Vita Merlini

The Vita Merlini ( The Life of Merlin ) is a Middle Latin hexametric poetry written by Geoffrey von Monmouth around 1150.

Geoffrey takes up an old Welsh tradition relating to the forest life of the famous, legendary poet Myrddin , and quotes from the poems that are ascribed to him. These Welsh poems, however, have only been handwritten from the 13th century: "Afallennau" (speech to apple trees); "Oiannau" (speech to piglet); “Conversation with Taliesin” and “Conversation with his sister”. The latter poem tells how Merlin lost his master in the Battle of Arfderydd in what is now southern Scotland ( 573 ) and then wandered in the wilderness for 50 years to avoid his pursuers.

The Vita Merlini shows the aging Merlin as a " wild man " who prophesies the expulsion of the Anglo-Saxons from Britain in his wasteland. He receives lessons in geography and cosmography from Telgesinus ( Taliesin ) and is finally cured by a miraculous spring.

According to his historiographical intention, Geoffrey tries to classify Merlin spatially and temporally (end of the 6th century, partly to south-west Scotland, partly to Carmarthen according to a folk etymology marthen <Myrddin ).

literature

• B. Clarke (ed.), Vita Merlini, 1973 (with English translation)