Battling dragons and Sovereignty, miraculous births, castles, and vortexes powered by crystalline rocks that produce piezoelectricity... A few insights from the heart of the cave of the mystical figure they call Mer-lin.
On the coast of idyllic town Tintagel in Cornwall, exists one of the most celebrated and mysterious sea caves of the western coastline of the United Kingdom – that of the man or magical being they call, Merlin, Myrddhin in old Welsh. Merlin’s Cave, which is located directly below Tintagel Castle and sits atop towering cliffs, is reached from a small bay upon the shores of the Celtic Sea, known as Tintagel Haven or Castle Cove.
Arriving at the Cave is a matter of tidal timing, for when the sea is high into the cove, the cave (which fills with water from either side) is rendered inaccessible. And this comes after a steep and precarious descent from the windy top of Tintagel Island. Not as precarious perhaps, if one imagines the journey down to the cave before the intervention of stone steps and hand railings. A certain challenge for even the nimblest scrambler, unless of course arriving directly by sea… as we will soon explore. The atmosphere of the cave’s coastal location, from coming down and around the black-wet volcanic cliffs patched with fine grass, to being greeted by giant islands of beached rocks below (with more peeking out in the distance), salty winds, and rugs of red seaweed, was dramatic. Added to this, its own waterfall – no more than a trickle, trickling gallantly across the sand to meet the (only just…) receding waves. The drama amplified on the day of my visit, by grey mist hanging above the murky turquoise waters (a quality owed to the presence of copper, that with a sunnier outlook would have turned the sea a clear and bright green) [7]. A tropical picture, it was not. But how perfect the conditions for exploring one of the most coveted caves in England.
The cave, of course, is famous for its links to Arthurian legend. For some context of who Merlin was, according initially to traditional Celtic tales, we may explore works such as the Welsh Mabinogion [20]; an old blue copy of which, translated by Lady Charlotte Guest, sits by my side as I write:
“The imprisonment of Dragons in Dinas Emrys in Snowdon is one of the most curious legends of romantic fiction. Their combats five centuries later, led to the discovery of the enchanter Merlin, with which opens the great drama of Arthurian Romance. This story being related by Geoffrey of Monmouth, has by many been considered as the fabrication of that writer; but it must be noted that it is also founded in Nennius who wrote in the eight century: "Vortigern being forced to retire from his kingdom, in consequence of his various delinquencies, took refuge in Snowdon… But to his great dismay, he found that whatever he built by daytime, fell down in the succeeding night. Having consulted his magicians upon the cause of this mystery, they told him that unless he could find a child without a father, and sprinkle the tower with his blood, it would never stand. Upon this Vortigern despatched messengers… for the required victim, and at length they lit upon Merlin, whom they brought to Vortigern that he might be slain. But the boy exposed the ignorance and imposture of the magicians, and caused the ground to be dug at the foundation of the building, where they found two sleeping dragons, one white and the other red. These dragons awaking from their sleep commenced a furious conflict. The white one at first had the advantage of the red, but at last the red dragon prevailed, and expelled his opponent. Merlin then informed them that the red was the British dragon, and the white was the invading Saxons. Then it was that Merlin uttered a celebrated prophecy concerning the fate of Britain. Vortigern departing thence to seek some other place of refuge, bestowed that citadel upon the wonderful child, who declared his name to be Merlin Ambrosius."” (Myrrid Emrys in Welsh).
Dinas Emrys is a natural mound that exists today in one of the valleys of Snowdon, Wales. Upon which sits an ancient fort referred to as a citadel, a place traditionally considered to be a fortress or castle intended to keep its inhabitants in captivity (subjection). The captive in question according to this legend was the young Merlin. Today, Dinas Emrys or “Merlin’s Mound”, shows remnants of this castle, at the center of which sits a pool of water… thought to be the place where the two battling dragons emerged. For further insight we delve now into the Arthurian Book of Days by devoted English writers (and world-renowned authorities on Celtic wisdom) Caitlin and John Matthews. [4] Beneath a colourful depiction of the Castle and its dragon bearing pool is inscribed:
“Merlin and Vortigen stand by the pool in which the red and white dragons do battle. Merlin points out the meaning of this and delivers other prophecies while Vortigern’s Druids stand by, amazed”.
