Behindthelegendisarealhistoricalfigurewholivedinthe6thcenturyAD.Howmuchofhisstoryis

true?DiscoveralsohowMerlinandArthurchampionedtheidealsofchangingtimes-Celticindependence,thecreationofaBritishidentity,decencyoverdecadence,Jewishvalues,

Whitesupremacy,andtheAryanmyth.

AtThePROUDFOOTINSTITUTE,Moffat09.30Saturday18thApril

ArchaeologicalfieldtriptoUpperTweeddale

Sundaymorning19thApril

£30(advancebookingincludesconferencebuffetlunchandrefreshments)

Contact:sheenapeebles@gmail.com

Saturday Conference09.20–09.30 Welcomeandintroduction

RobinCrichtonisaChevalierdesArtsetdesLettresandChairmanoftheArthurTrailAssociation.Asasocialanthropologicalfilmmaker,hebecameafulltimeindependentdirector/producerofbothdramaanddocumentaries for internationalTV and cinema. Hebuilt Scotland’s first independent film studio, ran aCouncilofEuropesmallcountriescoproductioninitiativeandwasScotlandChairandUKViceChairoftheIndependentProducersAssociation. He isauthorofseveralbooks including “OntheTrailofMerlininaDarkAge”.

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1.THEORALTRADITION09.30–10.00 LailokenandMyrddin,theScottishrootsoftheMerlinlegend

Tim Clarkson is an independent researcher and historian. He obtained his PhD from the University ofManchester,hisdissertationbeingonthewarfareofearlymediaevalnorthernBritain.HeistheauthorofseveralbooksonearlymediaevalScottishhistory, includingTheMenoftheNorth:theBritonsofSouthernScotland,Columba:Pilgrim,PriestandPatronSaint,andScotland’sMerlin.

ThelegendofLailoken,amysterious'wildman'whoissaidtohavelivedinsouthernScotlandinthesixthcenturyAD,ispreservedinthreemediaevalScottishtales.Twoofthesearegroupedtogetherinafifteenth-centurytextunderthetitleVitaMerliniSilvestris(TheLifeofMerlinoftheForest)whilethethirdappearsin a twelfth-century 'Life' of St Kentigern of Glasgow. This paper considers the possibility that LailokenmightbetheoriginalfigurebehindtheArthurianwizardMerlin.ItnotesanumberofsimilaritiesbetweenLailokenandtheoldestrepresentationsofMerlin(Myrddin)inmediaevalWelshliterature,observingthatbotharedepictedastraumatisedsurvivorsofasavagebattle.ItalsoconsidersthecaseforseeingLailokenasareal,historicalfigureratherthanasanentirelyfictionalcharacter.

10.00–10.30 Merlinandtraditionalpre-Christianbelief

NikolaiTolstoywasatTrinityCollegeDublin,wherehegraduatedinModernHistoryandPoliticalTheory.HealsostudiedCelticlanguagesandliterature.HeisaFellowoftheRoyalSocietyofLiteratureandAdjunctProfessoratUtahValleyStateCollege.HeistheauthorofseveralbooksincludingTheQuestforMerlin,TheOldestBritishProseLiterature:TheCompilationoftheFourBranchesoftheMabinogi,andTheMysteriesofStonehenge:MythandRitualattheSacredCentre.ThispaperexaminestheevidenceforandagainsttheexistenceofanhistoricalMerlin(Myrddin),whomayhavelivedandprophesiedintheScottishUplands(YGogledd).ThemotifsrecurrentinhislegendarylifeareexplicableintermsofshamanisticpracticesandbeliefsfoundinBritishandIrishCelticlore,togetherwithstrikingshamanisticparallelsthroughouttheworld.Theseaspectsofthetraditionarebothpersuasiveandsignificant.

10.30–11.00MerlininWales,SourcesandPlacenamesScott Lloyd received his MPhil from the history department at Aberystwyth University in 2009 andpublishedTheArthurianPlaceNamesofWaleswith theUniversityofWalesPress in2017. Heworks fortheRoyalCommissionontheAncientandHistoricalMonumentsofWalesandiscurrentlyundertakingaPhDintheHistorydepartmentatBristolUniversity.

