| Esplumoir Merlin | |
|---|---|
| Matter of Britain location | |
 The sorceress Viviane bewitches Merlin in a 1903 illustration by Howard Pyle. | |
| Genre | Chivalric romance |
| In-universe information | |
| Other name(s) | esplumöer[1] |
| Type | rocky peak, castle, hut, or prison |
| Characters | Merlin, Viviane, Gauvain |
The esplumoir Merlin is a place mentioned in the Arthurian legend in relation with the magician Merlin. It notably appears in the Didot Perceval uncertainly attributed to Robert de Boron, and is also mentioned in Raoul de Houdenc's Meraugis de Portlesguez. Its nature is uncertain, but it probably relates to a metamorphosis into a bird. It is presented as a hut, a tower or a high rock and is sometimes likened to the Hotié de Viviane, a megalithic site in Brittany.[2]
- ^ Brown, Arthur C. L. (October 1945). "The Esplumoir and Viviane". Speculum. 20 (4): 428–429. doi:10.2307/2856739. JSTOR 2856739. S2CID 161314132.
- ^ Markale, Jean (1996). Guide spirituel de la forêt de Brocéliande (in French). Monaco: Éditions du Rocher. p. 137. ISBN 9782268023144. Retrieved 9 January 2022.