And further:
“Merlin listened to the story of his birth and challenged Motigern’s Druids: ‘If you are so wise tell me of what lies under these ill-laid foundations.’ The Druids bit their lips… for they were ignorant of the tower’s collapse. Merlin ordered that a pit be dug. ‘Beneath this place you will find a pool and in it two hollow stones. There two dragons lie sleeping…’ Such was his authority that Vortigern believed him. When the pool was drained… a white and red dragon were revealed… Vortigern asked: ‘What do the dragons signify?’ ‘Alas, for the Red Dragon: its end is near. The people of Britain shall be overwhelmed by the White Dragon of the Saxons and all that is beautiful within this land shall be laid waste! Only the boar of Cornwall shall defend it.’”
The boar of Cornwall is later discovered to be none other than King Arthur Pendragon. And surprisingly, this animal title (boar) was coveted by successive Kings – as a symbol of strength. For a mythical figure, Merlin’s prophecies certainly seem to have held much high regard in ancient times. And today we see a continuation of the same symbology, for example, the Red Dragon representing ancient Celtic Britain on the Welsh flag. [3]
In further accounts in the Arthurian Book of Days, we begin to learn more about the boar of Cornwall, and why Merlin had prophesised the importance of this defender:
“In the days before the Pendragon family ruled Logres, Vortigern was King of Britain. Harried on all sides by Irish pirates… Vortigern invited the Saxon kings… and gave them lands…” [4]
And so, we discover Vortigern’s true nature, first in his willingness to slay an innocent child, and secondly in his decision to join with Saxon kings – thus exacerbating the invasion of Celtic peoples and their lands. We also have mention of the Pendragon’s – King Arthur’s lineage, and that of Logres – the name used to describe “Brittonic Territory” [2] – Celtic territory, which was thought to be King Arthur’s realm – indicating thereafter the Pendragons served as protectors of Logres, the ancient Celtic realms of England.
In another account we are drawn to note Merlin’s ancient presence at Tintagel. This time the connection comes in the form of his dealings with the preceding elder Pendragon, Uther, and Gorlois Castle (previous name of King Arthur’s Castle) at Tintagel. It is here that Merlin apparently assists Uther in the magical sexual union (potentially a reference to Hieros Gamos) with Ingrain, who inconveniently was wife of Gorlois of Cornwall at the time. The outcome of this destined and divinely orchestrated union was the conception of a boy, Arthur Pendragon – to whom Merlin later returned to take him into safe fosterage where he could be trained as a great King. It is said that they then vanished through a postern gate of the castle. A postern is a small, back gate, and such a gate still exists today (see photograph below). “The castle was set on the seaward side, the only access being by way of a postern”. And while this isn’t the only retelling of Arthur Pendragon’s emergence into the world, from my own consciousness view, the stories told and surrounding this mythical legendary figure (both Merlin and Arthur Pendragon) encapsulate a broader picture of the battles between light and dark, and invading forces of ancient Albion – one of the older names for England. Wisdoms which would have more easily survived when hidden in stories and mythological narratives. Bearing in mind also, that with great passages of time, that which was once known as real may become thought of as myth – for those who were witness have long since passed.
But what if these references of light and dark, and stories repeatedly told and passed down (see earlier Mabinogion story of Lludd referenced below), hid an even more ancient truth…
Lludd, Celtic ruler of Britain (a figure that predates Merlin), with his brother Llyfelys a ruler of Gaul, is credited in some accounts as being he who had earlier trapped the fighting dragons within the land. With, once again, the white dragon representing Anglo-Saxons struggling to defeat the defending Brythons (the ancient Celtic Britons). [1]
From a Guardian consciousness perspective and with knowledge of natural Universal Law, my understanding of dragon energy is that of the cosmic and universal Masculine and Feminine. And based on this, a further analogy of the battling described by Merlin and his prophecy could be that the fighting dragons represent a more ancient war, characterised by ruthless conquering of Earth’s beautiful and peaceful lands, which denotes a disconnection with the motherland itself and a distinct lack of compassion and empathy for fellow human beings and other souls in general – a form of extreme Negative Ego, patriarchal domination, as a more polarized state of consciousness. This is with the understanding that the feminine principle was highly regarded in ancient Celtic culture, as is still evident by its prevailing Goddess references and reverence today, and no less from the Celtic people’s relationship with the Earth’s sacred waters and lands [5][6], as a form of Animism. And any assault of this ancient dominion (Celtic territory) would therefore have been an attack on the reverence of the feminine wisdom and her presence both directly and indirectly… Added to this is knowledge that the feminine principle of creation, embodied as both land and waters, also holds cosmic alignment with the Universe within her physical body as an ancient star map of portals, known to have existed as part of Earth’s natural and original energetic (holographic) grid. A grid so important to ancient cultures that they built great structures upon its energetic lines and nexus points to both harness the powerful energies it generated and retain links to respective star systems – geomantic place holders pointing to locations in the sky from where their own ancestral lineages had originated.
