Merlin the Welsh Wizard
Merlin the Welsh Wizard
Of Merlin and his skill what Region doth not heare
The world shall still be full of Merlin everie where.
A thousand lingering yeares his prophecies have runne,
And scarcely shall have end till time itself be done.
Michael Drayton, Poly-olbion, Song V.
In 1622, the renowned English poet Michael Drayton predicted that Merlin’s world-wide fame may last to the end of time. Four centuries later, Merlin’s star certainly shows no sign of fading. He’s been the topic of books, novels, plays, academic research, websites, films, numerous television series and artwork. It seems that each generation re-discovers Merlin, and that in each generation this mysterious figure from our distant past continues to capture our imagination.
Stories about Merlin seem to have been widespread in the Celtic countries and on the continent during the dark ages and reached a peak of popularity in the medieval period. As a result, many places lay claim to an association with his life in some way.
The Welsh version of the legend - which is based on the Myrddin Wyllt ‘wild man of the woods’ character - tells how Merlin, following his defeat in 573 at the Battle of Arfderydd (near Carlisle), lost his mind. He withdrew to Coed Celyddon, the Caledonian Forest in what would have been at the time the Welsh-speaking lowlands of southern Scotland. There he lived as a wild man with only forest animals and a piglet for company. As a result of his experiences during that long sojourn in the woods, Merlin became a prophet. Many of these prophecies were written down in poetic form during the ninth century, reputedly by Merlin himself, and a collection of them are recorded in the thirteenth century manuscript Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin – The Black Book of Carmarthen.
It is therefore, not surprising that many tales about Merlin are located in Carmarthenshire. Furthermore is clear that Merlin as poet and prophet was known in Wales as early as the tenth century, as he is referred to in the prophetic poem Armes Prydein, which forms a part of ‘The Book of Taliesin’. This welsh poem was composed by a supporter of the dynasty of Deheubarth (South –West Wales, of which modern day Carmarthenshire forms a significant part). Modern scholars believe that the writer was possibly an ecclesiast, though it is erroneously attributed to the poet Taliesin. The connection therefore, between Merlin and the town of Carmarthen was made at least as early as the time when Armes Prydain was composed – some two centuries earlier than the Black Book of Carmarthen.
Merlin Awakes
Vortigern, known to the Welsh as Gwrtheyrn was king of Britannia, (today’s Britain) during the fifth century. It was a time of great change. Not since the Roman invasion had the peoples of Britain suffered attack from outside forces, and that history was now a distant memory and the stuff of fireside tales. But, now there was a new threat – the Saxons.
Vortigern had unwittingly hired Saxon warlords as mercenary fighters against the unruly Picts of the north. These Saxons revolted and set up their own kingdoms. Gradually, the Saxon forces came to rule much of what we know as England today, forcing the native Britons to retreat into the western and northern quarters of the island: to Scotland, Wales and Cornwall. A sixth Century Welsh poem called Y Gododdin, tells of the final battle for the Brythonic territory of Gododdin between the British and Anglo Saxon forces. In it, Aneurin the poet describes the fate of the Brythonic army:
O drychant rhiallu yd grysiasant Gatraeth,
Tru, namyn un gŵr nid atgorsant.
Of the regal army of three hundred men that hastened to Catraeth,
Alas! none have returned, save one alone.
Vortigern appealed to his Druid advisors for guidance. They told him that he should withdraw to the high mountain ranges of Wales and there find a suitable place to build a stronghold from which he could govern and plan his counter attacks. Having searched long and hard, Vortigern came to the foothills of Yr Wyddfa – Snowdon, the highest mountain in his lands. He chose a steep sided, flat topped hill near the river Glaslyn, and his men set to work quarrying stone and building great walls that would protect Vortigern and his court.
Day after day they worked in the late summer heat to dig foundations and build the walls, but no progress was made. Each night the stone walls were demolished, and each morning on returning to work, the men would have to begin anew. After some weeks, Vortigern called a council of his druids. He asked them to discover why he could not build upon the hill, and what magic would counter whatever malevolent forces were destroying the walls at night. Having conferred, the Druids advised that Vortigern should seek out a boy who had no mortal father. If this boy was sacrificed, and his blood spilled upon the hilltop, then the troublesome spirits of the place would be appeased and work could continue without difficulty.
