Fascinating insight into Merlin by Thomas Sheridan. I have long been fascinated by Merlin and he is as needed and as relevant today as he ever was…the origins of Merlin– the man poised, due to his seerlike abilities, between the pagan and the Christian world. For this battle at Arfderydd symbolises the death and end of pagan Scotland and the bard Myrddin’s great grief is for the loss of that pre-Christian world. There in the forest he lamented alone all that he had lost. He had strewn dust on his hair, departed to the woods, lived on roots and grasses, hidden like a wild animal , forgot his kin. Historicial annals of the time do record that battle of Arfderydd, and one of the annals concludes that Gwendoly fell, and Merlin became mad.