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To: alt.legend.king-arthur
From: Robert Elliot 
Subject: Re: How did Merlin and the whole Arthurian legend begin?
Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2000 08:29:26 +0000

Sara Corley wrote:

> I thought I'd go to the experts.  I am an Arthurian novice, teaching 4th/
> 5th graders about the Middle Ages and King Arthur.  I have read several
> children's versions of "How Arthur Became King" but I am trying to do a
> children's play version including the less told beginning story involving
> King Vortigern and the strong hold he tried to build in Eriri, the Red
> Dragon (Brittain) and the White Dragon (Saxons), Vortigern's
> advisor/magicians, young Merlin, Merlin's mother - the Princess of Demetia
> who became a nun, and then Uther Pendragon and Lady Igraine.  How were
> Vortigern and Uther connected?  Who was Vortigern's wife?  Who was Lady
> Igraine married to?  Who took care of Merlin when his mother gave him away
> and how old was he when he was brought to Vortigern?  I would appreciate any
> help.  Thanks.

The traditional story has Vortigern's original wife being Magnus Maximus'
(usurper emperor of the 380's in Britain who went to the continent, conquered
Gaul but was executed at Aquileia having lost to the emperor Theodosius; seen as
a hero in Britain for a long time afterwards) daughter, and getting power that
way.  Then he ditched her in favour of Rowena, Hengest's daughter, a witch.  His
three sons, Vortimer, Pascent and Catigern were by his first wife.  Tradition
has it that their father's betrayal of their mother led Vortimer to revolt, but
that just as things were going well for him Rowena poisoned him and Vortigern
regained control, largely by use of Hengest's Saxons.

Traditionally, Ambrosius and Uther were sons of Constantine, who was son of
Magnus Maximus, so Vortigern was their uncle-in-law.  Vortigern murdered
Constantine to get the throne, at which point they fled to Brittany.  They
returned and dealt with Vortigern (after his attempt to build the tower at Dinas
Emrys), then Ambrosius was poisoned by Pascent.

No tale (apart from Mary Stewart!) relates Merlin's history before he was taken
to be executed at Dinas Emrys and instead made himself famous with the dragons.
He was reputedly begotten by an incubus to put an evil agent on earth, but was
fortunately baptised, thereby keeping his magical powers but being on the side
of good.  That's about all we know.

The above is of course totally ahistorical, but I think it's a fair
representation of the normal post-Monmouth story.

Rob


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From: "Todd Jensen" 
Newsgroups: alt.legend.king-arthur
References: <8953n6$n5p$1@nntp2.atl.mindspring.net>
Subject: Re: How did Merlin and the whole Arthurian legend begin?
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Sara Corley wrote in message <8953n6$n5p$1@nntp2.atl.mindspring.net>...
>I thought I'd go to the experts.  I am an Arthurian novice, teaching 4th/
>5th graders about the Middle Ages and King Arthur.  I have read several
>children's versions of "How Arthur Became King" but I am trying to do a
>children's play version including the less told beginning story involving
>King Vortigern and the strong hold he tried to build in Eriri, the Red
>Dragon (Brittain) and the White Dragon (Saxons), Vortigern's
>advisor/magicians, young Merlin, Merlin's mother - the Princess of Demetia
>who became a nun, and then Uther Pendragon and Lady Igraine.  How were
>Vortigern and Uther connected?  Who was Vortigern's wife?  Who was Lady
>Igraine married to?  Who took care of Merlin when his mother gave him away
>and how old was he when he was brought to Vortigern?  I would appreciate
any
>help.  Thanks.


Most of these questions Robert Eliot already answered, but I thought that
I'd answer the one question that he didn't get to:

Igraine was married originally to Duke Gorlois of Cornwall, by whom she had
three daughters, Elaine, Morgause, and Morgan le Fay.  (Admittedly, I'm not
certain as to how much the Uther and Igraine business will be able to fit
into a children's play, given that the core element of that story is Uther
lusting after another man's wife, and even if you leave out the bit where
Uther has Merlin disguise himself as Gorlois in order to delude Igraine into
receiving him, it still is extremely tricky).

Todd Jensen



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From: "Peter Ewing" 
Newsgroups: alt.legend.king-arthur
Subject: Re: How did Merlin and the whole Arthurian legend begin?
Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2000 15:41:58 -0000
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"Sara Corley"  wrote in message
news:8953n6$n5p$1@nntp2.atl.mindspring.net...
> I thought I'd go to the experts.  I am an Arthurian novice, teaching 4th/
> 5th graders about the Middle Ages and King Arthur.  I have read several
> children's versions of "How Arthur Became King" but I am trying to do a
> children's play version including the less told beginning story involving
> King Vortigern and the strong hold he tried to build in Eriri, the Red
> Dragon (Brittain) and the White Dragon (Saxons), Vortigern's
> advisor/magicians, young Merlin, Merlin's mother - the Princess of Demetia
> who became a nun, and then Uther Pendragon and Lady Igraine.  How were
> Vortigern and Uther connected?  Who was Vortigern's wife?  Who was Lady
> Igraine married to?  Who took care of Merlin when his mother gave him away
> and how old was he when he was brought to Vortigern?  I would appreciate
any
> help.  Thanks.
>
> Sarah
>
>

If you want to get the full story of Vortigern, Merlin, Ambrosius, Uther and
Igraine, try to get hold of a copy of Geoffrey of Monmouth's 'History of the
Kings of Britain'.