For the fellow seeker, I have compiled a list of all the important Merlin oriented resources that I know of.
Books
Looking back into history, we find many classical records of Merlin's existence. Stories of his magical powers, his madness, his preparation of the young King Arthur, and his retirement into his crystal cave can be found. This section is organized by age. Many of the shorter classical texts can be found compiled in Goodrich's The Romance of Merlin, while many of the longer ones can be found as standalone books. Some translations are available online in which case links will be provided.
Classical Texts
Historia Brittonum by Nennius (828 C.E.) [PDF]
Prophetiae Merlini by Geoffrey of Monmouth (1135 C.E.)
Historia Regum Britanniae by Geoffrey of Monmouth (1136 C.E) [PDF]
Vita Merlini by Geoffrey of Monmouth (1150 C.E.) [link]
Vita Merlini Silvestris (The Life of Merlin of the Forest) by Unknown [PDF]
Prophecy of Merlin by John of Cornwall (1155 C.E) [link]
The Life of St. Kentigern by Jocelinus (1180 C.E.) [PDF]
Pantheon by Godfrey of Viterbo (1180 C.E.)
Vulgate Merlin by Robert De Boron (1215 C.E.) [link]
Black Book of Carmarthen Poems (1250 C.E.):
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- Yr Afallennau ('The Apple-trees') [link]
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Yr Oianau ('The Greetings') [link]
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Ymddiddan Myrddin a Thaliesin ('The Dialogue of Myrddin and Taliesin') [link] |
The Red Book of Hergest Poems (1400 C.E.):
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Cyfoesi Myrddin a Gwenddydd ei Chwaer ('The Conversation of Myrddin and his Sister Gwenddydd') [link]
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Gwasgargerdd fyrddin yn y Bedd ('The Diffused Song of Myrddin in the Grave') [link] |
Peniarth 50 Manuscript (1400's C.E.):
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Peirian Faban ('Commanding Youth') [PDF] |
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Modern Texts
These middle period stories usually draw influence from the classical texts and the word-of-mouth stories of the time and
then recreate them with new information, additional story lines, and further definition to the character of Merlin.
La Storia di Merlin by Paulino Pieri (1320 C.E.) [link]
Prose Merlin by Unknown (1450 C.E.) [link]
Le Morte d'Arthur by Thomas Malory (1480 C.E.) [PDF]
Merlin and the Five Dreams of Gwenddydd by Elis Gruffudd (1500's) [link] [PDF]
The Legend of Merlin and the Three-fold Death by Elis Gruffudd (1500's)[Welsh PDF]
The Death of Merlin by Elis Gruffudd (1500's) [PDF]
The Faerie Queen by Edmund Spenser (1590 C.E) [link]
The Life of Merlin Sirnamed Abrosius by Thomas Heywood (1610 C.E.) [link]
Idylls of the King by Alfred Tennyson (1859 C.E.) [PDF]
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Post - Modern Texts
The newest set of books that history presents us with can be divided into two categories. Non-Fiction books which usually seek to find new truths in the older texts and legends and also sometimes bring in new information through spiritual means such as channeling. Fiction books take on the subject of Merlin in much the same way that the middle period writers did. By immersing oneself into the lore, legend, and energy of the Merlin story, writers bring us new versions of old stories, frequently adding details, subtleties, and truths that were not able to be told in the past.
