286:– but each night the newly built walls collapse. The king's mystics say the fort will only be built when a child with no father is sacrificed and his blood spilt on the ground. Vortigern plans to use Merlin as the sacrifice. Merlin realises that the fort's foundation is unstable due to the caves below ground, but he plays to their superstition and pretends to attribute the problems to dragons beneath the ground. (The dragon is Ambrosius's emblem.) As a result of this, Merlin briefly becomes known as Vortigern's prophet. Days later, Ambrosius invades and defeats Vortigern.
502:(1970), the first of a fictional trilogy about Merlin, arose from her fascination with Roman-British history. The unexpected switch at first alarmed her publishers – she was, unusually, published by the same firm, Hodder & Stoughton, for her entire career, never using an agent – but the book was a No 1 bestseller for weeks. Of all her books,
490:, she was inspired to retell the story of King Arthur as seen by Merlin, the king's adviser and house magician. The trilogy introduced her work to a new generation and, in many cases, to male readers for the first time. ... The books, set in the fifth century, were praised for their unusual blend of fantasy and historical detail."
454:
The crystal cave itself is a spherical mini-cave hidden in the back of a hillside cave six miles from the king's palace at
Maridunum. It is described, in young Merlin's first discovery of it, as "a globe, a round chamber floored, roofed, lined with crystals. They were fine as glass, and smooth as
462:
The hill is considered by the locals to be a home or haunt of a deity named
Myrddin, a god of air and heights, so its cave is imbued with magical properties. Merlin lives there whenever not called upon for political duties. The small crystal cave is where he frequently retreats to seek
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visions. These visions and his unknown parentage cause him to be referred to as "the son of a devil" and "bastard child". Educated by a hermit, Galapas, who teaches him to use his psychic powers as well as his earthly gifts, Merlin eventually finds his way to the court of
522:
said with a touch of disdain, "With its mythic mists and galloping legends, fifth century
Britain is fair game and Miss Stewart takes to whole cloth with a couturier's skill. ... Period play, ripe and windy, for ladies easily lulled--and there are many of them."
485:
described her as an "author of romantic thrillers who jumped genres in her 50s to create an internationally best-selling trilogy of Merlin books, reimagining the
Arthurian legend from a sorcerer's point of view," and said, "Reading Geoffrey of Monmouth's
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It is revealed that Merlin is
Ambrosius's son, the result of a brief relationship between Ambrosius and Merlin's mother. Merlin returns to Britain but finds Galapas killed. He is captured by Vortigern who is attempting to build a fortress at
919:
537:
421:, is loyal to Ambrosius but later betrayed by Uther and Merlin, who conspire to get his young wife, Ygraine, together with Uther; Gorlois dies in battle that same night.
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514:(1979) completed the trilogy, earning Stewart favourable comparisons with another leading Arthurian, TH White. They were the books of which she was most proud."
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261:. Merlin is the illegitimate son of a Welsh princess, who refuses to name his father. Small for his age and often abused or neglected, Merlin occasionally has
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is the most enduring, and has lost none of its freshness. It is a masterful imagining of Merlin's upbringing that vividly evokes fifth-century
Britain.
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297:, Ambrosius's younger brother, becomes King Uther Pendragon. However, Britain is thrown into chaos when Uther, besotted with Duchess
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349:, an unnamed king of South Wales; grandfather of Merlin, father of Camlach and Niniane, married to Queen Olwen.
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allies, and become its High King. Also exiled in
Brittany is Uther, Ambrosius's brother, heir and supporter.
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glass, but clearer than any glass I had ever seen, brilliant as diamonds." The facets are possibly those of
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in
Brittany. There, he assists in Ambrosius's preparations to invade and unify Britain, defeat
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This novel covers the time from Merlin's sixth year until he becomes a young man. The
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403:. He and Merlin retain an alliance, if not friendship, throughout their lives.
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spoke of
Stewart's own considerations as well as that of her publishers: "
333:. The stories explore his learning to use magic and his centrality in the
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and includes his journey to find a home as he travels through Wales,
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621:"Mary Stewart, British Writer Who Spanned Genres, Dies at 97"
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383:, Merlin's father; a Romanized Celt, he invades England from
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395:, Merlin's uncle, Ambrosius's younger brother, eventually
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of this story is a boy named
Myrddin Emrys, also known as
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This article is about the 1970 novel. For other uses, see
606:
Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem and Metal Magic
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by stealth, knowing the tryst will lead to the birth of
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The novel was adapted into a television series by the
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329:, known also as Myrddin, with Emrys as a sort of
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179:. The first in a quintet of novels covering the
289:Merlin uses his engineering skills to rebuild
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429:, Duchess of Cornwall and mother of Arthur.
