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The True History of Merlin the Magician

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The True History of Merlin the Magician

By: Anne Lawrence-Mathers
Narrated by: Jennifer M. Dixon
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A medieval historian examines what we really know about the man who was "Merlin the Magician" and his impact on Britain.

The historical Merlin was no rough magician: he was a learned figure from the cutting edge of medieval science and adept in astrology, cosmology, prophecy, and natural magic, as well as being a seer and a proto-alchemist. His powers were convincingly real—and useful, for they helped to add credibility to the "long-lost" history of Britain which first revealed them to a European public. Merlin's prophecies reassuringly foretold Britain's path, establishing an ancient ancestral line and linking biblical prophecy with more recent times. Merlin helped to put British history into world history.

Anne Lawrence-Mathers also explores the meaning of Merlin's magic across the centuries, arguing that he embodied ancient Christian and pagan magical traditions, recreated for a medieval court and shaped to fit a new moral framework. Linking Merlin's reality and power with the culture of the Middle Ages, this remarkable book reveals the true impact of the most famous magician of all time.

©2012 Anne Lawrence-Mathers (P)2023 Tantor
Disaster Relief Europe Great Britain Political Science Politics & Government Social Sciences Violence in Society World Middle Ages Magic Arthurian Magic Users
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Really enjoyed this history, very interesting, broken down into different chapters which discuss the historical,l magical and prophetic aspects of Merlin. Highly recommended

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