Merlin as Historian in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britannie Kimberly Bell Geoffrey of Monmouth uses the figure of Merlin to reveal metafictional levels of meaning in the HRB in order to foreground the historian s role in shaping perceptions of history. The Merlin material in the Vita Merlini, seen in the tradition of the Celtic saints lives, shows how the image of Merlin, originally that of a psychological casualty of the Battle of Arfderyddd, is modified to take on the more positive profile of a Celtic holy man. The Breton Merlin cycle maps out the social and psychological causes of the prophet s marginal status, which leads to his being dehumanized.
Resolution depends on Merlin s explicit recognition of vulnerability.
The figure of Merlin has in most texts a close relationship with a feminine character, either Morgue or the Lady of the Lake. While Morgue is often depicted as a negative figure, the Lady of the Lake is described as a positive force in the Arthurian world. Technically, however, both characters tend to replace Merlin as the embodiment of magic and wisdom in the 13th century romances. The figure of Merlin manifests exotic characteristics in the conventions of his madness, conception and birth, and his actions as seer, tryst-maker, and lover. He is both a catalyst and victim of eros.