Merlin officialy from Glasgow?

Interesting claim by Glasgow City Council building on Ardey's book that Merlin was from Glasgow which has irritated Carmarthen of course. Ardey's claims are nonsense of course. I looked at reviews of the book online here Adam Ardey Finding Merlin - reviews but most mentions in the newspapers are uncritical.

I found one unbiased review in a blog which does not make me keen to read the book and treats it as a joke:

polutrope @ 2009-02-12T20:56:0012 Feb 2009 by Blameless Ethiopian #1

It is par for the course in the world of Arthurian popular history. I might have to read the book and post a decent refutation.

Wizard Weegie wheeze or Scam-alot? Glasgow stakes claim

The campaign to have the wizard's Strathclyde roots recognised was started by advocate and author Adam Ardrey, who made the claim in his book Finding Merlin – The Truth Behind The Legend.

He said: "I am thrilled that Glasgow has recognised Merlin as a Glaswegian and that, almost 1,400 years after his death, he can take an official place in Glasgow's glorious history.

"I am especially pleased because it is Merlin's twin sister, Languoreth the Queen of Strathclyde, who is commemorated in the fish and the ring on Glasgow's coat of arms."

According to legend the Queen's husband, King Riderech, suspected her of infidelity and asked to see her wedding ring, which he himself had thrown in the Clyde.

However, her name was cleared and her life spared when one of the monarch's messengers caught a fish and miraculously found the ring inside it.

Over six years Ardrey used his legal expertise to sift through ancient public records to amass evidence to back up his sensational claims.

He concluded that Merlin was a scholar and politician, son of a chief called Morken, who lived in Scotland in the late 6th and early 7th centuries.

The former SNP candidate even identified where he believed Merlin lived.

He said: "I believe it was in Partick where the River Kelvin meets the Clyde.

"It's no coincidence Merlin was at the Battle of Arderydd in 573. There's only one street called Ardery Street, which is the modernised form of Arderydd, out of 10,000 in Glasgow and it happens to be where the evidence suggests he lived."

Merlin provokes diplomatic row after being named a Scot

Telegraph.co.uk - ‎May 17, 2009‎

By Simon Johnson Glasgow City Council has added the confidant of King Arthur to a list of its greatest sons, alongside Donald Dewar, Sir Alex Ferguson. spokeswoman for Glasgow City Council confirmed that the iconic Arthurian figure had been added to its list of "Famous Glaswegians".

She said: "Like most mythical historical figures it is often difficult to accurately trace their origins. However, recently an amateur historian has pointed to the fact that the legendary Merlin lived a 'comfortable life', with his wife Gwendolyn in Partick, not Camelot.

"We are sure that most Glaswegians will think that's just magic."

Carmarthen in south Wales has long claimed strong connections to the legendary wizard and hosts an annual Merlin & Magic Festival.