A Guide to the England of Arthurian Lore

King Arthur's Grave at Glastonbury Abbey

In every version of the life and death of King Arthur, his final resting place remains a mystery. In the Welsh Stanzas of the Graves, Arthur's grave is "a mystery to the world," and the more well-known legends suggest that Arthur was carried from the battlefield at Camlann into Avalon. There, Arthur would wait until Britain needed the "Once and Future King" again. The resurrection of King Arthur is like the Christian idea that Jesus Christ would rise again during the end times.

In the late 12th century, the monks of the run-down Glastonbury Abbey used this connection to their advantage. In 1191, England was a neglected country; the king, Richard the Lionheart, led a crusade in the holy land, and the country suffered financially. People often visited monasteries, where church masses were held, for comfort and support during hard times. Monasteries like Glastonbury Abbey survived upon revenue collected from pilgrims, and when the clever Glastonbury monks "discovered" the bodies of King Arthur and Guinevere, many such pilgrims flocked to the site. Because the king's mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, had helped to introduce the ideals of chivalry and courtly love to England, the monks realized the grave of the legendary king would prove more profitable than the relic of a Christian saint. Furthermore, many English men and women worried about the end of the world, and with Richard's absence, the English people wondered whether King Arthur might rise again from his grave in Glastonbury Abbey to lead the country back toward prosperity. Geoffrey of Monmouth had identified Glastonbury Abbey with the mystical land of Avalon sixty years earlier, so in the eyes of the people, the discovery of the bodies permanently linked Glastonbury with King Arthur.

Where is it?

Today, Glastonbury Abbey is a ruin, but it still attracts visitors. The town of Glastonbury is in the county of Somerset in southern England.

INTERESTING FACTS

• According to legend, Joseph of Arimathea brought the Holy Grail to Glastonbury. Today, tourists can visit Chalice Well, a 2,000 year-old natural spring which trickles water tinted red by iron oxide. Many Glastonbury residents insist that anyone who drinks from the well will be healed of his or her ailments.

• Another legend suggests that Joseph of Arimathea buried the Holy Grail near Chalice Well; it would be rediscovered only when King Arthur was about to rise again.

• Glastonbury Abbey is near the Tor, believed by some to be the gateway to Avalon.