As you may know, behind Aeternum is a small business based in Brittany (in southern Finistère, to be precise). And it is well known that this region lives to the rhythm of legends, myths, and magical practices that are more or less familiar. So, to shed light on our beautiful region, we will regularly publish little-known legends from Breton history. This week, we are exploring one of the most famous figures: Merlin and his true story. I also strongly recommend visiting the Suscinio Castle, which brings this story to life in a highly successful production.
Once upon a time, in the ancient lands of Brittany (which were still called Armorica), there was a woman whom the religious authorities considered pure, but who bore a child without ever having known a man. The kingdom’s wise men suspected that she had made a pact with an evil spirit, and they were right: she had been visited by a demon. This child, half man and half spirit, was given gifts that no one else possessed: he could see the past and the future, read minds, and understand the language of the stars. His name was Merlin.
From childhood, he displayed signs of strange wisdom. A king named Vortigern summoned him because his builders were unable to erect a tower that collapsed every night. Merlin explained that two dragons were sleeping beneath the ground: one red, the other white. When they were unearthed, they fought. The red dragon lost. Merlin saw the future in this: the white dragon represented the Saxon invaders, but one day, a king from among their enemies would drive them back. That king would be Arthur, son of Uther Pendragon.
Merlin then became King Uther’s adviser. When Uther fell in love with Ygraine, wife of the Duke of Cornwall, Merlin used his magic to give him the duke’s appearance. That night, Arthur was conceived. In exchange for this service, Merlin demanded that the child be entrusted to him at birth.
Arthur grew up far from the court, raised without knowing who he was. When Uther died, the kingdom descended into chaos. Merlin had a sword made and driven into a stone. Only the true king could remove it. Arthur, still young, accomplished the feat. The lords submitted.
Merlin remained at his side, helping him establish peace, found the Round Table, and guide the knights. But his own days of light were growing dark. He met a young woman, Viviane, at the
Since that day, it has been said that his tomb lies in Brocéliande, very near the Vale of No Return. It was once a group of megaliths, standing like menhirs. Of this legendary burial site, two stones still remain, separated but believed to be the vestiges of the monument that supposedly sealed the fate of the great enchanter.
And some still claim today that, at dusk, Merlin whispers to those who know how to listen to the song of the wind in the oaks of Brocéliande...
Par Olivier of Aeternum
Passionate about esoteric traditions and the history of the occult from the earliest civilizations to the 18th century, I share some articles on these topics. I am also co-creator of the online esoteric shop Aeternum.
