Wizard X-Files

Merlin the Magician - Fact or fiction?

Merlin was the illegitimate son of a Royal Princess. Merlin's father, it is said, was an angel who had visited the Royal nun and left her with child. Merlin's enemies claimed his father was really an evil spirit that had intercourse with a sleeping woman. The evil child was supposed to provide a balance between good and evil. Merlin, fortunately, was baptized. This was the event that is said to have removed the evil in his soul, but left his powers untouched. The original story was made up to save his mother from the scandal which would have followed her liaison with a minor Prince of the House of Coel.

Legend then tells us that after the Romans left from Britain a mountain fortress at Dinas Emrys was constructed in hopes that he might be safe. Unfortunately, the building kept collapsing and Vortigern's house wizards told him that a human sacrifice was needed. This sacrifice had to be of a fatherless child. The difficulty in that task was that such a child was hard to find. Fortunately for Vortigern's fortress, Merlin was known to have no human father and happened to be available.

Before the sacrifice could be carried out, Merlin used his great visionary powers called upon two dragons, one red, and one white. The red dragon represented the Britons, and the white dragon, the Saxons. The dragons fought, with the white dragon having the best of it, at first, but then the red dragon drove the white one back. The meaning was clear. Vortigern was slain and followed on the throne by a great leader know as Arthur.

Merlin the magician - prophet or wizard - fact or fiction?