Merlin's Godson and Merlin's Ring by H. Warner Munn
"Merlin's Godson and Merlin's Ring" are two novels by Warner Munn that follow the epic journeys of the last survivors of King Arthur's court as they escape to North America. The story begins with Ventidius Varro, a Roman centurion, who leads a group of survivors after a final battle in England, guided by the magic of Merlin. Establishing an empire in North America, Varro's son, Gwalmachai, embarks on a quest that spans centuries to deliver a message to Rome and to find his lost love, Corenice, whose spirit inhabits a metallic body after her physical form was destroyed.
Gwalmachai’s adventures take him through diverse landscapes and encounters, including alliances with indigenous tribes and mythical beings. After consuming Merlin's Elixir of Life, he gains immortality, which allows him to navigate various challenges, including battles against monstrous foes and evading enemies in his quest. The narrative intertwines themes of love, sacrifice, and the struggle for power as Gwalmachai ultimately retrieves Arthur’s legendary sword, Excalibur, and embarks on further adventures that connect him to historical figures like Joan of Arc. The overarching tale emphasizes the lasting influence of Arthurian legends and the enduring power of love and loyalty across time and cultures.
On this Page
Merlin's Godson and Merlin's Ring
First published:Merlin’s Godson (1976; includes King of the World’s Edge, 1966; serial form, Weird Tales, 1939; and The Ship from Atlantis, 1967) and Merlin’s Ring (1974)
Type of work: Novels
Type of plot: Fantasy—high fantasy
Time of work: The fall of Atlantis to c.e. 1492
Locale: England, North America, and various other locations around the world
The Plot
H. Warner Munn’s two novels detail the adventures of the last survivors of King Arthur’s court. Fleeing England, the adventurers travel to North America. After overcoming many obstacles, they establish a new empire they hope will serve as a refuge for the citizens and rulers of Rome. In an effort to communicate with Rome, the ruler of this new empire, Ventidius Varro, sends a message with his only son, Gwalmachai. During a quest that spans centuries, Gwalmachai travels through strange lands, faces immense challenges, and searches for his lover, Corenice.
The first part of Merlin’s Godson, “King of the World’s Edge,” begins with the discovery of a lost manuscript written by Ventidius Varro, a Roman centurion. He describes King Arthur’s final battle and the flight of a small group of survivors from England. Before departing, Myrdhinn (Varro’s name for Merlin) hides Arthur so he can heal and be revived when the time comes for the monarch’s return. Varro and his hundred soldiers then embark on a long journey across the Atlantic Ocean. After overcoming several challenges, they reach Alata (Varro’s name for North America).
The fifty survivors of the voyage are taken prisoner by a tribe known as the Chicamecans. During an ambush by their enemies, the Tlapallicos, Varro saves Hayonwatha, the Chicamecan’s leader, which results in an alliance between the Romans and Chicamecans. Hayonwatha takes them to the city of his rulers, the Mias, where they are all held prisoner. With the aid of Merlin’s magic, they escape and slay the Mias’ ruler, Kukulcan, in the process.
Varro and Merlin swear to overthrow the Mias. Their first action is to reunite the five Chicamecan tribes with the help of Merlin’s magic. Searching for allies, Varro and a few comrades travel west, where they discover the Aztecas. Varro becomes their leader after helping the Aztecas defeat a group of attacking Mias. After these alliances are formed, it is not long before the Mias fall beneath the combined power of the Chicamecans and Aztecas. Merlin apparently is slain by a traitorous Saxon, Guthlac.
Varro intends to hold his new kingdom for the Roman empire. He sends his son, Gwalmachai, to deliver an invitation to Rome. Gwalmachai’s first adventures are chronicled in “The Ship from Atlantis.” The message itself never reaches Rome because it is lost when Gwalmachai’s ship is attacked by monsters known as the Piasa. Having lost his memory in battle, Gwalmachai drinks Merlin’s Elixir of Life, which allows him to live for centuries. His vessel drifts into the Sargasso Sea, where he encounters a ship from Atlantis. Inside, he discovers an Atlantean woman, Corenice, who becomes the love of his life. Her physical body was destroyed thousands of years ago, forcing Corenice’s spirit to live in a metal body. The two embark on a mission to destroy the Nor-um-Begans who wish to free an evil god, Oduarpa, from his prison beneath the earth. They succeed in their mission, but, soon after, Gwalmachai falls into an ice chasm, where he enters a deep sleep. Long periods of sleep are necessary for him to live his extended life.
The story of the two lovers continues in Merlin’s Ring. The spirit of Corenice possesses the body of Thyra, a Viking maiden, and frees Gwalmachai from his prison. He soon sees Merlin in a dream. The wizard tells him that he must retrieve Excalibur and return it to Arthur. Traveling alone into the land of faery, Elveron, Gwalmachai encounters Corenice in the body of a nymph and marries her. He succeeds in retrieving Excalibur and returns to England with it decades later.
Corenice has possessed a young Welsh girl, Nikky, who never developed her own personality, allowing Gwalmachai’s wife to permanently claim her body. After returning Excalibur to Arthur, the two depart for Spain, where Gwalmachai recovers Durandal, the sword of Roland. He takes the sword to France, where it will be hidden until a champion claims it. As they begin their journey to Rome, Corenice discovers that she is pregnant and cannot travel. Gwalmachai goes on to Rome, where he falls into a deep sleep as he is about to deliver his father’s message to the pope.
He wakes two centuries later to discover that Corenice has gone to Asia to search for the mythical empire of Prester John. Gwalmachai follows her and eventually arrives at the court of Kublai Khan. His role as an adviser to the Khan ends when he makes a mistake casting a spell, resulting in the appearance of several firedrakes that nearly destroy the Khan’s capital, Cambaluc.
Gwalmachai flees to Japan, known as Nihon, where he helps its people defeat a Mongol invasion force. During his stay in Nihon, he encounters Corenice, both there and in the Land of Dream. He wakes from his dream encounter to find that Lady Mitami Uyume, the woman Corenice possessed, is dying. After her death, Gwalmachai makes his way back to Europe as a mercenary.
In France, Gwalmachai joins the cause of Joan of Arc, called Jeanne, whom he discovers to be one of his descendants. He also learns that Corenice can no longer possess other bodies and that he will soon join her in death. After Jeanne’s death and France’s victory over the English, Gwalmachai encounters Merlin for the final time and then goes to Iceland. There he fulfills his father’s mission by telling Christopher Columbus about Alata. Gwalmachai then dies, and his spirit joins that of Corenice in other, unknown realms.