The Real Merlin

‘Myrddin’ was poet to a Welsh king. In 573, at a battle near Carlisle, the king was killed and Myrddin went mad. In his madness, he acquired the gift of prophesy and lived as a wild man in the Galloway Forest, talking to the birds and the beasts, his apple tree and his little pig. In the twelfth century this character was recast as Merlin, King Arthur’s wizard.

The Real Merlin Project is a Knockengorroch commission which builds on our 2018 Oran Bagraidh project to create new music inspired by the truth behind the myth – the character of ‘Myrddin’ in Welsh, ‘Lailoken’ in Scottish, and ‘Suibhne’ / Sweeney in Irish.

The project deepens links between established and progressive traditional artists in the four nations whilst revealing fascinating mythology about South West Scotland, where Knockengorroch Festival takes place.

Twm Morys

Maeve Mackinnon

Andy May

Gwyneth Glyn

Lorcán Mac Mathúna

The artists are Gwyneth Glyn and Twm Morys from Wales, Lorcán Mac Mathúna from Ireland, Maeve Mackinnon from Scotland and Andy May from Northumberland, England.

Our cross border project delves into myth and poetry to inspire new work, based around ‘Hen Ogled’ the ‘Old North’ (currently Galloway and N England) from which a large part of Welsh/British mythology comes.

The artists will collaborate online before performing the work live in their 4 respective countries, premiering at Knockengorroch Festival in our 25th Year.

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3 weeks ago

💚 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗱! 💚🌿 We’re over 55% of the way to our target – This fundraising campaign is essential to cover our running costs in 2025. Without it, we can’t guarantee the future of the festival. Every single donation helps, no matter the size.We’ve extended the deadline to the end of June – so there’s still time to chip in and spread the word.🎶 Donate + share: www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-knockengorroch-in-2025 ... See MoreSee Less
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3 weeks ago

📸 2025 PHOTO GALLERY IS LIVE!The music, the hills, the sunshine, the smiles — so many magic moments at Knockengorroch2025 🌞🎶This is the last few days to donate to save Knockengorroch and ensure Knockengorroch 2026. With 279 supporters of our fundraiser we're pushing towards our goal of £25k - can you get us a little closer and help cement our future? www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-knockengorroch-in-2025/backers#start 💚 ... See MoreSee Less
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1 month ago

Almost exactly half way through our fundraiser and we're half way to target! We have been overwhelmed by the support and generosity🥲.. If you are able to support us to get us closer to our target you'll help ensure a festival next year and for the years to follow. Here's a greatCrowdfunderthe Crowdfunder team have made us to sum it all up. Please go here to support us if you can.. www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-knockengorroch-in-2025 ... See MoreSee Less
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