Merlin the Wizard

[Purplewitch]

Does anyone know anything about Merlin the wizard, whether he existed or not and what happened to him. Apparently he was buried in Marlborough but can anyone shed some more light on this please?

[Jackanory]

I found an interesting piece on the Channel 4 site. Have a look & see what you think.

http://www.channel4.com/science/microsites/R/real_wizard s/myth.html

[Jackanory]

There's a bit here about Marlborough too:

http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/wiltshire/tourism/featu re.html

[Merlin]

I do, I did and still do, I was not, and I can.

[Purplewitch]

Thanks jackanory, thats really helpful, but what can Merlin tell me about himself?

[Jackanory]

Ooh I do hope so, Purplewitch! He says he can.
Come on Merlin, we're waiting in eager anticipation & with baited breath! :o)

[White Wolf]

I tend to favour the belief that Merlin, or what ever his real name was before being corupted by time and tales, was a high druid. It is likely that he did exist but not as the wizard of fairy tales, just as king Arthur existed but is unlikely to have been king of a united England. IOn the end there are so many different possible outcomes to this part of history that you pays your moneys and takes your choice.

[Merlin]

Sam Neill's portrayal of me did me no favours at all - I'm still seething over that one. I tried a spell to rob him of all his acting talent but I didn't get much from him as it turned out.

I did find the West country rather slow - they seemed to be living in the past.

Geoffrey of Monmouth almost came close when he wrote of me as Merlin Ambrosius - I suggest you google those names - but he was just guessing really.

Ahhh but Arty, as he liked me to call him - what a lad he was!

[Jackanory]

But what about Disney, Merlin? I thought that was a spiffing portrayal! :o)

[Purplewitch]

Ooh yes, I love the Disney interpretation of him! Is it very accurate?

[Merlin]

Ah Walt - I had to have words with him. He finally gave in and did it my way. Rather like Frank Sinatra - he did it my way too. Walt wanted Bing Crosby to do the voice-over when they were filming up in Scotland the nooooo. Walt tried to show Bing how to do one of the songs for the film, ye ken, but the trouble was, my wee haggis, that Bing sings but Walt Dusney.