Myrddinappears insomeoftheearliestWelshmanuscriptsastheequivalentfiguretothebetter-knownMerlinoftheLatinandFrenchsources.Welshpoetryalludestoeventsandstoriesnotrecordedelsewhereand the debate over the age of thematerial and its relationship to thework of Geoffrey of Monmouthremainsunresolved.PropheticpoetryassociatedwithMyrddinwasalsoverypopular inmedievalWalesandisperhapsnotaswidelyknownasitshouldbe.ThelandscapeofWalesfeaturesanumberofMyrddinnames,frequentlyassociatedwithmegalithicmonuments,buthowoldaretheseassociationsandwhatdotheytellusabouthowthefigureofMyrddinhasbeenusedinWalesacrossthecenturies?

11.00–11.20 COFFEE/TEABREAK11.20–11.40QUESTIONTIME______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2.THESTORYINTHELAND11.40–12.00BanesandStanes:Whereisthe6thcenturyArchaeologyofSouthernScotland

AndrewNicholsonistheregionalarchaeologistforDumfriesandGalloway,havingfirstcometotheareain 1986 to work on the excavations at Whithorn. His interests include early mediaeval Galloway,experimentalarchaeologyandmilitaryhistory.InSouthernScotlandarchaeologyrelating to thesixthcentury is remarkablyhard topindownwithanydegreeofcertainty,mostsitesfallingintothecatch-allof‘earlymediaeval’.Thispresentationexaminestheextant material and asks where we should be looking for archaeological evidence to elucidate thisformativeperiod.

12.20-12.40 Story-tellingandplacenames:history,loreandlegendswritteninthelandscape

DavidMonroisanhistoricalgeographerwithaspecialinterestinlandscapestudiesandplacenames.Hewasa research fellow in the Department of Geography at the University of Edinburgh (1984-96) before beingappointedDirectoroftheRoyalScottishGeographicalSociety(1996-2008).HeiscurrentlywriterinresidenceatDrumlanrigCastle,DumfriesshireandwashonouredwithanMBE.

The exploration of place-names as tools for a range of academic disciplines has, in recent times, beenrecognisedbyhistoriansandhistoricalgeographersoverandaboveanswering thebasicquestion ‘Whatdoesthisnamemean?’.Toponymy–thestudyofplace-names–providesaninsightintotheworldofthename-giversofthepastandthelanguagestheyspoke.InScotland,wheremanyplace-nameswerecoinedbetween1,000and1,500yearsago,themessagesencodedinanamearefromaworldwhichisotherwiseextremelyscantilyrecorded.Thetraditionalapproachtonameetymologyhasbeentocombinethetracingback through manuscript, map and literary sources to the earliest rendering of a name with anappreciation of the geographic/landscape setting and the modern pronunciation of the name. In thecontextofArthurianandMerlinstoriesthatarehandeddowntous largelythroughliterarysourcesthatpost-datetheperiodinwhichthesestoriesareset,place-nameshaveplayedanimportantpartinattemptstoplaceinthelandscapeeventssuchasthebattleofArfderydd.InthispresentationDavidMunroexploresthecomplexinteractiverelationshipbetweenliteratureandlandscapewithinwhichbothnewandexistingplace-namesservetorootanarrativeinaparticularlocality.

12.40-13.00KingdomsinearlymediaevalSouthernScotland:-thearchaeologicalevidence RonanToolisisaDirectorofGUARDArchaeologyLtd,withover25yearsexperienceofinvestigating

archaeologicalsites.HehasexcavatedextensivelyinScotland,withparticularemphasisonlaterprehistoricandearlymediaevalsettlementsinsouth-westScotland.In2012heledtheexcavationofTrusty’sHill,ahithertoundiscoveredearlymediaevalroyalstronghold(TheLostDarkAgeKingdomofRheged).

EarlymediaevalScotlandisusuallydepictedasapatchworkofsmallkingdomsthatdisappearedoverthecourse of time, during a periodwhen the foundationswere being laid for the separate nation states ofScotland and England. The historical evidence for many of these kingdoms is slight, tentative andcontested. But what is the actual hard, physical evidence for early mediaeval kingdoms in southernScotland?Whatdoesarchaeologicalevidencerevealaboutthesekingdoms?Isitevenpossibletoidentifykingdoms from archaeological evidence? Andwhat does archaeology reveal about the nature of societyduringthisperiod?