(Fiction)
The Tale of Merlin & one of the Ladies of Lake by J Erskine (1940)
The Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis (1945)
Porius by John Cowper Powys (1951)
Merlin's Magic by Helen Clare (1953)
Merlin's Ring by Meriol Trevor (1957)
The Once and Future King (1958) by T.H. White
Merlin by John F. McIntosh
(1960)
Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper
(1965)
The Crystal Cave (1970) series by Mary Stewart
Something about Eve by James Branch Cabell (1971)
Merlin's Mistake by Robert Newman (1971)
Revolt of Aphrodite by Lawrence Durrell (1974)
Merlin's Ring by H. Warner Munn (1974)
Merlin's Mirror by Andre Norton (1975)
Merlin's Godson by H. Warner Munn (1976)
The Drawing of the Dark by Tim Powers (1977)
Lancelot by Peter Vansittart (1978)
Merlin by Robert Nye (1978)
Lancelot by Walker Percy (1979)
Arthur Rex by Thomas Berger (1979)
Cyr Myrddin by Michale De'Angelo (1979)
Firelord by Parke Godwin (1980)
The Last Defender of Camelot by Roger Zelazny (1980)
The Lastborn of Elvinwood by Linda Haldeman (1980)
The Sword and the Flame by Catherine Christian (1982)
The Dragon Lord by David Drake (1982)
Excalibur by John Jakes and Gil Cane (1983)
Merlin and the Dragons of Atlantis by Rita and Tim Hildebrandt
(1983)
Mists of Avalon (1983) series by Marion Zimmer Bradley
Merlin: A Piratical Love Story by Julian Croskey (1986)
Merlin's Booke by Jane Yolen (1986)
The Pendragon Cycle (1987) by Stephen Lawhead
Lost Years of Merlin (1996) by T.A. Barron
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(Non-Fiction)
Merlin: A Casebook by Peter H Goodrich
The Romance of Merlin by Peter H Goodrich
Merlin: Shaman, Wizard, and Prophet by John Matthews
Ladies of the Lake by Caitlin and John Matthews
Merlin Through the Ages by RJ Stewart and John Matthews
The Way of Merlin by RJ Stewart
Merlin: The Prophetic Life by RJ Stewart
Merlin: The Mystical Vision by RJ Stewart
The Merlin Tarot by RJ Stewart
Merlin and the Grail Tradition by Gareth Knight
Merlin: The Prophet and his History by Geoffrey Ashe
King Arthur's Avalon by Geoffrey Ashe
The Quest for Merlin by Nikolai Tolstoy
Merlin: Master of Magic by Gordon Strong
Merlin: Priest of Nature by Jean Markale
The Mammoth Book of Merlin edited by Mike Ashley
Finding Merlin by Adam Ardrey
Chasing Merlin by Sarah White
Avalon Within by Jhenah Telyndru
The True History of Merlin the Magician by Anne Lawrence-Mathers
Merlin and the Discovery of Avalon in the New World by Graham Phillips
Merlin: Knowledge and Power through the Ages by Stephen Knight
Scotland's Merlin by Tim Clarkson
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Merlin Lineage Spiritual Healing Modalities
In the last ten years, the energy of the Merlin spirit and the Merlin lineage has reawakened in a big way. Multiple pathways have emerged into the world for the seeker of transformation and magic to find. Several Merlin's from the Merlin lineage have transmitted their unique magical gifts to teachers and mystics of the modern age. Below I have listed the ones that I know of and have experienced. If you feel called to any of these magical energy healing modalities, I recommend visiting their websites and learning more about their systems.
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Magical Awakening® is a modern energy healing and awakening system. This system comes through the 5th Merlin of the Merlin lineage (also known as the Merlin from the Arthurian legends) and the Lady of the Lake. Magical Awakening came into being in 2007 through teacher, writer, and healer Brett Bevell. The system is based on the ancient Celtic mythological concept of the Three Cauldrons. These three primary energy centers within us maintain health; keep us aligned with our true calling and our relationship to the Divine. Practitioners gain tools to work toward spiritual awakening by releasing karmic debris from ones own energy system and healing on multi-dimensional levels. Practitioners also learn how to access elemental energies for accelerated healing, and how to work with Divine consciousness for deep nurturing, restorative healing, emotional release and spiritual transformation.
To learn more about Magical Awakening, click here.
There is a book about Merlin and Magical Awakening available here.
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VortexHealing® Divine Energy Healing is a holistic system of energetic healing channeling Divine light and consciousness to heal the body, transform emotional patterns, and awaken us to True Self. It came into being in 1994 through healer, teacher, and writer Ric Weinman. Ric describes VortexHealing as coming from an avatar called Mehindra who lived long ago and presented himself as "Merlin" to his first student in England. VortexHealing derives its name from a particular Divine energy-vortex that is brought into manifestation in the heart and becomes a vehicle for Merlin’s Divine presence to manifest healing, transformation and spiritual growth. The deep connection to this Divine presence is what makes VortexHealing so unique, for this Divine presence deeply ‘bridges’ both Divine Vortex energies and its own Divine consciousness into the recipient, and guides their movement to optimize healing. The intention of VortexHealing is to heal, transform, and open us to the inner freedom of our true being.
