Dinas Emrys

Fri, 05/08/2009 - 21:43 — Oak King
Hill of Dinas Emrys.JPG


What This Image Means To Me...: ...words cannot describe! On the plateau of this pudding shaped hill only a mile south of Beddgelert/North Wales one can still feel Merlin's spirit wandering about. For it was here were the dragons slept and Emrys/Merlin made his first prophesy of the victory of the red dragon of the Britons (Welsh) over the white dragon of the Saxon invaders. The most magical place I know and I will never know why on Earth I have ignored it for so long!

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Merlin, Fight of the dragons, Welsh Mythology, Vortigern
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Dinas Emrys

Submitted by Astrocelt on Mon, 05/11/2009 - 10:57.

Nice image Oak King, well worth a visit. Did you locate the natural pool on the top as well as the remains of the tower?

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Dinas Emrys

Submitted by Oak King on Mon, 05/11/2009 - 16:53.

Oh yes, I most certainly did! After introducing our Grove Mother to the place she now plans a night vigil up there, either in the remains of the tower or by the pool. Coincidentally (?) Jenn quite recently gave me a book by Michael Dames called 'Merlin & Wales, A Magician's Landscape' (ISBN 0-500-28496-2) which casts a light on ancient places associated with Merlin. In regard to Dinas Emrys there are some stunning details of the excavations in 1954-56 by Savory which prove just how closely the landscape of Wales is intertwined with her mythology.  

 

Dinas

Submitted by Astrocelt on Mon, 05/11/2009 - 22:12.

Yes thats an interesting book you mentioned and the Savory excavations make interesting reading.

The date of the tower foundations are a little problematic though in relation to the story.

 

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Dinas Emrys

Submitted by Oak King on Tue, 05/12/2009 - 23:00.

Not necessarily, Astrocelt! There's no saying that there wasn't a tower there before the currently visible one, and even if it was the only one ever built in that spot at the highest point it is not hard to conclude that in the story at least it might have been built directly over the pond which then caused it to collapse.

Tower

Submitted by Astrocelt on Thu, 05/14/2009 - 10:37.

Hi Oak King,

Quite so; the problem I have is basically related to the dating of the tower foundations which are visible today, but that is all. There is evidence relating to the site being occupied during the time period to the legend or story, even amphorae has been recovered from the earlier Roman period, inclusive of some structures towards the west inside the ramparts. As for the pool, evidence of structures has been uncovered around this, yet archaeologist has difficulty interpreting these and coming to an agreed conclusion. Overall the Legend/Story fits well with the location apart from that one little hiccup which I have about it.

 

Tower

Submitted by Hagred on Sat, 07/18/2009 - 16:37.

It's amazing how facts often mirror legend. 

Bright blessings,

Hagred 

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