WAR and BATTLE.
From Ancient Greece - to modern day.
MerlinSomething new for all you military buffs. Military Audio Books! First. Welcome, to your ready-made, high quality, downloadable audio book store. Second. Would you like to LISTEN to books on war and battle and military history, with a free sample audio, of each and every one of them? Go to "Military Audio Books" in the left column. Please be patient, whilst the page loads, but there are just over 100 audio books there and it might take several seconds. Well worth the short wait, I promise you.
These stories are about how, many years ago, Arthur, the once and future King of England, set out to save his country from the troubles that plagued it, aided by the brave knights of his Round Table, and the most famous sword in the world, Excalibur. How Merlin the Wizard fought against the wicked Morgana le Fay's enchantments, and how Arthur loved and lost the beautiful Guinevere, his Queen. There are still some places in Britain, hidden away, that are beyond the reach of time. On certain days, at certain times of the year, they can be found. But you have to know where to look unless you come across them by chance, which can happen. At first there seems nothing remarkable about them; the entrance might be a hollow tree or a sea cave, perhaps a dark mountain lake. But if you climbed inside the hollow tree, or tried to find the end of the sea cave, or stared into the cold mountain water too long, you might find more than you expected to find. Because in one such place beyond the reach of time, deep in a hillside, sleeps Arthur, King of England. He sleeps in shining armour on a bed of stone, waiting for the call to save his country in its hour of greatest need. With him there sits an old man. Merlin the Wise, protecting Arthur with his enchantment, until that day comes. Merlin's magic is needed. There are those who would like to see Arthur never wake again. His arch-enemy, the wicked Morgana le Fey, for one, who plotted so deviously against Arthur, hoping to win his kingdom for herself. And Merlin's magic protects Arthur as he sleeps because there is no sword at his hand. His great shield leans against the cave wall, but Excalibur, the most beautiful and the most famous sword in the world, which no man could stand against, is not there with him. The Lady of the Lake has it safe in her keeping, until the day comes when Arthur is called on to wield it once again. Who knows, when Arthur wakes perhaps he will call the best knights in the country to sit at another Round Table with him as he did before. And they will set out once again, to rid the country of the troubles that plague it, and bring peace, making the hall of a new Round Table ring with the stories of the brave deeds they perform and their perilous adventures. Perhaps there will be a new Sir Lancelot, who the world knows was the greatest knight in the prowess of arms, except his son Sir Galahad, who sought and found the Holy Grail; or a knight as brave as Sir Gawain, whose courage was tested by the strange Green Knight - or as kind as Sir Ector who looked after Arthur as a boy. Maybe there will even be a woman as beautiful as Queen Guinevere to be a new queen for Arthur. But if you do discover a sleeping king dressed in shining armour, without a sword, and a withered man who looks like he might be a wizard, quietly go back the way you came, without disturbing their sleep. Now is not the time to wake them. But when the time comes, be ready: they may call on you. Merlin, an ancient British prophet and magician who lived in the 5th century. He was the son of a Welsh princess and is said to have had miraculous powers from his birth.
There are many allusions to him in early English poetry and history; in Spenser's Faerie Queen, and later in Tennyson's Idylls of the King. A collection of his prophecies was printed in the 16th century in French, English and Latin. MERLIN, His name means FALCON. When he was born to the beautiful Lady of the Lake, the great druid Hafgan, from whom Merlin was to learn all his magic, announced the birth of "The Great Lord of Light". His grandfather taught him to be a great warrior and tireless defender of the Empire. He became Merlin the warrior-druid, loyal counselor to Uther, supreme ruler of Britain.On the death of Uther, without any legitimate heir, Merlin drove his sword Excalibur into a solid rock and gave his people a message: "You look for a sign. Who pulls this sword from the rock will be the true King of all England". Merlin then became tutor to Uther's bastard son Arthur, teaching him all the wiles of a good sovereign and keeping him hidden until the time came to unsheath Excalibur from its rock and claim his title as King of England. Once peace and harmony ruled in Britain, Merlin withdrew to his own abode. "Now you can continue to rule without my advice. Go on ruling fairly and the future will speak of you".Arthur, a prince of the Britons, who is supposed to have lived about the sixth century. He is pictured in legend as the champion of the British tribes against the Saxon invaders, and as the ideal of a knightly hero. The son of King Arthur, he became leader of the Britons after his father's death. He married Guenevere, the fairest princess in the land, and with her lived in splendid state at Caerleon, in Wales, surrounded by hundreds of knights and beautiful ladies, patterns of valor, breeding and grace to all the world.Twelve knights, the bravest of the throng, formed the center of the retinue, and sat with the king at a round table, known as the famous Knights of the Round Table. From Arthur's court knights went forth to all countries in search of adventure, to protect women, chastise oppressors, liberate the enchanted, enchain giants and malicious dwarfs. Among the most renowned of these heroes of legend were Percival, Tristram, Gallahad, Lancelot and the enchanter, Merlin. Arthur was killed in battle by his nephew, Modred, who had revolted against him. His body was carried by fairies to the Isle of Avalon to be cured, whence he is expected to return some day to lead the Britains again against the Saxons. Many critics doubt the existence of Arthur, and, of course, the stories that have gathered about his name are many of them only beautiful legends. His fancied adventures have been sung in many languages, but for English readers they are told most beautifully in Tennyson's Idylls of the King. At Innsbruck, in the Franciscan church, is a magnificent ideal, life-sized, bronze figure of Arthur. Merlin |
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