Carmarthen was probably the first medieval walled town in Wales. In
> 1405 the town was taken and the castle was sacked by Owain Glynd=C5=B5r.
>
> The famous Black Book of Carmarthen, written around 1250, is
> associated with the town's Priory of St John the Evangelist and
> Teulyddog.
>
> The Black Book of Carmarthen includes poems with references to Myrddin
> (Ymddiddan Myrddin a Thaliesin) and possibly to Arthur (Pa =C5=B5r yw'r
> Porthor?).
>
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmarthen
>
> > >
> > > More on Merlin! - to follow
> >
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> >
> > (quote, excerpts)
> >
> > * Carmarthen was the birthplace of Merlin
> >
> > according to Geoffrey of Monmouth. The name Carmathen itself is said
> > to derive from the Welsh name for the town, 'Caerfyrddin', which means
> > Merlin's fortress ("Caer"-Fortress, "Myrddin"-Merlin). There are many
> > places surrounding Carmarthen with names associating it with Merlin
> > such as Brynn Myrddin, "Merlin's Wood".
> >
> > ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````=
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> >
> >
> > Places with other associations to Arthurian legend
> >
> > * Alnwick Castle is a contender for Lancelot's castle Joyous Garde
> > according to Malory.
> >
> > o Bamburgh Castle is an alternative contender to Alnwick
> > Castle for Lancelot's castle Joyous Gard according to Malory.
> >
> > * The convent at Amesbury in Wiltshire is a contender for the
> > place of banishment of Guinevere.
> >
> > * Broceliande Forest is in Brittany
> > * Carlisle: In Malory, Guinevere's affair with Lancelot was
> > exposed at Carlisle and there she was sentenced to death.
> >
> > * Carmarthen was the birthplace of Merlin according to Geoffrey of
> > Monmouth. The name Carmathen itself is said to derive from the Welsh
> > name for the town, 'Caerfyrddin', which means Merlin's fortress
> > ("Caer"-Fortress, "Myrddin"-Merlin). There are many places surrounding
> > Carmarthen with names associating it with Merlin such as Brynn
> > Myrddin, "Merlin's Wood".
> >
> > * Castle Dore is the Cornish castle where the story of Tristan is
> > set
> > * Dinas Emrys (Iron Age hill fort in Gwynedd said to have been a
> > place of refuge of Vortigern and the site of Merlin's vision of Red
> > and White dragons).
> > * Stonehenge is said to be the burial place of Ambrosius
> > Aurelianus and Uther Pendragon.
> > * The Berth, near Baschurch in Shropshire, is reputed to be a
> > possible burial place.
> > * Tintagel Castle in Cornwall (also said to be Arthur's birthplace
> > by Geoffrey of Monmouth, and later by Alfred, Lord Tennyson in Idylls
> > of the King) Tintagel is also said to be the stronghold of the Dukes
> > and Duchesses of Cornwall, namely Duchess, then Queen, Igraine
> > (Ygraine, Ygerna) and Duke Gorlois.
> >
> > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sites_and_places_associated_with_Arthurian_=
legend