Merlin's Chess, or the Magic of Avalon - part 1
To explain what Merlin’s Chess is about, we have to know more about Faery, combined with Arthurian and other semi- historical and mythological sources.
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Merlin's Chess or the Magic of Avalon - Part 2 | Merlin and the Feary
Within the adventures of Arthur, Merlin and the Knights of the Round Table there is often a dispute with the inhabitants of the Otherworld.
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Merlin and the Cosmic Chessboard
In some versions of the Vulgate Merlin, Merlin is associated with magical automata—including a chessboard that plays by itself, which is connected with themes of enchantment and illusion. It appears as one of the marvels in the Castle of King Latinus (in later romance adaptations), which is full of traps, magical wonders, and puzzles that test knights.
- Some traditions say Merlin moves the fates of men like pieces on a cosmic chessboard.
- The chessboard represents cosmic duality and the struggle of light and dark.
- He may even be playing against Time, Fate, or the Shadow itself.
The chessboard:
- Is animated or plays by itself (magically).
- May be used as a test of worthiness or wit for the knight or guest.
- Reflects divine fate or prophecy, much like how chess itself can be a metaphor for strategic vision or cosmic order.
This magical automaton element links to ancient Hermetic and Arabic alchemical traditions, where chess sometimes symbolized the harmony of opposites or the battle of light and dark (Sun and Moon, King and Queen, etc.).
chess as a representation of the war between higher and lower forces—between soul and ego, light and dark. In such a reading:
- Merlin plays the role of a divine strategist—he sees the moves before they happen.
- The chessboard represents the world, the battlefield of the soul.
- Each piece is an archetype: knight, bishop, queen, etc.—with magical and alchemical significance.
Merlin playing chess with fate or with Death or some higher being appears frequently. These modern depictions are not medieval canon but reflect authentic esoteric symbolism:
- Merlin as one who sees all time and manipulates destiny from behind the scenes.
- The game of chess as magical warfare, where lives and events are pieces on the board.
- The Grail Quest as the final “checkmate”—the soul winning against the adversary.
