Merlin: Priest of Nature

Rating:
Summary: A mythical book for a mythical character
Review: Merlin, the wizard, has always attracted our attention whether as children or adults. Personally, I can't say exactly why, but after reading Markale's book, I was convinced he might have some answers for that question.

A wonderful and very complete research work; this book contains quite a lot about Merlin and all the mythology around the character. I started reading this book merely to spend my free time in something insightful, but after a couple of pages, I was really interested in the content.

Covering nearly every aspect of Merlin's figure, it analyses not only ancient texts regarding Merlin the wizard, but parallel texts and poems, middle ages' romances and even some doubtful sources. I found quite interesting not only the focus on the legend but also the analysis of related subjects such as Vivian, the Lady of the Lake; or Merlin's druidic heritage and its implications in modern western way of thought.

The book might not be the best choice for a neophyte willing to start familiarizing with the myths and truths about Merlin, since it seems to be written in quite a formal and scholar style, but after one gets used to this, the fun part begins. I never was such a fan of Merlin and all the Arthurian legends, but this book turned me into a celtophile!