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Some readers may think that it is historically
inconsistent to link the time of Stonehenge with that of Merlin. The great stone temple was built around 2000 BC, whereas the Arthurian Romances, in which
Merlin plays a key role, are set in medieval times, so how can the latter have built the former?
There is an explanation! Stories of Arthur
and Merlin were first recorded in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Histories of the Kings of Britain in 1138, and soon afterwards, on the orders of Henry II,
re-told by a cleric called Wace in the form of a novel titled Roman de Brut. Wace even included in his manuscript an illuminated miniature showing Merlin
directing the building of Stonehenge. These stories became very popular, especially in 12th Century France, where they were transformed into the Arthurian
Romances by skilled storytellers, such as Marie de France, and the poet Chretien de Troyes.
These tales and romances have coloured our
view of Arthur and Merlin to this day, so we tend to see them as medieval figures. Neither the French romancers, nor the historical chroniclers of Henry
II’s time, were the first to relate the deeds of Arthur and Merlin. In fact, the origins of these stories lie deep in Celtic Legend.
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