Geoffreya z Monmouth Vita Merlini – brakujące ogniwo czy ślepy zaułek w rozwoju postaci Merlina?

Abstract

This article discusses briefly the character of Merlin created by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his early twelfth-century poem Vita Merlini and draws analogies between Merlin’s figure in the poem and earlier, mainly Welsh, sources, as well as the thirteenth-century French literature. Following Merlin’s character development and the major motifs connected with his figure across medieval texts the article tries to establish the place Vita Merlini occupies among other medieval texts dealing with Merlin’s character.