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''The Crystal Cave'' is a 1970
fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...
novel by Mary Stewart. The first in a quintet of novels covering the Arthurian legend, it is followed by ''
The Hollow Hills ''The Hollow Hills'' is a novel by Mary Stewart. It is the second in a trilogy of novels covering the Arthurian Legends. This book is preceded by ''The Crystal Cave'' and succeeded by ''The Last Enchantment''. ''The Hollow Hills'' was publ ...
''.


Plot introduction

The
protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...
of this story is a boy named Myrddin Emrys, also known as
Merlin Merlin ( cy, Myrddin, kw, Marzhin, br, Merzhin) is a mythical figure prominently featured in the legend of King Arthur and best known as a mage, with several other main roles. His usual depiction, based on an amalgamation of historic and le ...
, which is the
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
form of the word "
falcon Falcons () are birds of prey in the genus ''Falco'', which includes about 40 species. Falcons are widely distributed on all continents of the world except Antarctica, though closely related raptors did occur there in the Eocene. Adult falcons ...
". (Welsh ''dd'' is pronounced ''th'' as in ''thus'', so ''Myrddin'' is roughly pronounced ''Murthin''.) This story is told in first-person narrative and includes his journey to find a home as he travels through Wales,
Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...
, England and Ireland. Emrys is also known as Ambrosius, or Prince of Light.


Plot summary

This novel covers the time from Merlin's sixth year until he becomes a young man. The Romans have recently left Britain, which is now divided into a number of kingdoms loosely united under a High King. Merlin is the illegitimate son of a Welsh princess, who refuses to name his father. Small for his age and often abused or neglected, Merlin occasionally has clairvoyant visions. These visions and his unknown parentage cause him to be referred to as "the son of a devil" and "bastard child". Educated by a hermit, Galapas, who teaches him to use his psychic powers as well as his earthly gifts, Merlin eventually finds his way to the court of Ambrosius Aurelianus in Brittany. There, he assists in Ambrosius's preparations to invade and unify Britain, defeat
Vortigern Vortigern (; owl, Guorthigirn, ; cy, Gwrtheyrn; ang, Wyrtgeorn; Old Breton: ''Gurdiern'', ''Gurthiern''; gle, Foirtchern; la, Vortigernus, , , etc.), also spelled Vortiger, Vortigan, Voertigern and Vortigen, was a 5th-century warlord in ...
and his
Saxon The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...
allies, and become its High King. Also exiled in Brittany is Uther, Ambrosius's brother, heir and supporter. It is revealed that Merlin is Ambrosius's son, the result of a brief relationship between Ambrosius and Merlin's mother. Merlin returns to Britain but finds Galapas killed. He is captured by Vortigern who is attempting to build a fortress at Dinas Emrys – but each night the newly built walls collapse. The king's mystics say the fort will only be built when a child with no father is sacrificed and his blood spilt on the ground. Vortigern plans to use Merlin as the sacrifice. Merlin realises that the fort's foundation is unstable due to the caves below ground, but he plays to their superstition and pretends to attribute the problems to dragons beneath the ground. (The dragon is Ambrosius's emblem.) As a result of this, Merlin briefly becomes known as Vortigern's prophet. Days later, Ambrosius invades and defeats Vortigern. Merlin uses his engineering skills to rebuild
Stonehenge Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England, west of Amesbury. It consists of an outer ring of vertical sarsen standing stones, each around high, wide, and weighing around 25 tons, topped by connectin ...
, but has visions of Ambrosius's death, which are fulfilled when a comet appears in the sky and Ambrosius dies. Uther, Ambrosius's younger brother, becomes King Uther Pendragon. However, Britain is thrown into chaos when Uther, besotted with Duchess Ygraine, goes to war with her husband,
Gorlois In Arthurian legend, Gorlois ( cy, Gwrlais) of Tintagel, Duke of Cornwall, is the first husband of Igraine, whose second husband is Uther Pendragon. Gorlois's name first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's ''Historia Regum Britanniae'' (). A vas ...
, the
Duke of Cornwall Duke of Cornwall is a title in the Peerage of England, traditionally held by the eldest son of the reigning British monarch, previously the English monarch. The duchy of Cornwall was the first duchy created in England and was established by a ro ...
. Merlin helps Uther to enter
Tintagel Castle Tintagel Castle ( kw, Dintagel) is a medieval fortification located on the peninsula of Tintagel Island adjacent to the village of Tintagel (Trevena), North Cornwall in the United Kingdom. The site was possibly occupied in the Romano-British pe ...
by stealth, knowing the tryst will lead to the birth of
King Arthur King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as a ...
.


