Merlin Prophet of The Woods

The Merlin – Prophet of the Woods © Jo Jayson 2015
The very first mention of a character called Merlin was by the 12th Century British author Geoffrey of Monmouth. Monmouth with an artistic flare, combined two historic figures, Myrddin Wylit, a welsh bard in the 6th century and Ambrosius Aurelanus, a Romano-British war lord of the 5th century. 600 years later, Monmouth created from these two men, the new Merlinius Ambrosius - the prophet Merlin.
Myrddin Wylit was a historical figure from the dark ages, who was a loyal Bard and advisor to his Lord. After seeing the horrors of battle and war, Myrddin, having thought to have gone “mad”, fled and escaped in to the woods , where he lived amongst the animals and nature and later received his gift of intuition and prophesy. It is said that he hid under the apple trees - ancient crab apple trees native to Britain and mirroring the landscape of the legendary Isle of Avalon, meaning the Island of Apples, closely associated with Merlin.
The Merlin we know and love is a composite of this “madmen” of the woods, and all the elder bards, sages, seers and advisors that all lords and kings of the time would have had by their sides. It was commonplace for men of power to have a sorcerer or “wizard” to advise them daily and Merlin’s character became just that - the chief advisor, guide, mentor and closest confident to the new King Arthur. However the historic Myrddin was not present in the real timeline of Arthur although that is not to say that Arthur did not have his own seer and bard to advise him.
For those who are very familiar with the characters of the Arthurian legends, it is important to know that the Arthurian timeline is very firmly placed in the dark ages of 6th century Briton and yet all the Arthurian stories that have become popular and well known are recreated by Medieval 12th century and 19th century pre-Raphaelite authors……when Briton was very different historic landscape.
Sorting myth and legend out from historic fact is a complicated endeavor but what we know for sure is that the composite Merlin’s prophetic abilities and his close association with nature and the wildness of the woods, has recreated a character that resembles the Magi or Sorcerer, the Wise man of the woods that holds the energy of the pagan “Green Man” and having the profound and mysterious power of the principals of Alchemy.
For many spiritualists, Merlin represents an ascended Master in the spiritual realms, whose energy also was that of St Germaine amongst others and works in the higher realms of self mastery, transmutation of energy into different forms and personal spiritual empowerment.