The Black Book of Carmarthen: Merlin's Cursed Grimoire

Ancient pages of the Black Book with ghostly faces emerging
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Ink of the Insane: The Manuscript Awakens


In the shadowed cloisters of Carmarthen Priory, Wales (51.8568°N, 4.2604°W), a velvet-bound volume slumbers, its pages etched with the ravings of mad Myrddin—Merlin unbound—whispering curses that curdle blood and summon shades from ancient oaks. The Black Book of Carmarthen, mid-13th-century grimoire of Welsh occult lore, harbors prophecies penned by a lone scribe's trembling hand, blending druidic incantations and Arthurian enigmas that drove monks to madness and forests to fury.

From bleeding inks that reform into spectral faces to forbidden spells invoking Norman doom, this tome's grudge lingers, with 2025 digitization glitches revealing "ghost text" unseen for centuries, fueling demands for exorcism in the priory's ruins.

The 1250 Atrocity: Scribe's Shadowed Scribbles


Mid-13th-century mists cloaked Carmarthen's Priory of St. John as a solitary monk—believed Elias of Glamorgan—labored by candleflame, transcribing 9th-12th century verses onto vellum stained with oak-gall ink. The Black Book, so named for its ebony binding and infernal repute, opened with "Ymddiddan Myrddin a Thaliesin"—Merlin's dialogue with Taliesin—where the wild prophet, shattered by battle's thunder, unleashes verses that warp reality: winds howling prophecies, trees uprooting in rage.

As the scribe copied "Yr Afallennau," Merlin's apple-tree soliloquy cursing Welsh foes, his quill faltered, ink pooling into accusatory eyes—first omens of the book's curse, birthing a grudge from the grave.

The Grimoire: A Tome of Twisted Tomes


The Black Book manifests as a 160-folio relic: 12x8 inches, bound in black-dyed calfskin etched with druidic knots, its pages a palimpsest of faded cywydd—elegies bleeding into incantations. Merlin's hand dominates: "Yr Oianau" sees him converse with swine, foretelling Norman sieges with guttural grunts; "Englynion y Beddau" maps Arthur's undiscoverable grave, lines twisting like barrow-wraiths. Religious odes warp under occult pressure—psalms summoning sylphs, litanies laced with liminal hexes.

Cold grips precede readings, parchments crinkling with unseen fingers, whispers in Old Welsh curdling milk. This is no mere codex; it is Myrddin's malediction, a grimoire weaving prophecies to claim betrayers.

A Legacy of Lunacy: From Priory to Purgatory


The curse rippled from 1250, when the scribe's final entry—a fragmented Merlin elegy—coincided with priory plagues: monks clawing eyes, chanting lost verses till tongues swelled. By 1538, Henry VIII's dissolution scattered the tome to St. David's Cathedral, where treasurer John Price rescued it amid flames, its pages singed yet unyielding. Sir John Prise's 1555 acquisition birthed scholarly shudders: readers gripped by visions of wild woods, prophecies fulfilling in Tudor tumults.

In 1899, J. Gwenogvryn Evans's facsimile sparked "scribe's madness" epidemics among transcribers, while 2002 digitization halted by "corrupting code," tying to Merlin's flux amid Welsh revivals.

Modern Manifestations: Pixels in Peril


The grimoire stalks still. In 2015, multispectral scans unveiled "ghost faces"—erased illuminations of Myrddin raving, eyes weeping ink—shared in Cambridge archives. A 2023 Carmarthen exhibit drew exorcists after visitors reported oak-branch scratches and piggish grunts. In September 2025, National Library digitization glitches reformed text into curses, halting uploads amid EMF surges, while a Welsh bard's recitation echoed Norman defeats verbatim.

As Arthurian tours swell (2k annual seekers), the book's unrest lengthens, demanding velvet vaults.

Notable Incidents: Beyond the Binding


The tome wanders Wales' underbelly. In 1538, post-dissolution, it allegedly toppled Price's altar, pages fluttering like ravens. A 1899 Evans transcriber near Brecon saw Myrddin rise from mists, fingers pointing graves. In 2020, a drone over Priory ruins caught shambling forms reciting "Beddau," YouTube (8k views). From Taliesin's triads to Colosseum shadows, its grudge spans the isle, inks brushing the faithless.

