Merlin's Castle Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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A short walk in Chatelherault Park, taking you over the Duke's
Bridge to the remains of Cadzow Castle where Merlin once
lived.
The ruins of Cadzow Castle are closed to the public for safety
reasons and are best viewed from the Duke's Bridge below. There is
no need to go anywhere near the steep drop to the Avon Water,
please keep an eye on children and animals.
In the 6th Century, the Welsh-speaking Kingdom of Strathclyde was
ruled from Dumbarton Rock by Rhydderch Hael (Roderick the
Generous). Rhydderch had a hunting lodge atop a sheer drop
overlooking the Avon Water, and that this was the site later chosen
by David I in the 12th Century to build his occasional residence in
the 'Wood of Cadzow'. The current ruins date from the first half of
the 16th century when a new Cadzow Castle was built by Sir James
Hamilton, who later received the title Duke of Chatelherault.
Rhydderch is mainly remembered for his dealings with St Kentigern,
patron saint of Glasgow. The king gave Kentigern the land to build
what later became Glasgow Cathedral. Rhydderch's wife was
Languoreth of Cadzow, born c.540. Languoreth had a twin brother,
Myrddin, leader of the pagan faction at Rhydderch's court and enemy
of Kentigern. Myrddin is more familiar to us now as 'Merlin', the
name used by mediaeval French romancers. Tradition holds that
Myrddin was later baptised by Kentigern at Stobo Kirk near
Broughton. Cadzow Castle occupies the site where Myrddin and
Languoreth lived as children and grew to adulthood in the days
before Strathclyde was torn apart by war between Christian and
Pagan factions.
The Kingdom of Strathclyde stretched a huge distance South into
what is now England, covering modern Cumbria as well as South West
Scotland. Welsh tradition regards Rhydderch as one of the northern
British kings who fought against the early Anglo-Saxon realm of
Bernicia. The Historia Brittonum depicts him as an enemy of several
Bernician kings of the late sixth century, but the theatre of the
wars between them is not identified. It is said he joined with
Urien of Rheged and Morcant Bulc in their ill-fated alliance:
Four kings fought against them, Urien and Riderch [Hael] and
Gwallawg and Morcant. Theodoric fought vigorously against Urien and
his sons. During that time, sometimes the enemy, sometimes the
Cymry were victorious, and Urien blockaded them for three days and
three nights in the island of Ynys Metcaut. But during this
campaign, Urien was assassinated on the instigation of Morcant,
from jealousy, because his military skill and generalship surpassed
that of all the other kings.
Historia Brittonum
'Ynys Metcaut' is now known as Lindisfarne - the story of treason
by Morcant at the Siege of Lindisfarne c.590 is remembered in the
Arthurian legend of Mordred's betrayal of King Arthur.
These northern wars between contending British kingdoms, each vying
to assume the mantle of Defender of Civilisation in the wake of
gradual collapse of Roman Britain, and their fractious and
ineffectual attempts to limit the spread of Anglian dominance are
the dim historical background that later produced the legends of
King Arthur and Merlin.
Mary, Queen of Scots, stayed at Cadzow Castle before the battle of
Langside in 1568. The Castle was severely damaged in the
post-Reformation political struggle and fell into disuse after
1579. An attempt was made to restore parts of the ruins as a folly
in the 18th century, and it was later made famous by Walter Scott
in his "Ballad of Cadyow Castle"
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Frpbaq ynfg va gur yvar, hc n ovg.
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