Merlin: Fact and Fake

Conference

Behind the legend, Merlin was a real historical figure. He lived in Southern Scotland in the 6th century. Who was he and what were the elements that turned him into an international legend?

An international conference held in Moffat in September 2022 brought together archaeologists, historians, philologists, topologists, literary scholars, geographers, geo-archaeologists, art experts and anthropologists in a multi-disciplinary meeting of minds.

In ten half hour lectures and a final debate we explored:

The Oral Tradition
The Story in the Land
The Evolution and Imaging of the Legend

Robin Crichton

Welcome and Introduction.

Tim Clarkson

Lailoken and Myrddin, the Scottish roots of the Merlin Legend.

Nikolai Tolstoy

Merlin & Traditional Pre-Christian Belief.

Scott Lloyd

Merlin in Wales, Sources and Placenames.

Andrew Nicholson

Banes and Stanes: Where is the 6th Century
Archaeology of Southern Scotland?

Ronan Toolis

Kingdoms in Early Mediaeval Southern Scotland:
The Archaeological Evidence.

Richard Tipping

The Wood of Celydon,
A Critical Pollen-Analytical Re-analysis.

Andrew Breeze

Wizard, Sage or Myth? A Sceptical View of the Historical Merlin.

Claudine Glot

The Metamorphosis of Merlin: 13th Century French Romans de Merlin.

Katie Garner

Tennyson’s Serial Merlin.

Richard Demarco

Imaging the Myth.

Debate: Fact or Fake?

Moderated by: Donald Smith, Director, Scottish Storytelling Centre.