Vortigern duly sent men to search each corner of his kingdom to find such a boy. After a few months of fruitless searching, some of the men came to the old Roman town of Moridunum, known today as Carmarthen. There, near the old Roman amphitheatre, beneath the branches of a fine oak tree, they came across some young boys. One of these lads was being taunted by two others about his lack of a father. The soldiers became interested, and intervened in the boys’ squabble. They enquired of his mother and the boy who introduced himself as Emrys took them to her. She was a princess of the region who now lived as a nun in the Priory at Carmarthen. She explained that she had been visited one night by a golden spirit, and it was through that visitation that her son had been conceived.
The soldiers took Emrys back to the north, and at dawn on a cold day in the depths of winter he was led by Vortigern’s Druids to the summit of the hill. Realising what fate awaited him, he announced that killing him and spilling his blood would have no effect whatsoever. But, he said he knew what was causing the walls to fall each night:
“Beneath this hill is a lake, and beneath that lake is a stone. Beneath that stone is a deep cave with two chambers. In each of these chambers sleeps a dragon. As you build your walls during the day, the weight presses down upon the dragons’ backs and so at night, when they awake, they shake the land and your walls fall.”
When asked what should be done so that the fortress could be successfully built, Merlin advised that the underground lake should be drained, and the capstone beneath it excavated to reveal the cavern. Vortigern’s men set to work at once, and found that everything was as Emrys described. They worked all day, until they were able to move the capstone to reveal a deep dark cavern in the heart of the hill.
That night, Vortigern, his Druids and warriors remained with Emrys and kept watch. Just as Emrys had predicted, as the last rays of light left the sky, the two dragons – one white, the other red - awoke. For many hours that night, they fought each other fiercely. At one point the red dragon seemed weak and unable to withstand the tireless onslaught of the white dragon, but eventually, in what seemed like a final desperate attack, the red dragon drove the white dragon out of the cave. It escaped through the opening and flew southwards.
“What does this mean?” asked Vortigern of his advisors. None could give him an answer except Emrys.
“Sir”, he said, “The red dragon symbolises the Brythonic peoples of this land, and the white dragon stands for the Saxons. This is a sign that in the end, the native people of this land will succeed in withstanding the Saxons.”
To this day, that hill is known as Dinas Emrys – Emrys’ stronghold. But where does Merlin come in to this? Amazed at this boy’s gifts of insight and prophecy, the Druids gave Emrys a new name – a name given to only the wisest and most enlightened poets and seers. They called him Myrddin – Merlin.
The white dragon continued its passage through the heartlands of Wales, heading south until eventually it came to the sea. Legend has it that as it came to the coastline in what we know today as Gower, the sun rose and the dragon was turned to stone. To this day, that peninsula in Gower is known as Worm’s Head – ‘worm’ being the Anglo-Saxon word for dragon. From Carmarthenshire’s coast, it is easy to trace the outline of the head, neck, body and tail of the dragon as it slopes into the water.
The red dragon fared somewhat better. It took its place on the Welsh flag as a guardian symbol for the land, and a device to which the Welsh have rallied in battle for many centuries. Merlin’s first prophecy did come true; Wales was never defeated by the Anglo-Saxons. While later Norman and English Kings claimed rulership of the nation, it has never been conquered. Today, Y Ddraig Goch - ‘The Red Dragon’ as the flag is known, flies proudly outside the Senedd in Cardiff, Wales’s own parliament.
MYRDDIN
Of Merlin and his skill what Region doth not heare
The world shall still be full of Merlin everie where.
A thousand lingering yeares his prophecies have runne,
And scarcely shall have end till time itself be done.
Michael Drayton, Poly-olbion, Song V.
