This week on My Poetic Side, we take a look at a project examining poems relating to Merlin and a statue dedicated to Aphra Behn.
Merlin Portrayed as an Environmentalist in Early Poems
Scholars, who have been taking a new look at Welsh poems that date as far back as the 10th century believe that they depict Myrddin (Merlin) as a prophet who was concerned about human interactions with nature.
Whilst he is most commonly thought to have been a wizard, or a mentor to the young king, a detailed re-examination by Welsh scholars now suggest that he may very well have been an early British environmentalist who was deeply worried about the world around him.
For the last three years, a team of academics from three universities in Wales have translated and edited over 100 poems, all written in Welsh about Merlin which date back toaround the 10th century.
David Callander, from the School of Welsh at Cardiff University, confirmed that some of the conclusions that had been made by the team really challenge the common view of the figure.
Titled the Myrddin Poetry Project they found that there was a particular fixation on nature within the poems and that some of the earlier writings portrayed Merlin as a prophet talking about the future of Britain.
One of the poems that they looked at was Yr Afallennau (The Apple Trees) which was written in the 12th century, and which sees Merlin talking to the trees:
Another poem from the same period sees him sympathising with a little piglet.
All of the poems that they have been re-examining have come from manuscripts that are held in the National Library of Wales, which is located in Aberystwyth. They also looked at the Red Book of Hergest, which was written in the 15th century and is held at Jesus College Oxford. One other discovery that they made in the poems was that Gwyneddydd, Merlin’s sister, played a very important role in his life and as also considered something of a prophet in her own right. The researchers consider her to be something of the lost female voice from medieval Wales.
Many of the poems which the project looked at were earlier ones which have never been translated or edited in full before. A website linked to the project is currently live in beta form and it is hoped that the finished version will be available from the end of the year. All of the poems that have been studied will be available in both Welsh and English.
Queen Camilla Unveils Statue
On 25th February Queen Camilla visited Canterbury to unveil a statue in honour of the poet, spy, and playwright Aphra Behn.
Behn was considered to be something of a heroine in English literature and is credited as being the first full-time women writer in a professional capacity.
The statue is a bronze figure dedicated to the poet, who was born in Kent in the 17th century.
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