Life of Merlin
Life of Merlin (Vita Merlini) is a Latin poem of about 1150, now generally credited to Geoffrey of Monmouth, first printed by the Roxburghe Club in London in 1830. It follows Merlin's madness and years living wild in the woods, and gives an early version of Arthur's last voyage to Avalon.
- Editions tracked
- 2
- First edition
- Roxburghe Club (printed by William Nicol), 1830
- First published
- Roxburghe Club, London, 1830
The first edition of Life of Merlin by Geoffrey of Monmouth was published in London by Roxburghe Club (printed by William Nicol) in 1830. We track 2 editions.
Which edition do you have?
First edition
- 1st Roxburghe Club (printed by William Nicol)1830 Other I own Life of Merlin, Roxburghe Club (printed by William Nicol) 1830 Log in to want this
Later and other editions
- University of Wales Pressfor the Language and Literature Committee of the Board of Celtic Studies1973 Hardback I own Life of Merlin, University of Wales Pressfor the Language and Literature Committee of the Board of Celtic Studies 1973 Log in to want this
We have not yet researched the issue points for this book. If you know how to tell the first from later printings, tell us and we will credit you once it is checked against a second source.
Awards, adaptations and setting
Setting and characters
- Characters
- Merlin
- Genre
- epic poem
In print
- Editions recorded
- 1 on Open Library, 1 in English
- Wikipedia
- Articles in 13 languages
From Wikidata and Open Library, both CC0. A prize or a new adaptation often lifts demand for the first printing.
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Read the guide →Frequently asked questions
Who published the first edition of Life of Merlin?
The first edition of Life of Merlin by Geoffrey of Monmouth was published in London by Roxburghe Club (printed by William Nicol) in 1830.
How many editions of Life of Merlin are there?
We track 2 editions of Life of Merlin, including 1 first edition. Each has its own page with how to identify it.
Where these facts come from
- Vita Merlini, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- Vita Merlini, Wikidata (wikidata.org)
Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 29 October 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.