Yn 1622, fe ragfynegodd y bardd enwog o Sais, Michael Drayton, y byddai enwogrwydd Myrddin yn para hyd ddiwedd amser. Bedair canrif yn ddiweddarach, nid yw’n ymddangos bod seren Myrddin yn mynd yn llai disglair. Mae wedi bod yn destun llyfrau, nofelau, dramâu, astudiaethau academaidd, gwefannau, ffilmiau, nifer o gyfresi teledu a gwaith celf. Mae’n ymddangos fel petai pob cenhedlaeth yn ail-ddarganfod Myrddin a bod y ffigwr dirgel hwn yn ein gorffennol pell yn dal i gipio’n dychymyg.
Efallai mai fel cynghorwr i’r Brenin Arthur a dewin yn y chwedlau Arthuraidd y mae Myrddin yn fwyaf enwog. Sieffre o Fynwy, yr awdur o’r ddeuddegfed ganrif, sy’n rhoi’r darlun cyntaf o Fyrddin fel y mae’n cael ei bortreadu heddiw i ni, a hynny yn Historia Regum Britanniae a ysgrifennwyd yn 1136. Fodd bynnag, roedd Sieffre yn defnyddio ffynonellau llawer hŷn. Cyfunodd storiau am Fyrddin Wyllt (Merlinus Caledonis), dyn gwyllt o’r coed heb unrhyw gysylltiad o gwbl ag Arthur gyda storïau am yr arweinydd rhyfel Brythonig-Rufeinig hanesyddol Ambrosius Aurelianus er mwyn creu ffigwr a enwodd ef yn Merlin Ambrosius.
Mae’n ymddangos bod storiau am Myrddin yn gyffredin iawn yn y gwledydd Celtaidd ac ar y cyfandir yn ystod yr Oesoedd Tywyll ac iddynt gyrraedd anterth eu poblogrwydd yn y cyfnod Canoloesol. O ganlyniad, mae nifer o lefydd yn hawlio cysylltiad gyda’i fywyd mewn rhyw ffordd.
Mae fersiwn Cymru o’r chwedl – sydd wedi’i seilio ar gymeriad dyn gwyllt o’r coed Myrddin Wyllt – yn dweud i Fyrddin, wedi iddo gael ei drechu ym Mrwydr Arfderydd ger Caerliwelydd yn 573, fynd o’i go’. Ciliodd i Goed Celyddon yn ne’r Alban lle roedd pobl yn siarad Cymraeg ar y pryd. Yno bu’n byw fel dyn gwyllt gyda dim ond anifeiliaid y goedwig a phorchell yn gwmni. O ganlyniad i’w brofiadau yn ystod ei arhosiad yn y coed, daeth Myrddin yn broffwyd. Ysgrifennwyd nifer o’r proffwydoliaethau hyn mewn ffurf farddonol yn ystod y nawfed ganrif, yn ôl y sôn gan Fyrddin ei hun, ac mae casgliad ohonynt wedi’u cofnodi yn y llawysgrif o’r drydedd ganrif ar ddeg Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin.
Nid yw’n syndod felly bod nifer o’r straeon am Fyrddin wedi eu lleoli yng Nghaerfyrddin. Hefyd, mae’n glir bod Myrddin yn adnabyddus fel bardd a phroffwyd yng Nghymru mor gynnar â’r ddegfed ganrif gan bod cyfeiriad ato i’w gael yn y gerdd broffwydol Armes Prydain sy’n ffurfio rhan o Lyfr Taliesin. Cyfansoddwyd y gerdd hon gan gefnogwr i linach Deheubarth yn ne-orllewin Cymru. Mae ysgolheigion modern yn credu bod posiblrwydd mai eglwyswr oedd yr ysgrifennwr er ei bod yn cael ei cham-dadogi ar Taliesin. Felly, mae’n amlwg i’r cysylltiad rhwng Myrddin a thref Caerfyrddin gael ei wneud o leiaf mor fuan â phan gyfansoddwyd Armes Prydain – o leiaf ddwy ganrif cyn Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin.
Yn olaf, mae’r nifer enfawr o safleoedd ac enwau lleoedd yn yr ardal gan gynnwys ei goeden dderw, bryn ac ogof, cerrig a siambrau claddu yn awgrymu cysylltiad pendant.
Myrddin Yn Deffro
Gwrtheyrn oedd Brenin y Brythoniaid yn ystod y bumed ganrif. Roedd yn gyfnod o newid mawr. Nid oedd pobl Prydain wedi dioddef ymosodiad o’r tu allan ers goresgyniad y Rhufeiniaid ac roedd hynny bellach yn hen hanes. Ond nawr roedd bygythiad arall – y Sacsoniaid.