How interesting then that these two warring dragons of light and dark, which depict (at least in Merlin’s prophecy) two very different versions of masculinity (one in connection and reverence of the feminine/goddess/mother, a form of unity – Celtic, and the other appearing not) should be emerging from and battling over waters – a motherland element upon which all life depends. One as defender, the other as invader.
Staying with this line of thought and vision a moment longer, and to further explore the role Merlin’s prophecy serves, we return to his affiliation with the “boar of Cornwall” aka King Arthur Pendragon… And from this context, what is very interesting about this King is according to the Mabinogion his relationship with the land was also one of unity consciousness; the masculine and feminine principles, inescapably bound to one another for success; the Goddess of Sovereignty representing the land itself, as the mother and feminine spirit of creation, and therefore the Earth. Caitlin Matthew’s, King Arthur and the Goddess of the Land, succinctly explores this…
“The Goddess of Sovereignty has her own methods of assessing worthy champions for her empowerment. They may be rich or poor, noble or of common stock, British or another race – but they will be right for the land if she chooses them. Only her champions recognize the true nature of the land, who is the mother of us all.”
And further…
“King or champion… each is accountable to Sovereignty, the Goddess of the Land.”
My personal understanding is that Sovereignty has tri-fold meaning. In one context it represents “the Grail” quest or unity consciousness liberation potential within. In a second further context it represents the “Grail lines” themselves who are the empowered or ascended lines of souls or Soul families who embodied or embody this inner unity, and therefore represent (and protect) Sovereignty in perfect union. And in the third context it represents the cosmic feminine creator force herself - who is essentially the mother spirit of the world and Universe - which, being one half of the gender principles of creation, is needed for true unity and liberation. And while I will not go into too much detail here (as this is a topic that could easily become a book), King Arthur Pendragon, also in this context, is not only a representative and defender of the knowledge of Sovereignty itself but also a true Father figure and protector, Guardian, and embodied archetype of the ancient Albion (unified intelligence) itself… A time when knowledge of the divine feminine energy as the Goddess or Cosmic Mother, and the creational power of her presence, was understood and fiercely protected by ancient Celtic, Dragon lineages – hence the title Pendragon: Pen = Head + Dragon = Head Dragon. In old Irish, dragon or adcondarc means “I have seen…”. If to see is to be conscious, could the Pendragon, therefore, be the head of what is known or what has been fully seen? Could the references to sexual union at King Arthur's Castle represent unity consciousness with the feminine? And was then the true Mer-lin, beyond his differing accounts, originally a representative of the Goddess?
A dragon reference from the same book (King Arthur and the Goddess of the Land), also explores this connection:
“Within the framework of the Celto-Arthurian world, the blood and the seed and the red and white dragons are symbols which may be applied to the Goddess and the King, or to the Queen Dragon and her consort, the Pendragon. They are the maintainers of Logres, the inner Britain; they are the dragons who are loose once more, scouring the land with their strong breath, rekindling the dreaming fires of creation in each heart.”