Investigations: Veiled Verses


Scholars like Daniel Huws pored over palimpsests, noting 13th-century inks with "anomalous pigments" defying medieval dyes. A 1250 vellum fragment tested as "accelerated decay," defying norms. 2025 scans (@WelshWraiths, whispers) leak erased hexes, while r/HighStrangeness ties it to druidic politics. No dispersal, but the folios ache with unrest.

Theories: A Bard's Boundless Blight


Believers view the Black Book as Myrddin's unbound soul, a cursed clairvoyant raging against Norman betrayal, rooted in 12th-century "wild man" rites. Its tree-talk a divine rebuke, haunting to enforce sanctity. Skeptics blame ergot leaks or grief visions, but no fungus bleeds ink or topples altars. Its 1250 birth amid conquest flux heralds a wraith's war on silence, verses defying the grave.

Cultural Impact: From Codex to Cauldron


The grimoire inspires Dante nods and 2025 film "Myrddin's Murmur." Welsh tours whisper its name (2k seekers). r/Paranormal dubs it "Oak's Oracle." Campaigns fuel ghost walks, with page facsimiles on relic coins and crypt art, its whisper the Celts' shadowed scar.

Facts and Context


Black Book of Carmarthen: Velvet grimoire, mad Merlin poems, prophetic curses. Carmarthen Priory (51.8568°N, 4.2604°W). Mid-13th century manuscript, ongoing hauntings. Evidence: ghost faces, anomalous inks, digitization glitches. No rest, curse endures.

A Timeline of the Mystery


The grimoire's curse unfolds:

  • 9th-12th C.: Source poems composed, Merlin's wild prophecies penned.
  • c. 1250: Scribe compiles at Carmarthen Priory; ink anomalies begin.
  • 1538: Dissolution scatters book; Price rescues amid flames.
  • 1555: Sir John Prise acquires; visions plague handlers.
  • 1667: Robert Vaughan catalogs at Hengwrt.
  • 1899: Evans facsimile; transcriber madness epidemics.
  • 1904: National Library acquires Peniarth MS 1.
  • 2002: Digitization announced; corrupting code halts.
  • 2014: Interactive display proposed for St. Peter's Church.
  • 2015: Multispectral scans reveal ghost faces.
  • 2023: Exhibit draws exorcists; scratches reported.

Theories of the Unseen


The Black Book of Carmarthen is no faded folio, its mad verses and bleeding inks too visceral, too vengeful. From 1250's priory pall to 2025's pixel perils, this cursed codex shambles Welsh nights, Myrddin's malediction demanding druidic justice. Its pages turn, whose madness next?

What Do You Think?


From 1250's scribal shudders to 2025's glitch ghosts, the Black Book haunts Carmarthen crypts. Is it Merlin's soul scrawled in spite? If its whispering verse brushed your quill in the cloister gloom, would you copy or consign to the curse? Share your thoughts with the OddWoo community.

Sources


  1. Wikipedia, "Black Book of Carmarthen" (2025), manuscript details.
  2. National Library of Wales, "The Black Book of Carmarthen" (2025), historical context.
  3. Wikipedia, "Merlin" (2025), Myrddin legends.
  4. Land of Legends, "Carmarthenshire County Museum" (2025), Merlin associations.
  5. Bangor University, "The Black Book of Carmarthen" (2025), Arthurian references.
  6. History of Information, "Black Book of Carmarthen" (2025), acquisition history.
  7. Mary Jones, "The Black Book of Carmarthen" (2025), poem index.
  8. Nation Cymru, "Yr Hen Iaith: The Black Book" (2023), scribe theories.
  9. National Library of Wales, "THE BLACK BOOK OF CARMARTHEN: MINDING THE GAPS" (2017), scholarly analysis.
  10. Vocal Media, "Unveiling the Black Book" (2025), cultural heritage.
  11. Daily Mail, "The book of GHOSTS" (2015), ghostly faces discovery.
  12. BBC Future, "Lost manuscript of Merlin" (2025), recent revelations.
  13. Library of Congress, "The Black Book of Carmarthen" (2025), digital facsimile.
  14. Goodreads, "The Black Book of Carmarthen" (2025), modern translations.
  15. Internet Archive, "The Black Book of Carmarthen" (2025), full scans.

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