search of. Merlin amazed Vortigen by fearlessly telling the king that he was aware of the fate Merlin, along with Uther, led an expedition to Ireland to procure the stones of the Chorea Gigantum, the Giant Ring. Merlin, by the use of his extraordinary powers, brought the stones back to a sight, just west of Amesbury, and re-erected them around the mass grave of the British nobles. We now call this place Stonehenge. This tale gives indication to how highly he was regarded as a worker of magic. Uthur developed an irrational passion for Yguerne, the beautiful wife of the duke of Cornwell. He came to Merlin to change his appearance to resemble the duke. He then made love to Yguerne. On the same night the duke died, and Arthur was conceived. At birth the baby was given to Merlin, who placed him in a foster home. After Arthur proved his royal blood by drawing the sword from the stone, Merlin informed the young man of his royal origins and helped him attain the throne. For years Merlin continued to act as court soothsayer and advisor to Arthur, as he had done for Uther. Merlin Abruptly vanished from Camelot and was never again seen in human flesh. There are various accounts of Merlin’s disappearance. The most popular states that Merlin was seduced and betrayed by a beautiful undine (water spirit) named Nimue. She first tricked Merlin into teaching her magic, then cast him into a magic sleep and imprisoned him, still alive, in a tomb of stone. Sometimes this undine is described as a princess, and is called different names in various tales. Another claims that Merlin was imprisoned by his spirit lover in a prison of air, where he r4emains invisible, but can still hear and see everything that goes on around him. One legend even says he forgot about the seat that was reserved for whoever found the Holy Grail at the Round Table and sat in it only to be instantly swallowed by the earth, like many other sinful men had done before him. Common t...