Roedd Gwrtheyrn yn anfwriadol wedi talu arglwyddi rhyfel Sacsonaidd fel milwyr tâl i ymladd yn erbyn Pictiaid afreolus y gogledd. Gwrthryfelodd y Sacsoniaid gan sefydlu eu teyrnasau eu hunain. Yn raddol, daeth lluoedd y Sacsoniaid i reoli llawer o’r lle rydym yn ei adnabod fel Lloegr heddiw gawn orfodi’r Brythoniaid brodorol i gilio i rannau gorllewinol a gogleddol yr ynys: i’r Alban, Cymru a Chernyw. Mae cerdd Gymraeg o’r chweched ganrif o’r enw Y Gododdin yn adrodd hanes y frwydr olaf am dir Brythonig Gododdin rhwng lluoedd y Brythoniaid a’r Eingl-Sacsoniaid. Ynddi, mae’r bardd Aneurin yn disgrifio ffawd y fyddin Frythonig:
Tru, namyn un gŵr nid atgorsant.
O’r fyddin frenhinol o dri chant o ddynion a frysiodd i Gatraeth, Och! Ni ddychwelodd dim ond un.
Apeliodd Gwrtheyrn ar ei gynghorwyr derwyddol am arweiniad. Dywedwyd wrtho y dylai gilio i fynyddoedd Cymru a dod o hyd i le addas i adeiladu cadarnle lle y gallai reoli a chynllunio’i wrthymosodiadau. Wedi chwilio’n hir a chaled, daeth Gwrtheyrn at odre’r Wyddfa, y mynydd uchaf yn ei dir. Dewisodd fryn serth gyda chopa gwastad ger yr afon Glaslyn a dechreuodd ei ddynion ar eu gwaith ac adeiladu muriau mawr a fyddai’n amddiffyn Gwrtheyrn a’i lys.
Ddydd ar ôl dydd roedden nhw’n gweithio yng ngwres diwedd haf er mwyn palu’r sylfeini ac adeiladu’r muriau, ond ni wnaed unrhyw gynnydd. Bob nos bydda’r cerrig yn cael eu dymchwel a bob bore byddai’n rhaid i’r gweithwyr gychwyn o’r cychwyn. Ar ôl rhai wythnosau, galwodd Gwrtheyrn gyngor o’i dderwyddon. Gofynnodd iddynt ddarganfod pam na allent adeiladu ar y bryn a pha hud a llefrith fyddai’n gwrthsefyll pa bynnag rymoedd maleisus oedd yn dinistrio’r muriau yn ystod y nod. Cynghorwyd Gwrtheyrn i ddod o hyd i fachgen heb dad meidrol. Pe aberthwyd y bachgen hwn a thywallt ei waed ar ben y bryn, yna byddai ysbrydion helbulus y lle’n cael eu tawelu a gallai’r gwaith fynd yn ei flaen heb anhawster.
Gyrrodd Gwrtheyrn ddynion i bob cornel o’r deyrnas i ddod o hyd i’r fath fachgen. Wedi rhai misoedd o chwilio ofer, daeth rhai o’r dynion i hen dref Rufeinig Moridunum, sef Caerfyrddin heddiw. Yno, yn agos at yr hen amffitheatr Rufeinig, o dan ganghennau coeden dderwen, daethant ar draws criw o fechgyn ifanc. Roedd un o’r bechgyn hyn yn cael ei wawdio gan ddau arall am nad oedd ganddo dad. Cododd hyn chwilfrydedd y milwyr a dyma nhw’n torri ar draws ffrae’r bechgyn. Emrys oedd enw’r bachgen ac wedi i’r milwyr holi am ei fam, aeth a nhw i’w chyfarfod. Roedd hi’n dywysoges yn y rhanbarth oedd bellach yn byw fel lleian yn y Priordy yng Nghaerfyrddin. Eglurodd iddi gael ymweliad un noson gan ysbryd euraid ac mai drwy’r ymweliad hwnnw yr oedd ei mab wedi’i genhedlu.
