An intriguing sequel to the tale of Merlin has sat unseen within the bindings of an Elizabethan deeds register for nearly 400 years. Researchers have finally been able to reveal it with cutting-edge techniques.
It is the only surviving fragment of a lost medieval manuscript telling the tale of Merlin and the early heroic years of King Arthur's court.
In it, the magician becomes a blind harpist who later vanishes into thin air. He will then reappear as a balding child who issues edicts to King Arthur wearing no underwear.
The shape-shifting Merlin - whose powers apparently stem from being the son of a woman impregnated by the devil - asks to bear Arthur's standard (a flag bearing his coat of arms) on the battlefield. The king agrees - a good decision it turns out - for Merlin is destined to turn up with a handy secret weapon: a magic, fire-breathing dragon...<<<Read More>>>...