And once again this relates to understandings of natural Universal Law and the Law of Oneness, through which we remember that all things in creation have a masculine and feminine principle (electro-magnetic spectrum of Universal light and life), as a creational consciousness unit of oneness energy. To me these stories suggest a more ancient tale of the battles for the land’s sovereignty – it’s heritage and lineage – preserved for truth seekers and defenders of justice thousands of years later upon and within the landmass itself, left in trails of ancient geomantic treasures. In essence, this ultimately represents humanity’s long-standing Soul-battle to retain its own personal sovereignty, which can only come through its evolving consciousness and remembering… For without knowledge of our origins, how can we know for certain if we are truly free? Are we today living in a time when the ancient Celtic Dragon lineages of Sovereignty, are rising to be known again? The return of Earth’s Albion (crystalline unified consciousness) lightbody is certainly supportive of this.
From here we delve further into more metaphysical depictions of Tintagel Island, which beneath sits Merlin's Cave. This time in the form of a poem, by Tennyson, from the coming of Arthur, which describes how Uther Pendragon (in contradiction to the earlier tale of Arthur’s Pendragon’s birth) was childless upon transitioning from this world at Tintagel. A scene which is said to have been witnessed by Bleys, said by some to be Merlin’s master, and a writer...
“Descending thro’ the dismal night—a night
In which the bounds of heaven and earth were lost—
Beheld, so high upon the dreary deeps
It seem’d in heaven, a ship, the shape thereof
A dragon wing’d, and all from stem to stern
Bright with shining people on the decks,
And gone as soon as seen. And then the two
Dropt to cove, and watch’d the great sea fall,
Wave after wave, mightier than the last,
Till fall, a ninth one, gathering half the deep,
And full of voices, slowly rose and plunged
Roaring, and all the wave was in a flame:
And down the wave and in the flame was borne
A naked babe, and rode to Merlin’s feet,
Who stoopt and caught the babe, and cried ‘The King!
Here is an heir for Uther!’ and the fringe
Of that great breaker, sweeping up the strand,
Lash’d at the wizard as he spake the word,
And all at once all around him rose in fire,
So that the child and he were clothed in fire.
And presently thereafter follow’d calm,
Free sky and stars.’ [18]
This vivid poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809 to 1892) presents us with a more otherworldly view of Merlin’s Cave and Castle Cove. And paints a trans-dimensional image, whereby Merlin, clearly no stranger to such encounters is neither perturbed nor over-excited when a ship described as a “heavenly” craft arrived ashore, “dragon wing’d”. Together with its onboard crew appearing as light-beings referred to as “shining people” – whom with the naked eye appear difficult to perceive, but nevertheless dropt to cove and bore witness to a miraculous birth – from the sea – that would bring calmness to the world, depicted by “free sky and stars”. When casting a metaphysical or intuitive eye over the words, the initial feeling is that Tennyson’s poem is speaking to a cosmic birth of kinds, and that this beach or island, Tintagel Island, is therefore the location of a cosmic birthing, archetypally represented here by a specific soul, King Arthur Pendragon, who arrives from an elemental womb of fiery waters overseen by semi-translucent Guardians, clearly not of earthly origin… And so here we find ourselves with an interesting alternative view, one that could account for why the tales of King Arthur Pendragon, whether romantic or dramatic, have remained an unwavering part of our collective consciousness. And why the lands of the United Kingdom hold so much intuitive importance for the memories of an awakening soul that is keen to remember ancient connections and beginnings. For if the Pendragon birthing, overseen and welcomed by the mer-figure (man of the waters) Mer-lin, did represent an archetypal cosmic birthing of kinds, the kind that would marry in unity both Sovereignty (feminine principle energy of the motherland) and sky and stars (which could be viewed as masculine principle in complementary contrast), then this very place and this very legend, could hold the key to understanding both our cosmic origins and cosmic consciousness return…
As an interesting note on the etymology of Merlin’s name, the Welsh Myrddin (Merlin) from old Celtic is also thought to be “Mori-dunon” the literal interpretation of which is “of the sea-hill”, mori means “sea”. [11] The name Myrddin (Merlin) therefore alludes to a Mer-man or soul lineage of sea origin.
