Merlin - The Wild Man of the Woods
Before Merlin became the wizard of Camelot, he was Lailoken - a wild prophet wandering the forests of Tweeddale...
An evening with historian and storyteller Mary Craig, exploring the oldest and strangest version of a figure everyone thinks they know.
Before Merlin became the wizard of Arthurian legend, he was Lailoken — a wild prophet wandering the forests of Tweeddale, driven mad by grief after battle. The Scottish Borders tradition holds that Merlin lived among the trees and animals of the upper Tweed valley, that he split the Whiteadder and Blackadder rivers with a strike of his staff, and that he met his prophesied threefold death at Drummelzier, where the Powsail Burn meets the Tweed.
This is not the Merlin of Camelot. This is something older and stranger — a figure of the threshold between civilisation and wildness, reason and prophecy. Mary Craig traces Merlin through the Borders’ landscape and legend.
Mary W. Craig is a writer and historian with a particular interest in the women and men accused as witches in 17th century Scotland. She co-hosts a podcast, Border Bletherings, which explores the curious, shadowy and magical history of the Scottish Borders.
This event is held in community owned Bedrule Church and is brought to you by Maiden Mother Crone CIC. Read more about Maiden Mother Crone.
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ReMembering the Borderlands: Merlin - The Wild Man of the Woods
Time: 7:00-8.30pm, Wednesday 27th May, 2026 [doors at 6.30]
Cost: Pay what you can [your generous donation helps MMC build a living archive as part of the MetaMapping the BorderLands project.]
Tickets: Get your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/remembering-the-borderlands-merlin-the-wild-man-of-the-woods-tickets-1986533610505
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Come to all four talks in this series:
ReMembering the Borderlands is a monthly series held by Maiden, Mother Crone CIC , at Bedrule Church between April and July 2026.
Four figures from the Scottish Borders will be explored: Philosopher, Prophet, Wizard, Saint.
29 April — Duns Scotus: The Subtle Doctor
27 May — Merlin: The Wild Man of the Woods
24 June — Michael Scott: The Wizard of the Eildons
29 July — St Cuthbert: From the Tweed to the Edge of the World
Each evening is a gathering — not a lecture. A talk by Mary W Craig, followed by community sharing and open conversation.
If you have stories, memories, local knowledge, or family connections to the figure being discussed, this is the space to share them.