There may be some truth to the myth of Merlin.
On Tuesday, Scottish archaeologists The evidence exposed Details about the great wizard's death at Drumelzier between the 6th and 7th centuries have been found – and the discoveries could change the way we tell the story of Merlin.
According to the Vita Merlini Silvestris (The Life of Merlin of the Forest), a medieval manuscript of his life currently housed in the British Library, Merlin is said to have been King Arthur's loyal advisor during the Dark Ages, after which he was imprisoned, executed, and buried on the banks of the River Tweed.
A grave-like depression was found in a new geological survey of the area near Tinnis Castle.
Further excavations revealed signs of habitation during Merlin's alleged lifetime.
“The Drumelzier legend includes pre-Christian customs, ancient Cumbric names and was associated with local sites which archaeology now shows credibly could have given rise to the story,” explained lead researcher Ronan Toolis. National,
According to Toolis, who serves as CEO of Guard Archaeology in Glasgow, such a prominent grave structure in the region would have been “quite rare” for the period it was dated to. “It does seem a remarkable coincidence that a hill fort linked to this local legend dates to exactly the same time as the story is set,” he added.
The results of this study, which took two years of effort, were published last week in Archaeology Reports Online.
“The new archaeological evidence does not prove that the local story was true, but it does show that the legend probably originated at Drumelzier itself, rather than being brought here by a wandering medieval storyteller who included various random sites in the vicinity,” Toolis explained. “It probably originated as a folk memory, was cherished for centuries and then spread far and wide and altered almost out of all recognition.”
Their research helps “[to paint] “This picture of the wise and respected Arthurian figure is a very dark one,” said Toolist. “It is a picture of a pitiable man who is adept at making nonsensical riddles and perplexing prophecies, who is held captive by an unknown petty tyrant of a forgotten kingdom, and then dies a horrible death as the victim of royal intrigue.”