Characters

* Merlin, known also as Myrddin, with Emrys as a sort of
patronym A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor. Patronymics are still in use, including mandatory use, in many countries worldwide, alt ...
. The stories explore his learning to use magic and his centrality in the
Matter of Britain The Matter of Britain is the body of medieval literature and legendary material associated with Great Britain and Brittany and the list of legendary kings of Britain, legendary kings and heroes associated with it, particularly King Arthur. It ...
. * Niniane, his mother, a Christian who joins the local nunnery when he is 12. * King of Maridunum, an unnamed king of South Wales; grandfather of Merlin, father of Camlach and Niniane, married to Queen Olwen. * Camlach, uncle of Merlin, he is prepared to kill Merlin to remove him from the line of inheritance. * Galapas, a local mage who teaches Merlin much natural lore and some magic, and who bequeathes to him the crystal cave. * Cerdic, a Saxon slave, friend to Merlin; he accidentally causes the death of the king. *
Vortigern Vortigern (; owl, Guorthigirn, ; cy, Gwrtheyrn; ang, Wyrtgeorn; Old Breton: ''Gurdiern'', ''Gurthiern''; gle, Foirtchern; la, Vortigernus, , , etc.), also spelled Vortiger, Vortigan, Voertigern and Vortigen, was a 5th-century warlord in ...
, an ambitious warlord-king who battles Ambrosius for Britain. * Ambrosius Aurelianus, Merlin's father; a Romanized Celt, he invades England from Lesser Britain when Merlin is 18 and has joined him. *
Uther Pendragon Uther Pendragon (Brittonic) (; cy, Ythyr Ben Dragwn, Uthyr Pendragon, Uthyr Bendragon), also known as King Uther, was a legendary King of the Britons in sub-Roman Britain (c. 6th century). Uther was also the father of King Arthur. A few m ...
, Merlin's uncle, Ambrosius's younger brother, eventually High King of Britain and father of
King Arthur King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as a ...
. He and Merlin retain an alliance, if not friendship, throughout their lives. * Cadal, servant to Ambrosius and then to Merlin. *
Gorlois In Arthurian legend, Gorlois ( cy, Gwrlais) of Tintagel, Duke of Cornwall, is the first husband of Igraine, whose second husband is Uther Pendragon. Gorlois's name first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's ''Historia Regum Britanniae'' (). A vas ...
,
Duke of Cornwall Duke of Cornwall is a title in the Peerage of England, traditionally held by the eldest son of the reigning British monarch, previously the English monarch. The duchy of Cornwall was the first duchy created in England and was established by a ro ...
, is loyal to Ambrosius but later betrayed by Uther and Merlin, who conspire to get his young wife, Ygraine, together with Uther; Gorlois dies in battle that same night. * Ygraine, Duchess of Cornwall and mother of Arthur. * Ralf, loyal page to Ygraine; he later serves Merlin. * Ulfin, servant to Uther and, at times, Merlin.


The Cave

The crystal cave itself is a spherical mini-cave hidden in the back of a hillside cave six miles from the king's palace at Maridunum. It is described, in young Merlin's first discovery of it, as "a globe, a round chamber floored, roofed, lined with crystals. They were fine as glass, and smooth as glass, but clearer than any glass I had ever seen, brilliant as diamonds." The facets are possibly those of
geode A geode (; ) is a geological secondary formation within sedimentary and volcanic rocks. Geodes are hollow, vaguely spherical rocks, in which masses of mineral matter (which may include crystals) are secluded. The crystals are formed by the fill ...
s. The hill is considered by the locals to be a home or haunt of a deity named Myrddin, a god of air and heights, so its cave is imbued with magical properties. Merlin lives there whenever not called upon for political duties. The small crystal cave is where he frequently retreats to seek revelations or prophecies.


Reception

In Stewart's obituary, ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' described her as an "author of romantic thrillers who jumped genres in her 50s to create an internationally best-selling trilogy of Merlin books, reimagining the Arthurian legend from a sorcerer's point of view," and said, "Reading Geoffrey of Monmouth's ''History of the Kings of Britain'', she was inspired to retell the story of King Arthur as seen by Merlin, the king's adviser and house magician. The trilogy introduced her work to a new generation and, in many cases, to male readers for the first time. ... The books, set in the fifth century, were praised for their unusual blend of fantasy and historical detail." ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' spoke of Stewart's own considerations as well as that of her publishers: "''The Crystal Cave'' (1970), the first of a fictional trilogy about Merlin, arose from her fascination with Roman-British history. The unexpected switch at first alarmed her publishers – she was, unusually, published by the same firm, Hodder & Stoughton, for her entire career, never using an agent – but the book was a No 1 bestseller for weeks. Of all her books, ''The Crystal Cave'' is the most enduring, and has lost none of its freshness. It is a masterful imagining of Merlin's upbringing that vividly evokes fifth-century Britain. ''The Hollow Hills'' (1973) and ''The Last Enchantment'' (1979) completed the trilogy, earning Stewart favourable comparisons with another leading Arthurian, TH White. They were the books of which she was most proud." ''
Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...
'' said with a touch of disdain, "With its mythic mists and galloping legends, fifth century Britain is fair game and Miss Stewart takes to whole cloth with a couturier's skill. ... Period play, ripe and windy, for ladies easily lulled--and there are many of them."


Film, TV or theatrical adaptations

The novel was adapted into a television series by the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
in the 1990s, retitled '' Merlin of the Crystal Cave'', and starred Robert Powell as
Ambrosius Ambrosius or Ambrosios (a Latin adjective derived from the Ancient Greek word ἀμβρόσιος, ''ambrosios'' "divine, immortal") may refer to: Given name: *Ambrosius Alexandrinus, a Latinization of the name of Ambrose of Alexandria (before 212 ...
.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crystal Cave, The 1970 British novels Modern Arthurian fiction British fantasy novels Works based on Merlin Novels set in sub-Roman Britain Novels by Mary Stewart Hodder & Stoughton books