Wales: Merlin andthe Dragons

BackgroundThe Welsh flag is called Y Ddraig Goch, or the Red Dragon. It prominentlyfeatures a red dragon, standing on three feet, with a green and white back-ground. While this flag was only given official status in Wales in 1959, the reddragon it displays has been a symbol long associated with this country.Legends, rumors and myths surround the origin of the red dragon. The tale ofMerlin and the battle between the red and white dragons is among thosemost often told. Merlin has long been a popular figure of Wales’ Arthurianlegends. Folk literature terms relevant to this tale are provided below:

folk literature/folklore — Traditional tales, knowledge and beliefshanded down from generation to generation by word of mouth.folktale — A type of folk literature that has grown from the lives andimaginations of people. Folktales often tell of the adventures of human oranimal characters and sometimes attempt to explain the physical or spiri-tual world. Folktales can be organized into several different categories.magic and wonder tale — A type of folktale. Magic and wonder talescontain some element of magic. This magic can be used for good or bad.Transformations from human to animal or animal to human are commonin this type of folktale.

Program SummaryYoung Merlin is constantly bullied and lives the life of an outcast. He doesnot know who his father is and his mother will not speak. After his birth, shetook refuge in a convent and took a vow of silence. His life changes the dayhe is captured for sacrifice to what is believed to be a restless mountain. Aking is trying to build a fortress atop the mountain but its construction isconstantly halted by the earth’s trembling. It is then that Merlin learns of histies to the spirit world and is infused with magical powers. Merlin discoversthat the mountain shakes not because it is restless, but because two dragonsinside the mountain are fighting. He uses his newfound powers to create afault in the ground, thereby freeing the two dragons. Merlin rides on the backof the red dragon and helps it to defeat the white dragon. The king is gratefulto Merlin for his wisdom and heroism and assigns Merlin the task of oversee-ing the fortress’ completion. Merlin accepts this position and lives on happilywith his mother.

Pre-viewing Discussion• Review some of the different types of folktales so that students can classify

this tale after viewing.(Continued)

• Wales has a long been known for its tradition of telling stories about super-natural beings and mythic heroes. Lead a discussion about legends and folk-lore and their importance to culture. What is the purpose of myths andlegends? How do they reflect the culture of the people who producedthem? What are examples of myths and legends in the United States?

• Find the location of the story’s origin on a map. Wales is a constituentcountry of the United Kingdom. Use the map and other geographical infor-mation to make inferences about the landscape and people of that place.How might this information be relevant to a story set in this location?

Follow-Up Discussion• At the end of this tale, Merlin is given the honorable task of overseeing the

construction of the fortress. What types of responsibilities might comewith having this role? What would you do if you were given this leadershiprole?

• Motifs are recurring elements found in many folktales. They include every-thing from stock characters, such as tricksters, to magical objects, such asflying carpets. Recall the events, characters and details of the tale. Whatmotifs can be found in this classic Welsh tale?

• Recall the events and characters of the tale. Which parts of this story wererealistic? Which parts were magical?

• Discuss the cultural elements of the characters, setting and plot by askingstudents which aspects of the tale appear to be unique to Wales and whichare more universal in nature.

Follow-up Activities• Wales has a rich diversity of folktales and folklore. Magic and wonder tales

like this one make up a large part of Welsh folk literature. Here, weencounter a boy with magical powers as well as two fighting dragons. Havestudents compare this tale to other magic and wonder tales from Wales.Refer to the list of print resources below and consider watching Wales:King March. Discuss why storytellers might choose to feature these fantasyelements in their tales. Encourage students to get creative and come upwith their own magic and wonder tales. Students can write and illustratetheir stories or prepare for a dramatic storytelling.

• According to this tale, before Merlin discovers his heritage and his powers,he lives a quiet and solitary life, surrounding himself with the many itemshe collected from the natural world. Like Merlin, many people have ahobby that involves collecting items that interest them. This includestrading cards, seashells, model cars, coins and many other things!Encourage students to bring samplings of items from their own personalcollections and share what their hobbies have taught them.

