Myrddin Wyllt as a Christian holy man?

[r***@gmail.com]

Hello,

While looking for something of a new angle on Arthurian legend and
Christianity (for the purposes of a paper), a few different ideas got
jotted down. One was the idea of the relationship/conflict between
Merlin and Nimue being somehow an echo of the relationship/conflict
between the Celtic Christians and the Church of Rome. I'm not entirely
sure this has anyplace to go, but coming across some of Tolstoy's work,
particularly the chapter "The Trickster, the Wild Man, and the Prophet"
in _The Quest for Merlin_, a mental connection was made to some things
I had read about the Eastern stories about so-called "Holy Fools",
particularly St. Symeon of Emesa, the Fool for Christ (an excellent
essay about him, "The Fool for Christ as Prophet and Apostle" by Bp.
Kallistos Ware, being found in his collection _The Inner Kingdom_,
published by St. Vladimir's Seminary). This connection strikes me as
being more compelling, but I'd like to turn the question around to
people who are far more knowledgable than myself.

Leaving aside the question of historicity (perhaps), could there be
some currency to the idea that Merlin the Wild might have been a
Christian holy man in the vein of a St. Symeon?

Thanks,

Richard

[Franklin Cross]

Post by r***@gmail.com
Hello,
While looking for something of a new angle on Arthurian legend and
Christianity (for the purposes of a paper), a few different ideas got
jotted down. One was the idea of the relationship/conflict between
Merlin and Nimue being somehow an echo of the relationship/conflict
between the Celtic Christians and the Church of Rome. I'm not entirely
sure this has anyplace to go, but coming across some of Tolstoy's work,
particularly the chapter "The Trickster, the Wild Man, and the Prophet"
in _The Quest for Merlin_, a mental connection was made to some things
I had read about the Eastern stories about so-called "Holy Fools",
particularly St. Symeon of Emesa, the Fool for Christ (an excellent
essay about him, "The Fool for Christ as Prophet and Apostle" by Bp.
Kallistos Ware, being found in his collection _The Inner Kingdom_,
published by St. Vladimir's Seminary). This connection strikes me as
being more compelling, but I'd like to turn the question around to
people who are far more knowledgable than myself.
Leaving aside the question of historicity (perhaps), could there be
some currency to the idea that Merlin the Wild might have been a
Christian holy man in the vein of a St. Symeon?
Thanks,
Richard

Off the top of my head, two passages come to mind. First, Book IV Chapter I
of Le Morte Darthur, where Merlin is described as being the son of Satan. I
believe this is mentioned elsewhere in the volume as well though I may be
thinking of a different work. I always got the impression that Merlin was
quite not considered a great Christian, but rather a somewhat evil creature
that dealt in the dark arts. The Lady of the Lake does not like him at all.

Second, Merlin insists to Uther Pendragon that he get to oversee Arthur's
baptism, though he did not perform it himself. He delivered the baby to a
priest who baptized him.

[John W. Kennedy]

Post by Franklin Cross
Off the top of my head, two passages come to mind. First, Book IV Chapter I
of Le Morte Darthur, where Merlin is described as being the son of Satan.

This is a grossly oversimplified version. A demon impregnated a young
woman in the hopes of siring the Antichrist, but the young woman was
smart enough to figure out what happened, and went to a priest who saw
to it that baby Merlin was baptized. Thus, Merlin has the powers his
father intended, but is on the side of good.

[Franklin Cross]

Post by John W. Kennedy

Post by Franklin Cross
Off the top of my head, two passages come to mind. First, Book IV Chapter
I of Le Morte Darthur, where Merlin is described as being the son of
Satan.

This is a grossly oversimplified version. A demon impregnated a young
woman in the hopes of siring the Antichrist, but the young woman was smart
enough to figure out what happened, and went to a priest who saw to it
that baby Merlin was baptized. Thus, Merlin has the powers his father
intended, but is on the side of good.

Citation?

[John W. Kennedy]

Post by Franklin Cross

Post by John W. Kennedy

Post by Franklin Cross
Off the top of my head, two passages come to mind. First, Book IV Chapter
I of Le Morte Darthur, where Merlin is described as being the son of
Satan.

This is a grossly oversimplified version. A demon impregnated a young
woman in the hopes of siring the Antichrist, but the young woman was smart
enough to figure out what happened, and went to a priest who saw to it
that baby Merlin was baptized. Thus, Merlin has the powers his father
intended, but is on the side of good.

Citation?

The Vulgate and Post-Vulgate, who got it from de Boron.

Malory pretty much cuts out everything before the war between Uther and
Gorlois.

[PAUL GADZIKOWSKI]

In the Old French Vulgate, or Lancelot-Grail, cycle of romances (one of
Malory's sources), one of the five romances is the biography of Merlin,
who was conceived by a demon on a holy woman in order to become the
anti-christ but was rescued by this fate when his mother and a holy man
consecrated him at birth, or something of the sort (details escape me;
I've only read an abridged translation). The combination of his demonic
heritage and the holy circumstances of his birth create omniscience in
him, knowledge of the past from his demon father and knowledge of the
future from God. If the conflict between Merlin and Nimue is a struggle
between Christianity and native religion, the case is good that Merlin is
the representative of Christianity in it.


Paul Gadzikowski, ***@iglou.com since 1995
http://www.arthurkingoftimeandspace.com New cartoons daily.
http://members.iglou.com/scarfman/new.htm Fanfiction stories and cartoons.

"The king might die. The horse might die. I might die. And who knows,
perhaps the horse will learn to sing hymns."

[PAUL GADZIKOWSKI]

PAUL GADZIKOWSKI <***@iglou.com> wrote:
: In the Old French Vulgate, or Lancelot-Grail, cycle of romances (one of
: Malory's sources), one of the five romances is the biography of Merlin,
: who was conceived by a demon on a holy woman in order to become the
: anti-christ but was rescued by this fate when his mother and a holy man
: consecrated him at birth

Of course that's meant to be "rescued from this fate".


Paul Gadzikowski, ***@iglou.com since 1995
http://www.arthurkingoftimeandspace.com New cartoons daily.
http://members.iglou.com/scarfman/new.htm Fanfiction stories and cartoons.

"The king might die. The horse might die. I might die. And who knows,
perhaps the horse will learn to sing hymns."