Merlin 1

Black was never considered a Druidic color.



Story tells that Merlyn was the man born of unknown origin (or mere magick) who was King Arthur's visier, also his reason for birth. It is also depicted in early stories of him being changed away from mankind and fled to the forest after a war he witnessed. A man who gained and lost consistantly throughout life.

Doctrines of Druidism were written by Christian monks that distorted or lost its history of memory on the Priesthood. The Patriarchal systems tend to be male while Matriarchies were female. Thus Dryad is also reguarded to female shamans in the Pheryllt and the Greeks use male to Druidai and female Dryadae.
The earliest known depiction of this magickal man comes from Geoffrey in year 1136 based on an amalgamation of previous historical and legendary figures. Later tales expand to Merlyn the Wizard. He's said to have been born a cambion born of mortal mother and sired by an incubus, who he inherited his supernatural powers and abilities. He grows to ascendant Sagehood and brings about the birth of Arthur. He is his advisor until (as some say) he falls bewitched and imprisoned by the Lady of the Lake.

Merlin derives from welsh Myrddin, the name of the bard Myrddin Wyllt, one of the chief sources for the later legendary figure. Geoffrey of Monmouth Latinized the name to Merlinus. Gaston Paris told Geof that Merlinus was a better choice over the regular Merdinus to avoid Anglo-Norman word Merde, for faeces.
Carmarthen derives from the town's previous Roman name, Moridunum.
Geof's Merlin is primarily based on Myrddin Wyllt (AKA Merlinus). Caledonensis, and Aurelius Ambrosius, mostly a fictionalized version of historical  war leader Ambrosius Aurelianus. The former had none to do with Arthur and lived AFTER Arthurian period. Lore states that he fled civilization to become a 'wild man of the wood' in the 6th C.
Geof knew this when he composed Prophecies Merlini (Prophocies of Merlin), which he swore werer the mans actual words.
King Vortigern's tower fell each time it was rebuilt before it was done and wisemen told him to sprinkle its fouondation of a child without being born of a father. Ambrosius was rumored to be that child and when presented to KV, he told him why his tower continuously fell:
Beniethe the foundation was a lake which contained two dragons that destroyed the tower by fighting. One Red, the other white.

The White Dragon = Saxons

The Red Dragon = British

Geoffrey's Merlin is begotten on a kings daughter by an incubus.

Their final battle is a portent of things to come. Merlin creates stonehenge, a burial site for Aurelius Ambrosius.
Merlin transforms Uther Pendragon to look like Igraine's husband and enters Tintagel, the enemy. Here, he fathers Arthur with Igraine.

Lewis Thorpe notes that Merlin disappears and does not tutor/advise Arthur Robert de Boron portrays Merlin begotten by a devil on a virgin as an intended Antichrist. The plots foiled when the expecting mother informs her confessor Blaise of the problem and they immediately baptize the boy at birth, freeing him from the powers of Satan. RdeB gives his Merlin character the abilty shapeshift.

A re-write in the 12thC. consisting of the Holy Grail brought from the Middle East back to Britain by followers of Joseph of Arimathea and the HG is recovered by Arthur's knight Percival.

Described to be found in the forest of Northumberland by a follower of Uther's disguised as an ugly man tending to a herd. Then appears as a handsome man and later a beautiful boy. Years later he approaches Arthur as a peasant, described as tall, black and bristly, and as seeiming cruel and fierce. He finaly appears as an old man with a long beard, short with hunchback, in old blothes, carrying a club to drive beasts away.

Gwenddydd is Merlin's twin sister. He's also said to have four brothers.

Grandson of King of Demetia (Dyved) It is said that Nemue wasn't a normal mortal in which Merlin fell in love with. Rumor has it that he was imprisoned by the lady of the Lake and she had him teach her his magicks and he ended up falling in love with her.

Merlin is also said to have transported the stones of Stonehenge. Some say it was from Ireland. Some say he had nothing to do with (associated) Arthur.

Either way, he was popular in the Middle Ages.

In the Idllys of the King, Tennyson makes him the creator of Camelot. Mark Twain makes him out as a villian with a picture where Merlin has Tennyson's face.

Merlyn's Playlist

Nine Inch Nails - Hurt

Fort Minor - Slip Out the Back

The Rolling Stones - Sympathy for the Devil

ICP - Mad Professor

BIB
The Lost Books of Merlyn, Douglas Monroe, Llewellyn Publication, 1st ed, 6th printing, 2004
Wiki
Timeless Myths
The Camelot Project, the University of Rochester website