• Dragons play a prominent role in folktales around the world. Examine therole of the dragon in different tales. David Passes’ Dragons: Truth, Mythand Legend (Anova Books, 2007) is an excellent resource. Consider watch-ing Ireland: Fionn. Discuss how the dragon is portrayed in each story. Also,investigate and discuss the symbolism of dragons across different cultures.

• Merlin is a well-known character in Arthurian legends and tales about himcontinue to be told today. Students can investigate other versions ofMerlin’s youth by reading Jane Yolen’s Merlin and the Dragons (Puffin,1998) and Robert S. San Souci’s Young Merlin (Yearling, 1996). Use a Venndiagram to compare and contrast these tales. To read some of the tales sur-rounding Merlin’s later life, read a story from Margaret Hodges’ Merlin andthe Making of the King (Holiday House, 2004). After looking at all of thesetales, students can express Merlin’s character traits in the form of a pictureand word collage.

• Act it out! Recreate this tale in your classroom. This can be done as apuppet show, a mime skit, a student play, etc. In preparation for the produc-tion, examine and critically think about the story’s elements of characters,setting and plot. Consider how the story might change if the setting was adifferent time and place.

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Page 1 of 2 Teacher’s Guide © 2007 by Schlessinger Media, a division of Library Video CompanyP.O. Box 580, Wynnewood, PA 19096 • 800-843-3620

• Before folktales were written or turned into films, they were passed downorally, from one generation to the next. Introduce students to the art of sto-rytelling. Discuss different ways in which the storyteller can engage listen-ers (e.g., using sound and gestures, giving vivid sensory details). Practicestorytelling techniques by having each student retell a portion of this tale.

• Wales is often referred to as the “Land of Castles” because of the manyMedieval castles that dot its landscape. Visit www.castlewales.com/home.html for colorful pictures and detailed information about some ofWales’ celebrated castles. David Macaulay’s Castle (Houghton MifflinCompany, 1982) is an award-winning book that follows the planning andconstruction of a “typical” castle in 13th-century Wales. Engage students inan exploration of some of these castles and compare them to the fortressbeing constructed in this tale.

• In this tale, the trembling of the mountain is at first attributed to the Earth’sanger and then it is blamed on the movement of dragons beneath theground. This is an opportunity to make some connections to science.Students can investigate what earthquakes are and what causes them tohappen. Introduce students to the Richter scale and determine how strongan earthquake would have to be to destroy a structure, such as a partially-constructed fortress. As an extension, students can study a tectonic platemap to determine if Wales’ location makes it susceptible to earthquakes.

• Compare modern-day Wales with the setting and people portrayed in thefolktale. Organize these similarities and differences using a Venn diagram.

Suggested Internet Resources• www.bbc.co.uk/wales/culture/

Discover Wales and what it is like to live there! This web site by the BBCprovides information about the history, geography, people and politics ofWales.

• www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/folklore/welshfolktales.htmlThis site features a collection of folktales and fairy tales from Wales as wellas England and Scotland.

• www.darsie.net/talesofwonder/This archive of folk and fairy tales from around the world presents a sampling of the many stories that make up our world’s oral tradition.

Suggested Print ResourcesTo learn more about the land and people of Wales:• Heinrichs, Ann. Wales. Children’s Press, Danbury, CT; 2003. • Hestler, Anna. Wales. Marshall Cavendish, Tarrytown, NY; 2001.If you are interested in tales from the United Kingdom, you might alsoenjoy:• Jones, Gwyn. Tales from Wales. Oxford University Press, New York, NY;

2001. • San Souci, Robert. The Well at the End of the World. Chronicle Books, San

Francisco, CA; 2004. Loosely based on the British tale, “The King ofColchester’s Daughters.”

• Thomas, W. Jenkyn. The Welsh Fairy Book. University of Wales Press,Cardiff, UK; 2001.

Teacher’s Guides for titles in this series are available at www.LibraryVideo.com

Teacher’s Guide Copyright 2007 by Schlessinger Media, a division of Library Video CompanyP.O. Box 580,Wynnewood, PA 19096 • 800-843-3620

Program © 2005 S4C International All Rights Reserved

Teacher’s Guide written by Megan Carnate, M.Ed., Curriculum Specialist, Schlessinger Media

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