If the name Mer-lin has its origins in the sea, we could also say, the mer-lineage may have been represented originally by the name Mer-lin. A name that throughout time has accumulated much mythological story... some perhaps true, some distorted, much like Arthurian legend itself, yet nevertheless has survived in our consciousness as seeds of potential, seeking deeper understanding. And if we further consider, what, throughout time and history, may have also constituted masculine mer-lineages, figures such as Poseidon or Neptune, in addition to feminine lineages strongly associated with rivers, and oceans, Aphrodite (Venus), or in the Celtic tradition Brigid and Danu (Goddesses of the waters), we begin to expand our awareness of the many ancient embodiments or archetypes endowed with otherworldly powers that arose from the sea... The sea... that great ocean of life... which again, represents the life-giving waters of the Mother aspect of creation, as well as ancient watery worlds - the Aquaelle or Aquafey, being one such example. And from here, we begin to open our minds to the possibility that these stories may represent some of the forgotten aspects of our planetary past. A past in which ancient Soul lineages (including our own) may have included not only those of land, but also those of stars, and both metaphorically and physically... cosmic oceans. [21] "And down the wave and in the flame was borne...". Sound wave (feminine principle) and light flame (masculine principle), together in unity form the magnetic-electric creative forces and energetic substance of the Universe. Wisdoms that may have been preserved in oral traditions and stories with hidden elements of accuracy, or communicated poetically, and that are, either way, further evidenced in this specific case by the crystalline rocks of the cave itself...
When approaching the cave from the beach, one of the most notable features above the large penetrating entrance are two smaller arched openings, which appear as windows. The base of Tintagel Island is a mass of sweeping rock with horizontal highlights of what I presume to be minerals. And while geology is not my forte, with some effort, I was very interested to later discover that one of the ancient names for Cornwall, Cornubia (depicted on some old maps), also refers to the geological properties of the rock in the area known as the Cornubian Batholith. [9][10] And the Cornubian Batholith is a large mass of granite rock (around 280 million years old) that is formed from the crystallisation of magma and is rich in quartz. Quartz, known to the Greeks as water-crystals, “Krystallos”, also being piezoelectric, meaning it can generate electricity from sound. Some watches, for example, contain quartz crystal to keep time by sending a small electrical current to the crystal which acts as tuning fork which then oscillates (sound) and vibrates (frequency) eventually returning to its resting state in a specific amount of time (set to a specific number of oscillations based on its overall resonance). This produces small amounts of piezoelectricity each time, which the timekeeper is designed to count, regularly adjusting its positioning accordingly. Quartz therefore is widely known to have semi-conductive, and energy storing properties. Naturally found in sand and clay (such as those of Cornwall’s Batholith), it has high concentrations of Silica. Quartz is also known as the “sunstone” in Ireland – perhaps owing to its ability to split light into a spectrum and is regularly found in geomantic placements such as henges and stone circles. [13][14][15][16][17] And with this geological knowledge, it is very interesting that a place of such metaphysical mystery would literally and physically embody crystalline energy generating capabilities in abundant quantity.
Back to the beach and standing upon the shore, the gentle roaring of the Celtic Sea in the background, and the tall granite island before me... then moving through the main cave entrance, I immediately felt the intense energy within the cave… However, this was not entirely what I had expected, having descended only moments before from the castle above. Stood in the cave, remnants of the sea, absent only temporarily, were all around glistening upon the faces of wet sculpted rock surfaces, seaweed, and even the damp sand under foot. The cave was higher than anticipated with an opening in the ceiling at its center, extending beyond where the ordinary eye could see. There was another opening to the left (which I did not explore) and deeper into the cave another smaller portal-like opening through which was an unusual narrow passage with shallow rocks pools through which one must scramble to reach the opening on the opposite side. The natural energy within the cave was thickly visible within the cave air. Lots of reddish light pigment, particularly towards the central and upper rocks - some felt negative - as in a form of overlay of the positive natural crystalline energy there - inorganic, bi-wave, interference. Some energetic clearing work was completed to assist with this. You could clearly see the energetic frequency in cave’s atmosphere – rapid vibrations of energy, and never had I witnessed energy within a place of the same visible intensity or contrast. However, superseding this was the very positive and strong portal presence that the entire island energetically and metaphysically embodies. Portal in this context meaning a vortex or intense concentration of energetic resonance that can both affect and (potentially) transport the consciousness of the body. This portal has strong feminine principle or magnetic qualities which are equally balanced by the masculine principle or electric component of universal energy, and this intensity was felt initially from above the cave at the castle itself, and then more intensely within the cave... I was drawn to this inner Source. The energy that is generated here has a unique and I would say, special, function. In my experience this does represent an ancient birthplace of pure unified consciousness - solidified within the feminine principle of the land, as she holds perfect union here... Therefore, one could say it (the land or centered within the general location itself - stretching into the waters) represents the perfect union of polarity once birthed into form... which may also (potentially) metaphysically be again transported or returned. This is ancient and organic tri-wave rather than artificial bi-wave structure. And tri-wave was directed and anchored on the day to support this.