To learn more about VortexHealing, click here.
There is a book about VortexHealing available here.
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Merlin Healing® is a powerfully transformational manifestation of healing energy for the 21st century. This system comes from the 6th Merlin in the Merlin lineage. It came into being in 2010 through healer Keith Mapson. The beauty of Merlin Healing is the simplicity of how to work with and channel the energy. Its effectiveness is shown in the results brought about by working with it and has been shown that it can bring about a life changing transformation in a very positive way. Through doing the training you become empowered to work with the presence, intelligence and consciousness of the source of this energy, in a direct and personal way.
To learn more about Merlin Healing, click here.
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Films
Aside from the great wealth of inspiration we can get from the numerous amount of books on the subject of Merlin and the Lady of the Lake, there also exists many movies. Again, we have a list of fictional tales of the Merlin stories and non fictional documentaries about the Merlin phenomenon.
I have created a YouTube playlist that has a lot of the videos listed below in full plus some more fun stuff like trailers, documentaries, meditations, and more. You can view that playlist by clicking Merlin Video Playlist!
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(Fiction)
The Sword in the Stone (Animated Feature Film, 1963) [link]
Excalibur (Feature Film, 1981) [link]
Merlin (Made for TV Movie, 1998) [link]
Mists of Avalon (Made for TV Movie, 2001) [link]
King Arthur (Feature Film, 2004) [link]
Merlin's Apprentice (Made for TV Movie, 2006) [link]
The Last Legion (Feature Film, 2007) [link]
Merlin and the War of the Dragons (Feature Film, 2008) [link]
Merlin (TV Series, 2008) [link]
Merlin and the Book of Beasts (Made for TV Movie, 2009) [link]
The Sorcerers Apprentice (Feature Film, 2010) [link]
Camelot (TV Series, 2011) [link]
Knights of the Roundtable: King Arthur (Feature Film, 2016) [link]
The Sword in the Stone (Feature Film, 2018) [link]
(Non Fiction)
Legends Of The Isles: Merlin The Wizard (TV Documentary, 1998) [link]
In Our Time - Merlin (BBC Radio Documentary, 2005) [link]
Legend of King Arthur - Merlin (TV Documentary, 2006) [link]
The Arthurian Legends - Merlin (UK Documentary, 2009) [link]
Merlin The Legend (TV Documentary, 2010) [link]
Legend Quest - Merlin's Magical Treasures (TV Ep., 2011) [link]
Legend Quest - Excalibur (TV Episode, 2011) [link]
Behind the Sword in the Stone (Documentary, 2016) [link] |
Articles
On the more scolarly side, I have collected a vast number of arcticles from various publications that seek to explore all aspects of the Merlin phenomenom.
Merlin and Ganieda by Lucy Allen Paton, Modern Language Notes, 1903
The Date of the Vita Merlini by John J Parry, Modern Philology, 1925
The Triple Death in the Vita Merlini by John J Perry, Speculum, 1930
Avalon by C. H. Slover, Modern Philology, 1931
Lailoken A Llallogen by A.O.H. Jarman, Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies, IX, 1939
Geoffrey of Monmouth's Vita Merlini by J.S.P. Tatlock, Speculum, 1943
Vita Merlini Translation Articles by Basil Clarke, University of Wales Press, 1973
Mark Twain's Yankee and the Prophet of Baal by Allison R Ensor, American Literary Realism, 1981
The Trouble about Merlin: The Theme of Enchantment in "The Eve of St. Agnes" by Karen J Harvey, Keats-Shelly Journal, 1985
Text and Subtext in "Merlin and the Gleam" by Linda Hughes,
Victorian Poetry, 1985
Malory's Merlin: An Ambiguous Magician? by Wendy Tibbetts Greene, Arthurian Interpretations, 1987
