Merlin (Robert de Boron poem)

Merlin
by Robert de Boron
Merlin dictating the story of his life for Blaise to record in a 13th-century illustration for the prose version, Estoire de Merlin
WrittenEst. 1195–1210[1]
CountryKingdom of France
LanguageOld French
SeriesLittle Grail Cycle
Subject(s)Arthurian legend, Holy Grail
Preceded byJoseph of Arimathea
Followed byPerceval

Merlin is a partly lost French epic poem written by Robert de Boron in Old French and dating from either the end of the 12th[2] or beginning of the 13th century.[3] The author reworked Geoffrey of Monmouth's material on the legendary Merlin, emphasising Merlin's power to prophesy and linking him to the Holy Grail.[4] The poem tells of his origin and early life as a redeemed Antichrist, his role in the birth of Arthur, and how Arthur became King of Britain. Merlin's story relates to Robert's two other reputed Grail poems, Joseph d'Arimathie [fr] and Perceval.[1] Its motifs became popular in medieval and later Arthuriana, notably the introduction of the sword in the stone, the redefinition of the Grail, and turning the previously peripheral Merlin into a key character in the legend of King Arthur.[1][5]

The poem's medieval prose retelling and continuations, collectively the Prose Merlin,[2] became parts of the 13th-century Vulgate and Post-Vulgate cycles of prose chivalric romances. The Prose Merlin was versified into two English poems, Of Arthour and of Merlin and Henry Lovelich's Merlin. Its Post-Vulgate version was one of the major sources for Thomas Malory in writing Le Morte d'Arthur.

  1. ^ a b c Echard, Sian; Rouse, Robert (2017). The Encyclopedia of Medieval Literature in Britain. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9781118396988 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ a b John Conlee (1998). "Prose Merlin: Introduction". d.lib.rochester.edu. Robbins Library Digital Projects.
  3. ^ "Arthurian legend". Encyclopedia Britannica.
  4. ^ Morgan, Giles (2015). The Holy Grail: From antiquity to the present day. Oldcastle Books. ISBN 9781843447900 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ Cartlidge, Neil (2012). Heroes and Anti-heroes in Medieval Romance. DS Brewer. ISBN 9781843843047 – via Google Books.