There were several people in the cave, children, and adults, and while in there you are always mindful of turning tides. And with that awareness, journeying quickly but safely to the end was high priority. Motivated excitedly by the whispers of a fellow wanderer that told of an unexpected visitor up ahead… Thoughts of Mer-lin did flirt momentarily in my imagination… as I made the decision to keep my shoes on and scramble across the low-positioned but barely-there-ridges along the sides of the cave, avoiding the beautiful and clear but nevertheless trouser-soaking, pools below. Though dry-ish, I was not prepared for the striking, sculptural, serene, and very otherworldly environment that I would soon physically encounter. And this unique experience, that felt very much like journeying to the centre of the Earth, was made more memorable by the presence of a seal that happened to be lounging on some big smooth rocks just beyond another horizontal opening of light – at the cave’s far entrance. And for want of better expression, this was a truly magical end to the morning. The presence of the seal felt synchronous… To witness wildlife within its natural habitat is humbling. To see one in such a dramatic and rare location was a wonder. Stood at a safe distance, thankfully it did not appear to be too concerned with onlookers’ presence, sometimes giving a direct nod, but mostly resting. I did feel intuitively that the seal may have been mildly injured, as its movements appeared a little awkward. However, even though seals in Cornwall are renowned as being friendly (for example, “Sammy” of Newquay), I was reminded that sometimes they bite… which, when near their whiskered and almost adorable features, is a sobering (wildlife savvy) contradiction.
Could this encounter have been a Selkie? Selkies after all are common in Celtic mythology and associated with Celtic lands such as Cornwall and the Hebrides of Scotland, known in Scots as selkie fowk, and noted for their ability to shapeshift between seal and human form. [19] And if so, who in this mysterious Cornish cave could the Selkie have been?
Atalina Marie Wright
See also King Arthur's Castle at Tintagel (to follow soon).
References: [1] Welsh Mythology - Lludd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lludd_Llaw_Eraint [2] Celtic Britons https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_Britons [3] Boar of Cornwall https://www.leidenmedievalistsblog.nl/articles/royal-boar-prophecies-in-medieval-england [4] King Arthur and the Goddess of the Land by Caitlin Mathews & The Arthurian Books of Days, by Caitlin and John Matthews http://www.hallowquest.org.uk/books-and-recordings [5] Celtic Deities https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Celtic_deities [6] Celtic Animism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_Animism [7] Geology of Tintagel https://www.primidi.com/tintagel/geology_scenery_and_sea_bathing/geology_and_geography [8] Geology of Tintagel https://www.lyellcollection.org/doi/10.1144/gsl.jgs.1950.106.01-04.19 [9] Cornubian Batholith https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornubian_batholith [10] Cornubia https://www.historyfiles.co.uk/KingListsBritain/BritainCornubia.htm [11] Etymology of Merlin https://www.etymonline.com/word/Merlin & https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myrddin_Wyllt [12] Etymology of Pendragon https://www.etymonline.com/word/pendragon [13] Quartz https://www.britannica.com/science/quartz & https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartz [14] Granite https://www.britannica.com/science/granite [15] Quartz watches https://www.explainthatstuff.com/quartzclockwatch.html [16] Silicon and Silicon Dioxide https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicon_dioxide [17] Light Spectrum https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectrum [18] Tennyson’s Poem, Idylls of the King, excerpt from The Landscape of King Arthur by Geoffrey Ashe, first published 1987 [19] Celtic Selkies - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selkie [20] The Mabinogion translated by Lady Charlotte Guest, J M Dent [21] Water Deities https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_water_deities