Merlin (>1300)
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Matière de Bretagne
Merlin (>1300)
Beckers, H.: Der rheinische Merlin. Text, Übersetzung, Untersuchungen der “Merlin”- und “Lüthild”-Fragmente. Paderborn 1991.
Merl-1:
Merlin, who is a wise child, always speaks the truth and never does anything wrong. He has been born a heathen and is baptized Merlin only as he wants to become a Christian. When he has come of age he is often asked to tell the future. People reproach him with their misfortune which happens to befall them (fate however always is due to God). They do not take him serious if he prophesies good fortune. His prophecies never fail. Merlin patiently endures all hostilities.
Motif References:
M 301 Prophets
V 332 Baptism of heathen
T 615.3 Precocious wisdom [virtue]
J 903 Humility one of the qualifications of a prophet
D 1712 Soothsayer (diviner, oracle, etc.)
D 1812 Magic power of prophecy
Merl-30:
Merlin retires from the world and lives in the woods like a hermit. He suffers cold and heat. Herbs are his only food. From time to time people come upon him and he prophesies the future to anyone asking him.
Motif References:
M 301.1 Wild man as prophet
V 462 Asceticism
Merl-41:
The king hears about Merlin’s power of prophecy and wants to make him his counselor. He sends out his messengers, but Merlin cannot be caught. Some of them meet him accidentally and he tells them that only a virgin will be able to get hold of him.
Motif References:
P 14.15.1 (Old, wise) Counsellors of court [King’s council]
T 300 Chastity and celibacy
P 427 Druid (poet, learned man)
D 1714.1 Magic power of chaste women
Merl-59:
Merlin gives evidence of his power of prophecy three times: The steward wants to know his death and Merlin tells him that he will fall to his death. The steward does not believe him. He grows a beard, changes his horse and asks him again. Merlin tells him that he will be hung before Merlin is caught. The following day the steward in disguise goes to visit Merlin and asks him again. Merlin prophesies death by drowning. The steward accuses him of lying. Back home the steward tells the story of Merlin’s apparent deception. Everybody is amused. The steward’s threefold death some days later proves Merlin’s prophecy: The steward rides out hunting, his horse slips, he falls down a cliff, his feet entangle in a tree while his head is submerged in water. The king now is convinced of Merlin’s powers but nobody can meet him.
Motif References:
Z 71.1 Formulistic number: three
M 341 Death prophesied
M 341.2.4 Prophecy: three-fold death
M 341.1 Prophecy: death at (before, within) certain time
M 341.2.23 Prophecy: death by hanging
M 341.2.3 Prophecy: death by drowning
H 500 Test of cleverness or ability
H 1576 Test of possession of magic powers
K 1821 Disguise by changing bodily appearance
Merl-121:
Merlin is caught by a virgin disguised as a man. On their way back Merlin once again proves his power of prophecy: They meet a singing young man happy about the purchase of new shoes to be used after the old ones are worn out. Merlin, who never laughs, laughs as they meet him and prophesies the death of this man the next day. They arrive at court and the king welcomes Merlin. Merlin is blamed for his prophecy has not come true: he obviously has not been caught by a virgin. Merlin’s prophecy of the young man’s death has come true and the young man who had caught him turns out to be a virgin in disguise: Merlin cannot be deceived.
Motif References:
M 304 Prophecy from enigmatical laugh
M 341 Death prophesied
M 341.1 Prophecy: death at (before, within) certain time
M 370.1 Prophecy of death fulfilled
N 456 Enigmatical smile (laugh) reveals secret knowledge
H 500 Test of cleverness or ability
F 591 Person who never laughs
K 1837 Disguise of woman in man’s clothes
Merl-185:
Merlin as the king’s prophet: The king asks Merlin about his lands, the other kings’ fate and death. Merlin prophesies the death of King Richard the Lionhearted: the dragon of England that frightened everybody will be killed (tamed) by an arrow of Limoges and he will lose all his power. Later on King Richard comes to his death by an arrow at Limoges.
Motif References:
Z 150 Other symbols
M 341 Death prophesied
M 342.1 Prophecy of downfall of king
M 370.1 Prophecy of death fulfilled
Merl-201:
Merlin prophesies the death of the German emperor Heinrich by drowning: At the king’s question Merlin tells him that the successor to the German throne will be a fox-like person, who will defend his country like a lion but who will soon drown like a dog, which turns out to be the fate of emperor Heinrich.
Motif References:
M 341 Death prophesied
M 341.1.2 Prophecy: early death
M 341.2.3 Prophecy: death by drowning
M 370.1 Prophecy of death fulfilled
Merl-211:
Merlin is a Christian prophet authorized by Christ himself. He is of unknown origin; nobody knows his father or mother. Merlin has died only a short time ago perfectly faultless.
Motif References:
L 111.2 Foundling hero
Z 255.1 (Li) Unknown origin of hero, prophet
D 1812.1.2 Power of prophecy from God
Merl-233:
Christ works many a miracle: A young girl by the name of Lüthild of (Lüftel-)Berg has lost her mother. Her stepmother hates her for Lüthild is a pious and charitable maiden. According to his wife’s advice her father spies upon Lüthild to keep her from giving bread to the poor. She pretends she only carries stones: the bread has been transformed into stones and the father is duped by the miracle. Later on the stones transform into bread that is given to the poor. Lüthild is the origin of numerous miracles.
Motif References:
W 48 (Ha) Piety
V 220 Saints
V 229.2 Sancticity of saints
P 282 Stepmother
V 400 Charity
D 471.1 Transformation: bread to stone
D 1713 Magic power of hermit (saint, yogi)
Merl-274:
One day Lüthild wants to catch wild geese on her father’s fields. She declares that the geese are her captives and more than one thousand of them enter the barn in front of her, going two by two. She gives orders to spare their lives. Yet a servant kills and eats one of them. Next morning Lüthild tells the geese to leave and never come back for the sake of Christ. The geese do not move. Thereupon Lüthild asks for the bones of the slain animal that is resuscitated. All geese leave. Wild geese avoid the place ever since.
Motif References:
E 32 Resuscitated eaten animal.
E 121.4 Resuscitation by saint
V 220 Saints
V 229.2 Sancticity of saints
B 251.2 Animals honor saint (cleric).
D 1713 Magic power of hermit (saint, yogi)
Merl-317:
Another miracle is told of Lüthild: Her father’s neighbor, a wealthy and greedy man, does not respect the boundary of his fields in ploughing. The case is to be decided by a law-court.
Motif References:
W 151 Greed
P 411 Peasant
P 510 Law courts
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