In the folklore of Brittany, Merlin was not only a great magician but a consummate bard. This medieval ballad carries us away to an enchanted realm where poetry and art magically mingle, and where a young apprentice must challenge his older rival--the great mage himself! Presented in four languages--English, French, German, and the Breton original.

Théodore Hersart de La Villemarqué (1815-1895) was a Breton scholar, folklorist, and writer known for his efforts to preserve and popularize the oral traditions of Brittany. His most famous work, Barzaz-Breiz, is a collection of Breton ballads and legends, which played a key role in the 19th-century Celtic revival. While praised for reviving interest in Breton folklore, his methods of transcription and adaptation have been debated by later scholars. His work remains influential in the study of Celtic literature and mythology.