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Avalon: Legendary Island Of Celtic Mythology

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Avalon is the legendary island of Celtic mythology, which, according to some sources, King Arthur’s Excalibur sword was lodged. It is also the place where the mythical king was taken, fatally harmed, to meet his death. In other words, Avalon is a utopian bliss where the legends of English knights and political entirety unite in a kingdom lost in the mists of time. Like all mythological paradises, this place has been desired in all corners of the Earth. Some scholars say they found it in Glastonbury a town in the English county of Somerset where, before the plains were discovered, the hill of Glastonbury Tor rose above the marshes. Legend has it that in the 12th century, King Edward II of England sent an expedition to this place, which led …show more content…

The most well known setting for Avalon is in the King Arthur legends. Supposedly, as I somewhat stated in the first paragraph, Arthur's sword, Excalibur, was forged on the mystic Isle of Avalon. When Arthur was mortally wounded in battle with Mordred, he was carried off to the Isle of Avalon so that his wounds might be attended to. Avalon also appears in other legends. In Marie de France's "Lanval,"the hero Lanval offends Queen Guinevere and is taken to the dungeons. Lanval's mistress, a fairy, saves him and takes him to the Isle of Avalon. Robert de Boron, who is a knight from Burgundy, spoke the tale of Joseph of Arimathea around 1200 A.D. Supposedly, the Holy Grail, the cup used by Jesus in the Last Supper, was stolen by Joseph , who used it to catch drops of Jesus' blood as Jesus hung on the cross. Joseph then carried the Grail to Avalon, where he died. Could an actual Isle of Avalon exist? It is possible. In England, there is a man-made hill called Tor, on top of which is a monastery known as Glastonbury. It is believed that at one time, possibly around the time Arthur was said to exist, the hill could have been surrounded by marsh and water. This would have successfully made Tor an island. In 1191, the Glastonbury monks linked Glastonbury to Arthur and excavated the site. Seven feet down was a stone slab, underneath which was found a lead cross! The cross read: "HIC IACET SEPULTUS INCLITUS REX ARTURIUS IN INSULA AVALONIA," which correctly translated would say: "Here lies buried the renowned King Arthur in the Isle of

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