November 2025
Merlin’s Oak
In British folklore the oak is a magical tree that symbolises strength and wisdom. In the Welsh collection of folk tales called the Mabinogi, Gwydion and Math create Blodeuwedd from broom and oak flowers, and Lleu Llaw Gyffes escapes death by transforming into an eagle and flying to a magic oak tree.
In British folklore the oak is a magical tree that symbolises strength and wisdom. In the Welsh collection of folk tales called the Mabinogi, Gwydion and Math create Blodeuwedd from broom and oak flowers, and Lleu Llaw Gyffes escapes death by transforming into an eagle and flying to a magic oak tree.
In legends of Merlin and King Arthur popularised in the 1100s, Carmarthen is Merlin's birthplace. It is often claimed that the name Carmarthen comes from Myrddin (the Welsh version of Merlin), but both names derive from Carmarthen’s Roman name Moridunum, meaning sea-fort. There are still stories of Merlin sleeping under Merlin’s Hill near the Museum.
A tree planted in Carmarthen in 1659 to mark King Charles II's accession became known as Merlin’s Oak. It stood at Oak Lane and Priory Street in Carmarthen and was popularised in the rhyme "When Merlin’s Tree shall tumble down, Then shall fall Carmarthen Town". It was poisoned in the early 1800s to stop people meeting under it. The Museum collected a piece of the tree in 1951 and the last fragments were removed in 1978. Perhaps preserving its memory keeps the town safe.
