Merlin, Arthur and the last gateway to Annwn

– POEM –

It was Merlin who told Arthur about the physical portal to Annwn, the Otherworld of Celtic legend. Of six portals only two remained in Wales, but only one known to Merlin. Far from the Pembrokshire coast, high upon the sacred Bluestone Mountain lay the gateway to Annwn

As Arthur’s influence within Annwn grew, so too did Merlin’s cautionary tales of Gwyn Ap Nudd, the Faery King who ruled over that realm. When Arthur was lost, with his Earthly vessel emptied of spirit, his body was carried to the Isle of Avalon. Only Merlin and nine followers believed Arthur lived on, lost in Annwn, perhaps waging war against Gwyn Ap Nudd.

With his followers, Merlin journeyed to the Bluestone Mountain, prepared to parlay for Arthur’s return but he found no gateway. The portal was sealed. Merlin knew then, the King remained a prisoner of Gwyn Ap Nudd.

Every year until his death, Merlin and the Nine searched for the last remaining gateway, the lost entrance into Annwn. They searched the lands of Wales, where the magic was still strong but as the years advanced and Merlin’s power diminished, he knew he would die without completing the quest. With special stones, he marked the places where our world lies thin against Annwn, hoping others might complete his search for the last, lost portal.

This is a poem as told by one of Merlin’s nine followers as they search for the lost realm.

*Image of Arthur by Steve Roberts (https://steve-roberts.pixels.com/art/paintings)

**Poem by Martin Gregory