13,00-14.00 LUNCHBREAK.14.00–14.15TheWoodofCelydon,Acriticalpollen-analyticalre-analysis

RichardTipping,isapaleo-geologistandgeo-archaeologist,recentlyretiredfromStirlingUniversity.Hehaspublishedwidelyonmanyaspectsofenvironmentalchangeandhumanpalaeo-ecologyinScotlandinmorethan200peer-reviewedbooksandarticles.Thiscontributionwillevaluatehowmuchour ‘scenery’canbetracedtohumanagencysincetheearliesttimes.Itwillexplainanddrawonarangeofevidenceforenvironmentalchange,bothnaturalandhumanandexplorenewideaswhichsuggestacloserrelationshipbetweenpeopleandclimate.

14.15–14.35 Wizard,SageorMyth?AscepticalviewofthehistoricalMerlin "

Andrew Breeze. FSA. FRHistS, is a philologist. He was educated at the universities of Oxford andCambridge. He teaches at the University of Navarre, Pamplona, and has published books includingMediaevalWelsh Literature (1997), the co-authored Celtic Voices, English Places (2000), TheMary of theCelts(2008),andBritishBattles493-937(2020).

Textualanalysishassomesurprisingresults.ItshowsthatStPatrickwasborninfourth-centurySomerset;that the British hero Arthur died near Carlisle in 537; and that St Kentigern (d. 612) used to bathe atGourock,ontheClyde.Allthesecharactersarehistorical.SimilaranalysisappliedtoMerlinpointstotheopposite.Nothingsaidofhiminearlysourcescanbecalledhistorical,particularlyreferencesinthepoem‘ArmesPrydein’(TheProphecyofBritain). Thiscall forwarontheWestSaxonswaswritteninlate940(after their capitulation to the Vikings at Leicester), with Merlin appearing in it as a mysterious beingendowed with knowledge of the future. The poem's associations with Dyfed underline the obviousexplanation of Merlin as a fictitious entity created from misunderstanding of Carmarthen as 'Merlin'sStronghold'.ThereisnomorereasontothinkthatheeverexistedthanthereisforRomulus,KingLud,orOldMotherHubbard.

14.35–14.55 QUESTIONTIME______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3.THELEGEND14.55–15.15TheMetamorphosisofMerlin:the13thcenturyFrenchromansdeMerlin

ClaudineGlotisawriter,researcher,lecturer,exhibitiondirector,andfoundertheCentredel’imaginairearthurien.InFrancesheisaleadingspecialistinArthurianandCelticheritageanditsintepretationtothegeneralpublic.SheisamemberoflaSociétédesAmisdesEtudesCeltiques,laSociétéInternationaleArthurienne,laSociétéInternationaledesAmisdeMerlinetlaSociétédeMythologiefrançaise.

In early 13thcentury France, the Arthurian stories were reworked around the Quest for the HolyGrail,. Merlin, who previously had hardly featured in the tales of the Round Table, now provided aconnectionbetweentheSufferingofChristandtheHolyGrailandthishelpstheKnightsoftheRoundTabletosolvepartofthemystery.MerlinandhisCeltichistoricalandmythologicalbackgroundbecomecentralto the development of the new storyline. Although he does take upmuch space on the page,Merlin’spresence in the story is of primary importance.In effect, he becomes the anchor and the key to theArthurian adventure and theQuest for theHolyGrail.It is the literarymetamorphosis ofMerlin and inexploring his permanent dual personality we will try to identify how much of the original Celtic orBrythonicMerlinsurvived.

15.15–15.35 Tennyson’sSerialMerlin

KatieGarnerisaLecturerin19thCenturyLiteratureintheSchoolofEnglishattheUniversityofStAndrews.SheistheauthorofRomanticWomenWritersandtheArthurianLegend:TheQuestforKnowledge(Palgrave,2017)aswellasnumerousarticlesandbookchapterson19thcenturyArthuriana.

