{"product_id":"the-true-history-of-merlin-the-magician-by-anne-lawrence-mathers-9780300253085","title":"The True History of Merlin the Magician","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWho was the historical Merlin?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMerlin the Magician\u003c\/em\u003e has remained an enthralling and curious individual since he was first introduced in the twelfth century through the pages of Geoffrey of Monmouth’s \u003cem\u003eHistoria Regum Britanniae\u003c\/em\u003e. Although the Merlin of literature and Arthurian myth is well known, Merlin the \"historical\" figure and his relation to medieval magic are less familiar. In this book, Anne Lawrence-Mathers explores just who he was and what he has meant to Britain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe historical Merlin was no rough magician: he was a learned figure from the cutting edge of medieval science and adept in astrology, cosmology, prophecy, and natural magic, as well as being a seer and a proto-alchemist. His powers were convincingly real—and useful, for they helped to add credibility to the \"long-lost\" history of Britain which first revealed them to a European public. Merlin’s prophecies reassuringly foretold Britain’s path, establishing an ancient ancestral line and linking biblical prophecy with more recent times. Merlin helped to put British history into world history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLawrence-Mathers also explores the meaning of Merlin’s magic across the centuries, arguing that he embodied ancient Christian and pagan magical traditions, recreated for a medieval court and shaped to fit a new moral framework. Linking Merlin’s reality and power with the culture of the Middle Ages, this remarkable book reveals the true impact of the most famous magician of all time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47000821694700,"sku":"9780300253085","price":30.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/24528593482294.jpg?v=1763307406","url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/products\/the-true-history-of-merlin-the-magician-by-anne-lawrence-mathers-9780300253085","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}