Scotlands Merlin

Who was Merlin? Is the famous wizard of Arthurian legend based on a real person? In this book, Merlin's origins are traced back to the story of Lailoken, a mysterious 'wild man' who is said to have lived in the Scottish Lowlands in the sixth century AD. The book considers the question of whether Lailoken belongs to myth or reality. It looks at the historical background of his story and discusses key characters such as Saint Kentigern of Glasgow and King Rhydderch of Dumbarton, as well as important events such as the Battle of Arfderydd. Lailoken's reappearance in medieval Welsh literature as the fabled prophet Myrddin is also examined. Myrddin himself was eventually transformed into Merlin the wizard, King Arthur's friend and mentor. This is the Merlin we recognise today, not only in art and literature but also on screen. His earlier forms are less familiar, more remote, but can still be found among the lore and legend of the Dark Ages. Behind them we catch fleeting glimpses of an original figure who perhaps really did exist: a solitary fugitive, tormented by his experience of war, who roamed the hills and forests of southern Scotland long ago.

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 The traditional image of Merlin as the great wizard of Arthurian legend can be traced back to the twelfth century when Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia Regum Britanniae introduced him in this form. #2 The traditional image of Merlin as the great wizard of Arthurian legend can be traced back to the twelfth century when Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia Regum Britanniae introduced him in this form. #3 The traditional image of Merlin as the great wizard of Arthurian legend can be traced back to the twelfth century when Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia Regum Britanniae introduced him in this form. #4 The traditional image of Merlin as the great wizard of Arthurian legend can be traced back to the twelfth century when Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia Regum Britanniae introduced him in this form.

Merlin remains the most famous and familiar image of the magician we possess. In this new book, Arthurian expert John Matthews examines the many guises of Merlin.

The lifestyle of a Renaissance prince and his court was a work of art in itself: a dazzling spectacle which propagated the power, dignity and fame of the monarch. The domestic routine of the royal household with its palatial surroundings, restless itinerary and occasional public pageants, provided the framework for cultural activity in its widest possible sense. Fine art, architecture, scholarship, literature, music and piety jostled for attention alongside hunting, feasting, jousting, politics, diplomacy and war. Emerging defiantly from a long and turbulent minority, the adult James V managed to create for Scotland an exuberant and cosmopolitan court, which imitated in miniature those of France, England and the Netherlands, and which carried important political messages. His ambitious programme of royal patronage combined humanist scholarship, neo-classical and imperial imagery, the cult of chivalry and medieval traditions in a blend which sought to galvanise Scottish national identity and enhance the status of the House of Stewart. For many years the reputation of James V has been overshadowed by the tragic glamour of his father, James IV, killed at Flodden, and his daughter, Mary, Queen of Scots. Princelie Majestie reveals that he was an energetic and innovative patron, who in a brief fourteen years created a court culture of remarkable quality and diversity. Princelie Majestie was originally published by Tuckwell Press.

Scotland's rich past and varied landscape have inspired an extraordinary array of legends and beliefs, and in The Lore of Scotland Jennifer Westwood and Sophia Kingshill bring together many of the finest and most intriguing: stories of heroes and bloody feuds, tales of giants, fairies, and witches, and accounts of local customs and traditions. Their range extends right across the country, from the Borders with their haunting ballads, via Glasgow, site of St Mungo's miracles, to the fateful battlefield of Culloden, and finally to the Shetlands, home of the seal-people. More than simply retelling these stories, The Lore of Scotland explores their origins, showing how and when they arose and investigating what basis - if any - they have in historical fact. In the process, it uncovers the events that inspired Shakespeare's Macbeth, probes the claim that Mary King's Close is the most haunted street in Edinburgh, and examines the surprising truth behind the fame of the MacCrimmons, Skye's unsurpassed bagpipers. Moreover, it reveals how generations of Picts, Vikings, Celtic saints and Presbyterian reformers shaped the myriad tales that still circulate, and, from across the country, it gathers together legends of such renowned figures as Sir William Wallace, St Columba, and the great warrior Fingal. The result is a thrilling journey through Scotland's legendary past and an endlessly fascinating account of the traditions and beliefs that play such an important role in its heritage.

The West Highland Railway, which opened to Fort William in 1894 and to Mallaig in 1901, follows a scenic route by Loch Lomond, Breadalbane and Lochaber to the west coast of Scotland and is one of the most famous railway lines in the world. This book describes the late-nineteenth-century 'railway mania' in the Highlands, addressing the politics of promotion and the disputes over state assistance for the Fort William–Mallaig line, rather than the heroics and the romance of construction and operation. It discusses the uneasy alliances and battles between the railway companies of Scotland, as well as those between Scottish lines and their English counterparts. It also reviews other schemes, more or less successful, and examines the expectations bound up with railway development, asking how far these had been achieved, or remained relevant, by 1914. 'This is a meticulously researched book . . . a unique and comprehensive history of the origins of the West Highland Railway . . . an essential addition to the library of anyone with an interest in Scottish railway history' - Ewan Crawford, University of Glasgow 'a fascinating and revealing study of rail development issues in the western Highlands between the 1840s and 1914' - Tom Hart, University of Glasgow

Why do we love wizards? Where do these magical figures come from? Thinking Queerly traces the wizard from medieval Arthurian literature to contemporary YA adaptations. By exploring the link between Merlin and Harry Potter, or Morgan le Fay and Sabrina, readers will see how the wizard offers spaces of hope and transformation for young readers. In particular, this book examines how wizards think differently, and how this difference can resonate with both LGBTQ and neurodivergent readers, who’ve been told they don’t fit in.