Myrddin’s Treasures – Merlin’s Treasures


The warrior hunts for power, and one of the finest ways of hunting power is dreaming.

Dreams are not just dreams; dreams are based upon reality – a reality that exists beyond your thoughts.

Toltec Dreaming Aphorisms – Théun Mares


Myrddin’s Treasures.—Local tradition is content with leaving the story of the interval between Vortigern’s departure, and that of Myrddin’s, to pass into oblivion, but describes the manner of his leaving his famous stronghold in the following interesting way.

Myrddin remained in Dinas Emrys for some time, until he was joined by Aurelius Ambrosius, who induced him to go away with him. When they were about to set out, Myrddin placed all his treasures in a large golden vessel, hid the vessel and his golden chair in a cave in the city, and then rolled on the mouth of the cave a huge stone. He then covered the whole over with earth and green turf, so that no one could possibly come across it. It was his intention that this wealth should become the possession of some one in particular, belonging to a future generation. Tradition adds that the heir will be a golden-haired and blue-eyed stripling, and that when he draws nigh to Dinas Emrys, a bell will ring to invite him into the cave, which will open out, of its own accord, as soon as his foot touches it.

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Young Hopeful and Dinas Bell.—The story of the strange dreams of the old bachelor had raised great hopes within the breasts of his relatives, that one of their kin would be the destined heir of the ” great treasures.” One of his sisters had a son, who was a tall, fine-looking young man, and the very image of his uncle. When a child he used to frequently hear of his uncle’s strange dreams, and his boyish breast swelled with pride at the thought of his being one of the family of the “great treasures.” When the child grew up to be a young man, and people continually told him that he was almost exactly like his uncle, he used to wish every night that he would get the same dream, and see the same vision, as his uncle. He was far from being timid ; indeed, he seemed as if he had inherited his uncle’s share of courage in addition to his own. But with all his wishing, the dream never came.

One night, however, when passing the Dinas about midnight— the hour appointed for the rightful heir to enter into his inheritance,—when right opposite the middle of the hill, he thought he heard a bell ringing. He stopped, and he heard the bell ringing again. He became all ears, and, as he listened, he thought he could hear a voice calling, “Come here.” Then the bell rang the third time, and, leaping over the wall, he went in the direction of the sound. Now the bell began to ring in real earnest, and to move on before him. He followed after the sound through the trees, in the dark, as far as Beudy Bedd Owen, then through the hazel copse to the top of the hill, and in a field called ” Y Rofft,” the ringing ceased. He then paused to listen for a few minutes, and the bell began to ring and move on again. Once more he followed after it, and at last he seemed to be drawing nearer and nearer to the sound—a fact which greatly strengthened his faith that he was at last being led to the treasures. The ringing ceased right under the ridge which is immediately behind Hafod y Forth, and he had no doubt but that the cave was quite near. He made straight for the ridge ; but when he came up to the dark object in front of him, a black hand-fed calf gave a leap and darted by him, furiously rattling an old bell which hung by the cord around its neck. As he had never seen a calf carrying a bell, he immediately concluded that he had seen a ghost and ran home as fast as his feet could carry him. He related his experience to his family, who, when they understood what the midnight bell-ringer was, made endless fun of his folly.

The treasures are still hidden in the secret cave, and a jealous spirit keeps a continual watch on behalf of the rightful heir. Knowing this, can any one wonder at people trembling in passing Dinas Emrys by night, or at their feeling a cold perspiration trickling down their foreheads as what in the daytime would be a wood-pigeon whirls by them, or an owl gives forth a mournful cry—each of which at night-time is a ghost, the guardian spirit of the treasures of Dinas Emrys ?


  • Gold is the dreaming symbol for spirit or nagal.

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