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Hello, it was claimed he was sired by an incubus and born of a virgin. He was a profit, a shape

shifter, a kingmaker and a madman of the woods. In literary career spanning 1500 years, Merlin,

or originally Merlin, put the sword in the stone, built stone hinge, knew the truth behind the

holy grail and discovered the elixir of life. Beware Merlin, for he knows all things by the devil's

craft, say the poisonous in Marri's Mort d'Artha. But he's also on the side of the good,

and he's almost Christ-like in some of the versions of his tale, and his prophecies were poured over

by the medieval church. Who was, or indeed was, Merlin as ambrosius, as he's sometimes known.

Where does his legend spring from, and how has it been appropriated and adapted over time?

With me to discuss Merlin is Juliet Wood, associate lecturer in the Department of Welsh at the

University of Wales in Cardiff. Stephen Knight, distinguished research professor in English literature

at Cardiff University, and Peter Forshaw, lecturer in Renaissance, philosophers, and literature

at Berkbeck University of London. Juliet Wood, we've very early perms, they were transcribed

much later, but the earliest mentions we can find from Merlin are in the analyst's camera,

the Welsh annals, compiled in the 10th century. Can you tell us what they said about him?

Yes, it's really rather a bold reference. It simply says the Battle of Art of Videroth,

and assigns it to 573. Now, the Welsh annals were...

Ah, that is, it's now an authoret. It's an authoret in Cumbria. It's a very specific reference.

It was certainly a historical battle. But what happens is a later version of the annals comes back,

and says Merlin went mad during this, and Gwen Doli died. So what we have is a historical reference,

and an indication that there is a legend about Merlin, and it's very interesting that this

...