THE PROPHECIES OF MERLIN.

The article examines the emergence and significance of political prophecy in 12th-century England, focusing on Geoffrey of Monmouth's *Prophecies of Merlin* and his *History of the Kings of Britain* (c.1138). Geoffrey's works framed Britain's legendary past and future within a divinely ordained narrative, using Merlin's prophecies to link ancient British history with contemporary events, including Norman rule and succession disputes. Central themes include the rise and fall of the Britons, the dangers of civil war and contested succession, and the moral lessons intended to warn Geoffrey's contemporaries—particularly amid the 12th-century succession crisis leading to the Anarchy. The article highlights how prophecy functioned as both historical interpretation and political commentary, encouraging medieval audiences to view their present as part of a continuous, divinely guided history.