The Dialogue of Merlin and Taliesin' from the Black Book of Carmarthen (National Library of Wales).
The earliest known poetry about Merlin, referred to as Myrddin in Welsh, has been made accessible to the public for the first time and reveals that, contrary to popular belief, he was not a wizard but a poet and a prophet deeply interested in the natural world.
Over the past three years, a team of academics has edited and translated more than 100 poems about the legendary figure, some dating back to the 10th century.
The poems, sourced from over 500 medieval Welsh manuscripts, have been compiled, compared, and organised, and are now available in both Welsh and English through the Myrddin Poetry Project website.
The project, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), is a collaboration between Swansea University, Cardiff University, and the University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies.
Alexander Roberts, Research Data and Digital Humanities Manager at Swansea University, said: “It was a distinct pleasure for the Digital Humanities team at Swansea University to collaborate with colleagues at Cardiff University and the Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies in developing and hosting this open-access digital scholarly edition.
“Swansea University is excited to have realised the vision of developing not only a contemporary bilingual digital edition of Welsh Merlin Poetry but also a well-documented platform that will enable other textual scholars, both within the University and internationally, to present similar content. Instructions, sources, and code will soon be made available on the Swansea University open research data community, ensuring accessibility and reusability for all.”
In total, academics edited 102 poems, consisting of 4,450 lines across 519 manuscripts. The collection includes seven major early poems in medieval manuscripts and 95 later poems surviving from the early modern period.
The research team has also explored the relationship between the Welsh Merlin poems and the broader Arthurian tradition, popularised throughout Europe by Geoffrey of Monmouth, who was the first to bring the figures of Arthur and Merlin together.
Dr David Callander, based at Cardiff University’s School of Welsh, said: “Myrddin is an internationally recognised literary figure, yet despite this, some of the earliest poems about him have remained a mystery until now. Our research exploring the character’s origins reveals that unlike the popular idea of Merlin being a wizard, the earliest writing about him actually depicts him as a poet and a prophet telling of the future of the Island of Britain.
“The legend of Myrddin is a massive part of Welsh and British culture. But there is still so much more to be discovered. Being able to read and take insights from literature that was written hundreds of years ago gives us the chance to connect more deeply with our heritage, as well as showing the world a rich literary history that we can be proud of.”
Professor Ann Parry Owen from the Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies added: “It’s been an absolute privilege for us to collaborate with colleagues at the School of Welsh at Cardiff University and Digital Humanities at Swansea University on this important project, exploring together this fascinating body of poetry ascribed to Myrddin, and designing and implementing an exciting and ground-breaking online digital edition.”
To learn more about the Myrddin Poetry Project and access the poems, visit the Myrddin Poetry Project website.