The History of the Kings of Britain

Geoffrey explains that while he was working on the succession of kings prior to Merlin’s appearance, he received multiple requests to publish Merlin’s prophecies. Among those who made this request was Alexander, Bishop of Lincoln, “a man of the greatest religion and wisdom” (143). Geoffrey effusively praises him and shares the letter he wrote to Alexander, in which Geoffrey expresses his fear of inadequacy at undertaking the task and his gratitude for the faith in him Alexander has shown.

Geoffrey returns to where he left off in Part 4. Vortigern orders the pool drained, to discover two dragons—one red and one white—just as Merlin predicted. The dragons begin fighting, each taking the upper hand in turns. Vortigern asks Merlin what their fighting means, and he bursts into tears. He explains that the red dragon represents the Britons and the white the Saxons, who shall overrun the Britons and destroy their churches. However, the Britons “will resist the savagery of the invaders” and “prevail in the end” (144).

Merlin then expands on this prophecy, launching into a description of battles and power shifts, destruction and rebirth, famine, upheaval, and restoration of order. Merlin presents his prophecies as a chronological narrative. One set of prophecies refers to three generations, the rest to an unspecified length of time. He locates events in specific, previously referenced places (e.g. Gaul, Germany, Ireland, London, and Bath). Describing the powers that will vie for supremacy, Geoffrey also uses capitalized land, flight, and mythical animals (e.g. Boar, Ass, Worm, Lion, Owl, Heron, Raven, Fox, Dragon) who symbolize impending rulers. The prophecies end with a description of planets (e.g. Saturn, Jupiter, Venus) and astrological signs (e.g. Gemini, Aquarius, Libra, Scorpio, Cancer) unsettling the forces of nature. These powers of nature (e.g. wind, the seas, lightening) will battle, “making their din reverberate from one constellation to the other” (156).