Tintagel:
Tintagel, England is rich in history and legend. It was here that Geoffrey of Mammoth claimed to be the birthplace of King Arthur (1). Legend has it that Uther Pendragon, Arthur's father, was upset with his wife, so Merlin, the wizard, transformed him into a loving husband.
Tintagel Castle is home to more than one legend. The story of Tristan and Isolt is said to take place in Tintagelsd.
 |
| The Ruins of Tintagel Castle |
In 1233, Richard, Earl of Cornwall, exchanged his land for the small island of Tintagel. It wasn't a great deal on his part due to the inhospitable landscape. Today the castle stands on top of a cliff in ruins. The admiration for Arthurian legend has driven the interest in Tintagel for the past 800 years. Click here if you'd like to learn more about Tintagel Castle.
Glastonbury:
Glastonbury, found in Somerset, England, is rich in legends. It is said that Joseph of Arimathea founded the first Christian church in Britain in Glastonbury (2). Glastonbury was home to one of the wealthiest monasteries until it was burned down in 1184. The ties with Arthurian legend began when some of the monks unearthed a log.
The hollow log contained two bodies with an inscription claiming it was Arthur and his wife Guinevere. Historians have disputed the legitimacy of the monks' claims. Regardless, the legends surrounding King Arthur increased the popularity of Glastonbury.
Today the ruins of the monastery still stand, as well as the Glastonbury Tor where St. Michael's Tower stands. If you would like to learn more about Glastonbury Click Here for their official town website.
Cadbury Castle:
Cadbury Castle is another important site in Arthurian Legend. The castle is believed to be where Camalot, Arthur's domain, stood. In the 1500's a man named John Leland made a claim that Cadbury Castle was indeed Camalot. Because of his position as King's Antiquary, his claim held a lot of weight. (4) There are no written records to back him up, but there is evidence of Cadbury being an important fortification during the time of King Arthur.
Aside from Arthurian legend, the site has been used for centuries as a fortress to protect from various threats throughout history. The fort has been destroyed, rebuilt, and expanded until its final decay.
Today, nothing remains of the actual castle itself, just the summit it rested on.
Slaughterbridge:
Last, but not least, we have Slaughterbridge. The Arthurian legend has morbid ties with Slaughterbridge. It is said that here was where Arthur's final battle, the battle of Camlann, took place. According to legend, Arthur fought and killed Modred, but not before being mortally wounded himself. It was Slaughterbridge where a stone was found with a Latin inscription, believed by some to be about King Arthur. Whether or not Arthur existed, there is historical evidence suggesting a major battle taking place on the fields of Slaughterbridge. (5)
So whether you've come here to learn about places in England or plan your next trip, now you are equipped with a little background information about a few (of several) Arthurian historical sites.
For more information, I'd suggest this site, which gives a lot of detail about British Heritage and Arthurian legend.
Works Cited
1. https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/tintagel-castle/
2. https://www.archaeology.org/issues/208-1603/trenches/4172-trenches-england-glastonbury-abbey
3. https://glastonbury.uk/
4. FIELD, P. J. C. “SEARCHING FOR CAMELOT.” Medium Ævum, vol. 87, no. 1, 2018, pp. 1–22. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/26871213.
5. https://www.cornwalls.co.uk/myths-legends/arthurian-sites.htm
It is nice to know that they have kept most these historical sites standing. The story about King Arthur and Queen Guinevere being in the hollow log is interesting, even though it was disputed. It shows the popularity of King Arthur that the popularity of Glastonbury bloomed.
ReplyDeleteEven though the King Arthur stories are fiction, it is cool that some of the sites are real! I found it interesting that there is real historical evidence that there was a major battle in the fields of Slaughterbridge.
ReplyDeleteI love how the history and legends behind these castles are still appreciated to this day. I find it so interesting that nothing remains of Cadbury Castle even though that was where Camelot was believed to be, I would have thought that there would have been more efforts to have it be rebuilt.
ReplyDeleteI love traveling and traveling is something that i am very interested so it was really cool to look at places that aren't just pretty, but educational. I looked up pictures of each place and to me Tintagel is where I would want to travel first. It is not only beautiful, but has a lot educational information on it as well that i find interesting.
ReplyDelete