ONE DARK AND STORMY DAY IN MARCH I saw the figure of a man upon a
hill, overlooking a cruel battle below. He seemed greatly distressed, and I
could sense it was a turning point in his life. I somehow felt that he knew in
himself he would never be the same again; and that as he descended the hill he
descended into himself, and knew a time of inner horror and remorse. I also
felt that though this period of darkness was traumatic, it would eventually bring
him his heart’s truest desire and spiritual wealth beyond all imagining. But as
a troubled and tormented outcast I saw him flee into a dark forest; where he
lived alone, and for a long time, with the woodland creatures there that he
came to understand and who loved him.
The impression
I had in my mind, was that this man was Merlin; I had been thinking and writing
of the things of King Arthur at the time; but the picture did not seem to fit
into what I had read and understood of Merlin.
Sometime
later, and after I researched I discovered that there was such a man as I had
‘seen,’ named Myrddin Wyllt, who lived in the sixth century in Wales, born in
Carmarthen (Caerfyrddin,) who also
lived far north in Cumbria (Rheged,) from
where, after a battle in which his lord had been killed, he had fled as a wild
madman into the depths of the Caledonian forest; living alone there for many
years. I was amazed, because I had already ‘seen’ him as he was described, but
without having any knowledge of it beforehand. And so it seemed to be confirmed
in me to continue to write the story as I was being led.
The
nature of his supposed madness intrigued me. Because he had prophesied his own
strange triple death* and fled human society to live in the wilderness with the
wild animals he was considered insane. I felt compassion for this wild man of
the Dark Ages, who really lived – who is considered an important forerunner of
the many faceted image of the Merlin of the Middle Ages in the medieval legends
of King Arthur.
Perhaps,
because I felt that by experience I understood the nature of his threefold
death in a spiritual way, the story began to mould itself around this. I saw it
form a pathway leading to his future ‘role’ in the world as a holy prophet, a
noble sage and magi, an alchemist, and a good wizard. That Merlin had an
earlier origin in ancient Welsh history along with a plausible personal history
could only strengthen the legend; and ultimately reveal the glorious promise hidden
within it. Taking into account his battle with self condemnation in his turbulent
and progressive conversion to Christianity,* and his final victory and
emancipation from the world with all its shadow forms of religion, a definitive
source for his deep wisdom and prophetic gifting was established, lending greater
credibility to his extraordinary character able to influence writers throughout
fourteen hundred years of human history.
In the
life of Myrddin Wyllt, as I saw him, I glimpsed that work of inner truth in his
spiritual journey which is in essence common to all humanity; and that though
we tend to resist all that would seem to go against us, or even pierce us in
that inner working here was the ancient path of the ever-living cup of Annwn, the
secret place of the Holy Grail the way to the real treasure and the magic of
being completely alive! In the paths of Myrddin Wyllt I wandered and found
what I was looking for.
______________________
* As depicted in Lailoken and Kentigern, a fifteenth
century manuscript of the sixth century legend of Myrddin Wyllt, Merlinus
Caledonensis; also known as Lailoken.
*
That
men may not be grieved by it
They
leave the truth aside
And
move to other things
More
obtuse . . .
It’s not those things we want to know
That help us the most and reveal what we’re after,
But those we don’t want to know and turn from;
The real treasure was where we hadn’t looked for it before.
That help us the most and reveal what we’re after,
But those we don’t want to know and turn from;
The real treasure was where we hadn’t looked for it before.
*
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