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409:, servant to Ambrosius and then to Merlin.
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445:, servant to Uther and, at times, Merlin.
608:. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Publications.
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951:
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387:when Merlin is 18 and has joined him.
920:Frost on the Window: And other Poems
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574:. New York: William Morrow. p.
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439:to Ygraine; he later serves Merlin.
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527:Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
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657:. London: Guardian News and Media
593:. Bath: Bladud Books. p. 10.
301:, goes to war with her husband,
979:Novels set in sub-Roman Britain
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647:Hore, Rachel (15 May 2014).
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773:The Prince and the Pilgrim
604:Cunningham, Scott (1988).
538:Merlin of the Crystal Cave
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233:.) This story is told in
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964:Modern Arthurian fiction
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649:"Mary Stewart obituary"
535:in the 1990s, retitled
479:In Stewart's obituary,
984:Novels by Mary Stewart
969:British fantasy novels
566:Stewart, Mary (1970).
235:first-person narrative
229:is roughly pronounced
86:Hodder & Stoughton
974:Works based on Merlin
880:The Little Broomstick
856:Airs Above the Ground
792:Madam, Will You Talk?
816:Nine Coaches Waiting
808:Thunder on the Right
800:Wildfire at Midnight
757:The Last Enchantment
676:"The Crystal Cave".
512:The Last Enchantment
380:Ambrosius Aurelianus
268:Ambrosius Aurelianus
183:, it is followed by
959:1970 British novels
904:A Walk in Wolf Wood
253:have recently left
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864:The Gabriel Hounds
824:My Brother Michael
731:The Merlin Trilogy
626:The New York Times
482:The New York Times
209:form of the word "
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896:Touch Not the Cat
840:The Moon-Spinners
347:King of Maridunum
335:Matter of Britain
193:Plot introduction
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108:Publication place
29:The Crystal Cave
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848:This Rough Magic
749:The Hollow Hills
741:The Crystal Cave
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500:The Crystal Cave
419:Duke of Cornwall
307:Duke of Cornwall
186:The Hollow Hills
181:Arthurian legend
168:The Crystal Cave
157:The Hollow Hills
152:Followed by
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40:First UK edition
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659:. Retrieved
654:The Guardian
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630:. Retrieved
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177:Mary Stewart
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50:Mary Stewart
25:
21:Crystal Cave
510:(1973) and
465:revelations
401:King Arthur
315:King Arthur
284:Dinas Emrys
263:clairvoyant
199:protagonist
953:Categories
912:Thornyhold
720:Novels by
661:25 January
632:25 January
553:References
469:prophecies
321:Characters
291:Stonehenge
213:". (Welsh
171:is a 1970
547:Ambrosius
475:Reception
397:High King
372:Vortigern
272:Vortigern
259:High King
175:novel by
125:Paperback
82:Publisher
450:The Cave
435:, loyal
331:patronym
274:and his
239:Brittany
121:Hardback
56:Language
426:Ygraine
414:Gorlois
359:Galapas
353:Camlach
341:Niniane
303:Gorlois
299:Ygraine
255:Britain
231:Murthin
227:Myrddin
173:fantasy
119:Print (
59:English
939:(1997)
931:(1991)
923:(1990)
915:(1988)
907:(1980)
899:(1976)
891:(1974)
883:(1971)
875:(1968)
867:(1967)
859:(1965)
851:(1964)
843:(1962)
835:(1961)
827:(1959)
819:(1958)
811:(1957)
803:(1956)
795:(1954)
776:(1995)
768:(1983)
760:(1979)
752:(1973)
744:(1970)
457:geodes
365:Cerdic
327:Merlin
305:, the
251:Romans
221:as in
211:falcon
203:Merlin
159:
135:464 pp
123:&
64:Series
46:Author
443:Ulfin
407:Cadal
295:Uther
276:Saxon
225:, so
207:Welsh
132:Pages
72:Genre
663:2016
634:2016
437:page
433:Ralf
223:thus
197:The
141:ISBN
103:1970
93:(US)
88:(UK)
545:as
533:BBC
467:or
955::
651:.
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576:50
549:.
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459:.
417:,
317:.
219:th
215:dd
189:.
713:e
706:t
699:v
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578:.
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127:)
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
