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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Steven Morris

Early poems about Merlin portray him as environmentalist, say scholars

Merlin Welsh Cardiff University
Nicol Williamson as Merlin
Nicol Williamson as Merlin in the 1981 film Excalibur. Despite portrayals as a wizard, early poems depict the figure as a prophet concerned about nature. Photograph: Cinematic/Alamy

He is probably most often thought of today as a wizard, a shape-shifter or a mentor to the young King Arthur.

But a detailed re-examination of Myrddin – Merlin – by Welsh scholars suggests he can also be considered an early British environmentalist deeply worried about human interaction with the natural world.

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