WhatdidtheVictoriansmakeofTennyson’sMerlin?ThispaperwillexplorethepubicresponsetoTennyson’swizard,firstintroducedin‘Vivien’(1859)butexpandedin‘TheComingofArthur’(1869)andothersupportingpoemswhich,overaperiodoftwenty-fouryears,eventuallycompletedhisepicIdyllsoftheKing(1859-1883).IftheIdyllsoftheKingisa‘serialpoem’,thenthepoem’sgradualgrowthbroughttolifeapartial,shiftingandnecessarilyincompleteMerlinwhocouldalternatelyappearassage,lover,andpoliticaladvisor.DrawingoncontemporaryreviewsandcorrespondenceinawideselectionofVictorianperiodicalsandnewspapers,thispaperwillrecovertheordinaryvoicesofTennyson’sfirstreaders,bothadultsandchildren,sheddingnewlightontheprocessesbywhichhisMerlinsettledintothepublicimagination.

15.35-15.55 WhiteNationalismandtheArthurianLegend

MartinB.Shichtman,Ph.D.isDirectoroftheCenterforJewishStudiesandProfessorofEnglishLanguageandLiteratureatEasternMichiganUniversity.HisscholarshipfocusesontheMiddleAgesandcontemporaryreceptionsoftheMiddleAges.HisbooksincludeCinematicIlluminations:TheMiddleAgesonFilm(2010),KingArthurandtheMythofHistory(2004),CultureandtheKing:TheSocialImplicationsoftheArthurianLegend(1994).Mediaevalsymbolismandcharacterisationhaslongbeenusedasatoolbyconservative,evenreactionaryforces.Thefigureofthemediaevalknightembodiesanuncorruptedandincorruptiblepurity–guardingthereligious,social,andeconomicvaluesoftherulingclasses.FromtheMiddleAgestothepresentday,theknightservesasananchorforthepoliticalideologiesofintolerance.WhilemediaevalaristocraticstorieslikeKingArthurandtheKnightsoftheRoundTablehaveperiodicallybeenusedtochampionsocialorpoliticalinclusion,moreoftenthannotthesehavebeenadoptedandadaptedbytheradicalright,whetheritbeNaziGermany’sHeinrichHimmler,France’sMarinelePen,orthemarchersinCharlottesville,Virginia’s2017UnitetheRightrally.

15,55–16.15 QUESTIONTIME16.-15–16.35 TEABREAK

16.35–16.55 ImagingtheMyth

RichardDemarcoisanartistwithworksinnationalcollections.HeisalsoabynamefororiginalityasanartspromoterwhopioneeredculturallinksbothsidesoftheIronCurtain.HewasawardedtheEuropeanParliament Medal, a CBE, and equivalent honours in Italy, France, Germany, Poland and Romania.CurrentlyheisEmeritusProfessorofEuropeanCulturalStudiesatKingstonUniversity,anddirectorofanexperimental university of all the arts, in collaborationwith Edinburgh University. Books include “TheRoadtoMeikleSeggie”.

MerlinisjustoneexampleofhowScottishcultureandhistoryhavebeeninternationallyinterwovenwiththe worlds of mythology and all manifestations of the visual and performing arts. This presentationexploreshowartistsfromthe13thcenturyonwardshavevisuallyinterpretedthepersonalityofMerlinandthecharacterswhosurroundhim.Whydotheseimagestalktous?Whatthoughtsandreactionsdotheyprovoke?Onthesurfacetheyexpresstheidealsandnewideasofchangingtimesandreflecttheinterestsofthepatronswhocommissionedthem.Butsubliminallytheyalsoechoancientfolkmemories,whicharebeingslowlysmotheredbyglobaluniversalityandlinearthought.

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4.DEBATE

16.55–18.00 FactorFake?–IntangibleculturalheritageandtheinterpretationofhistoryAllspeakers

FieldTrip–atalkingwalk09.20–10.00 DepartMoffatAnnandaleArmsandtraveltoStobo10.00–10,30 StoboKirkcontaininghalfapaganaltarwhereStMungoattemptedtoconvertMerlintoChristianity10.30– Tinnis(Drumelzier)(viatheAltarStane)a6thcenturyhillfortprovisionallyplannedforexcavationin

August12.15 ReturntoAnnandaleArms

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ThiseventisdedicatedtothememoryandinappreciationofthelateLizRoberts,formerresidentofMoffatwhoinitiatedandseed-fundedthisconferenceandformanyyearsmadeadistinctivecontributiontotheculturallifeofthetown.

merlintrail.com