Mary Stewart's Merlin: Word of Power by Jeanie Watson, Arthurian Interpretations, 1987
The Many Faces of Merlin in Modern Fiction by Christopher Dean, Arthurian Interpretation, 1988
Of Arthour and Of Merlin: Arthour's Story as Arena for the Conflict of Custom and Common Law by Karen Haslanger Vaneman, Quondam et Futurus, 1988
Merlin in Medieval French Lyric Poetry by Samuel L Rosenberg, Quondam et Futurus, 1991
Malory's Tragic Merlin by Donald Hoffman,
Quondam et Futurus, 1991
Merlin and Hull: A Seventeenth Century Prophecy by Roger Simpson, Quondam et Futurus, 1993
Merlin's Fathers: The Sacred and the Profane by Terri Frongia, Children's Literature Assocation Quartly, Fall 1993
The Domestication of "Merlin" in Malory's "Morte Darthur" by Richard Fehrenbacher, Quondam et Futurus, 1993
Giraldus "Silvester" of Wales and his "Prophetic History of Ireland": Merlin's Role in the "Expugnatio Hibernica" by Barbara Lynne McCauley, Quondam et Futurus, 1993
Some Notes on Merlin by C Scott Littleton & Linda A Malcor, Arthuriana, 1995
Adultery and the Fall of Logres in the Post-Vulgate "Suite de Merlin" by David Scott Wilson-Okamura, Arthuriana, 1997
Interpretation and Rumor in Tennyson's "Merlin and Vivien" by Catherine R Harland, Victorian Poetry, 1997
Ancient Bards, Welsh Gipsies, and Celtic Folklore in the Cauldron of Regeneration by Roslyn Blyn-Ladres, Western Folklore, 1998
Merlin Goes to the Movies: The Changing Role of Merlin in Cinema Arthuriana by Michael Torregrossa, Film & History, 1999
Merlin at the Multiplex: A Filmography of Merlin in Arthurian Film, Television, and Videocassette by Michael Torregrossa, 1999
Merlin and the Pendragon: King Arthur's "Draconarius" by Linda A Malcor, Arthuriana, 2000
Merlin as Historian in "Historia Regum Britannie" by Kimberly Bell, Arthuriana, 2000
The Celtic Wild Man Tradition and Geoffrey of Monmouth's "Vita Merlini": Madness or "Contemptus Mundi" by Neil Thomas, Arthuriana, 2000
Exorcising Exclusion: The Figure of Merlin in Hersart de la Villenmarque's "Barzaz Briez" by Francoise H M Le Saux, Arthuriana, 2000
Merlin and the Ladies of the Lake by Anne Berthelot, Arthuriana, 2000
The Spanish 'Viviens' of "El baladro del sabio Merlin" and "Benjamin Jarnes's Viviana y Merlin": From Femme Fatale to Femme Vitale by Barbara D Miller, Arthuriana, 2000
The Erotic Merlin by Peter H Goodrich, Arthuriana, 2000
Rationalizing the Irrational: Merlin and His Prophecies in the Modern Historical
Novel by Raymond H Thompson, Arthuriana 2000
Merlin's Magical Writing: Writing and the Written Word in "Le Morte Darthur" and the English Prose "Merlin" by Kathy Cawsey, Arthuriana, 2001
A Reappraisel of the Role of Merlin in the "Roman de Silence" by Sarah Roche-Mahdi, Arthuriana, 2002
Civilation and Its Discontents: Cultural Primitivism and Merlin as a Wild Man in the "Roman de Silence" by Lorraine Kochanske Stock, Arthuriana, 2002
"L'Estoire de Merlin" and the Mirage of the Patrilineage by Jennifer E Looper, Arthuriana, 2002
Memory out of Line: Hebrew Etymology in the Roman de Brut and Merlin by Michelle R. Warren, MLN, 2003
The Way of the Wizard: Reflections of Merlin on Film by Michael Torregrossa, 1999
The Magic of Translation: Dorothea Schlegel's "Geschiechte des Zeuberers Merlin" by Lorely French, Pacific Coast Philology, 2005
Geoffrey of Monmouth and the Development of the Merlin Legend by OJ Padel, Cambrian Medieval Celtic Studies, 51, 2006
Merlin in Cornwall: The Source and Context of John of Cornwall's Prophetia Merlini by Michael A. Faletra, JEGP, July 2012
Ain't Gonna Study War No More: Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia regum Britanniae and Vita Merlini by Christine Chism, Chaucer Review, 2014
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