“O dan y bryn hwn, mae yna lyn, ac o dan y llyn, mae yna garreg. O dan y garreg honno mae yna ogof ddofn gyda dwy siambr. Ym mhob siambr mae yna ddraig yn cysgu. Wrth i chi adeiladu’r muriau yn ystod y dydd, mae’r pwysau yn gwasgu i lawr ar gefnau’r dreigiau felly yn y nos, pan maen nhw’n deffro, mae’n nhw’n ysgwyd y tir ac mae’r muriau’n disgyn.”
Pan ofynnwyd iddo beth y dylid ei wneud fel y gellid adeiladu’r gaer yn llwyddiannus, cynghorodd Emrys y dylid draenio’r llyn tanddaearol a chloddio’r capfaen o dano er mwyn datgelu’r ceudwll. Aeth dynion Gwrtheyrn at eu gwaith yn syth a dod o hyd i bopeth a ddisgrifiodd Emrys. Buont yn gweithio drwy’r dydd tan iddynt allu symud y capfaen er mwyn datgelu’r ceudwll tywyll, dwfn yng nghalon y bryn.
Y noson honno, arhosodd Gwrtheyrn a’i dderwyddon a’i ryfelwyr gyda Emrys ar wyliadwraeth. Yn union fel y proffwydodd Emrys, wrth i’r pelydrau olaf o olau adael yr awyr, deffrodd y ddwy ddraig – un wen ac un goch. Am nifer o oriau y noson honno, fe ymladdodd y ddwy ddraig yn ffyrnig. Ar un pwynt roedd y ddraig goch yn ymddangos yn wan ac yn anabl i wrthsefyll ymosodiad diflino’r ddraig wen, ond yn y diwedd, fe yrrodd y ddraig goch y ddraig wen allan o’r ogof. Dihangodd drwy’r agoriad a hedfan tuag at y de.
“Beth mae hyn yn ei feddwl?” gofynnodd Gwrtheyrn i’w gynghorwyr. Emrys oedd yr unig un a allai roi ateb iddo.
“Syr”, meddai, “Mae’r ddraig goch yn cynrychioli pobl Frythonig y tir hwn ac mae’r ddraig wen yn cynrychioli’r Sacsoniaid. Mae hyn yn arwydd y bydd pobl frodorol yr ynys hon yn llwyddo i wrthsefyll y Saconiaid yn y diwedd.”
Hyd y dydd heddiw, Dinas Emrys yw enw’r bryn. Ond beth yw cysylltiad Myrddin â hyn? Wedi iddynt ryfeddu at broffwydoliaeth y bachgen, rhoddodd y derwyddon enw newydd i Emrys – enw a roddid i’r beirdd a’r gweledyddion doethaf a mwyaf goleuedig. Cafodd ei enwi’n Myrddin.
Parhaodd y ddraig wen ar ei thaith drwy berfeddwlad Cymru tua’r de tan iddi ddod, yn y diwedd, at y môr. Yn ôl y chwedl, fel iddi ddynesu at yr arfordir lle mae Penrhyn Gŵyr heddiw, cododd yr haul a throwyd y ddraig yn garreg. Hyd y dydd heddiw gelwir pentir Gwyr yn ‘Worm’s Head’. Gair Engl Sacsonaidd yw ‘Worm’ oedd yn golygu ‘draig’. O arfordir de Sir Gâr, gellid gweld y ddraig yn ymlwybro i’r mor – pen, gwddwg a chynffon.
Cafodd y ddraig goch fwy o lwc. Cymrodd ei lle ar faner Cymru fel symbol o warcheidwad dros y wlad. Daeth proffwydoliaeth gyntaf Myrddin yn wir; ni choncrwyd y Cymry gan yr Eingl-Sacsoniaid. Tra bu i frenhinoedd Normanaidd a Seisnig hawlio rheolaeth ar y genedl, ni chafodd ei choncro erioed. Heddiw, mae’r Ddraig Goch, fel yr adnabyddir y faner, yn hedfan yn falch tu allan i’r Cynulliad yng Nhaerdydd – senedd Cymu.
