Merlin's Oak
Encyclopedia
Merlin's Oak is a famous oak
tree
that once stood on the corner of Oak Lane and Priory Street in Carmarthen
, South Wales
.
name for Merlin. Merlin is said to have made a prophecy regarding the old oak tree:
When Merlin's Oak shall tumble down,
Then shall fall Carmarthen Town.
Other versions of the prophecy state that when the tree falls, the town will drown or flood.
of England
to the throne.
In the early 19th century, a local man appears to have poisoned the tree, with the intention to stop people from meeting under it, and the oak is believed to have died in the year 1856.
In 1951, a branch was broken off from the tree. This fragment can still be seen in Carmarthenshire County Museum
.
In 1978, the last fragment of the tree was removed from its original place, and is now in Saint Peter's Civic Hall in Nott Square, Carmarthen.
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
that once stood on the corner of Oak Lane and Priory Street in Carmarthen
Carmarthen
Carmarthen is a community in, and the county town of, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is sited on the River Towy north of its mouth at Carmarthen Bay. In 2001, the population was 14,648....
, South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
.
Merlin's prophecy
In local tradition, Carmarthen is said to be the birth place of the mythical magician Merlin, claiming that the origin of the name Carmarthen, or Caerfyrddin comes from Myrddin, the WelshWelsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
name for Merlin. Merlin is said to have made a prophecy regarding the old oak tree:
When Merlin's Oak shall tumble down,
Then shall fall Carmarthen Town.
Other versions of the prophecy state that when the tree falls, the town will drown or flood.
History
Merlin's Oak was probably planted by a schoolmaster in 1659 or 1660,to celebrate the return of King Charles IICharles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to the throne.
In the early 19th century, a local man appears to have poisoned the tree, with the intention to stop people from meeting under it, and the oak is believed to have died in the year 1856.
In 1951, a branch was broken off from the tree. This fragment can still be seen in Carmarthenshire County Museum
Carmarthenshire County Museum
Carmarthenshire County Museum is a museum in the old county town of Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire in Wales.- Location :Carmarthenshire County Museum is located at Abergwili, Carmarthen, SA31 2JG. It is managed by Carmarthenshire County Council.- History :...
.
In 1978, the last fragment of the tree was removed from its original place, and is now in Saint Peter's Civic Hall in Nott Square, Carmarthen.