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British Mensa Travel Special Interest Group |
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Avalon Most people don't notice Somerset. They race, foot to the floor, hell-bent on reaching Devon or Cornwall. Yet just 15 miles east of the M5 lies the ancient and mysterious town of Glastonbury, a town so steeped in history and legend that it is impossible to untangle the two, so the best advice is to soak it all up and enjoy it. We are still on our own voyage of discovery of this warm and sunny county of 'Summer-shire', having exchanged the leafy Chiltern Hills for its open skies only three years ago. Whilst there are many other interesting places to see, Glastonbury is fascinating in its own way. The town is built on and around three hills - Wearyall Hill, Chalice Hill and Glastonbury Tor. The area around, now known as 'the Levels', was once a huge marsh and before that, an inland sea and Glastonbury was an island known as Avalon or Ynis Witrin, the 'Isle of Glass', connected to the mainland by a narrow strip of land to the east. The Tor itself has its own mystique. It is a conical hill 518 feet above sea level. If you've the energy to climb its easy path to the Tower of St Michael's church on the top, you will be rewarded with views stretching to north Devon and South Wales. Around the sides are artificially cut terraces which, like a coiled snake, wind round the Tor seven times, turning back on themselves and winding up again. Before Christianity came to Glastonbury, these paths were said to lead to the underworld beneath the Tor where a huge subterranean lake was to be found. It is now thought that there is an artesian lake there, so deep that it is part the same one which lies beneath the Black Mountains of Wales. In autumn the paths were walked 'down' and, in spring, from the base to the top. There is much talk of ley lines and earth energies, but I know little of this subject. Legend tells us that the Tor was the abode of Gwynn, son of Nudd, King of Faery and Lord of Annwn. In Celtic lore Gwynn crops up as a semi-divine hero and in some parts of Britain is identified with King Arthur. Stories surrounding Gwynn certainly appear to be synonymous with those of Arthur and Guinevere and more can be found on this in Glastonbury Tor by Nicholas R Mann. It is believed that Arthur and Guinevere were buried in Glastonbury, but more on that later. Wearyall Hill is renowned as the spot where Joseph of Arimathea disembarked from his ship with his 12-year-old great-nephew, Jesus. He was trading in tin and other metals at that time. (I've heard it said that this occasion inspired the hymn Jerusalem.) After climbing the hill, Joseph pushed his staff into the ground and from it sprouted the Holy Thorn Tree. For disbelievers, this tree (destroyed by Cromwell although its descendants still grow in the Abbey grounds) blooms both at Christmas, as if it were in its country of origin, and in May like any other May tree. The only other place it can be found is in the Middle East. Legend has it that Joseph of Arimathea returned, bringing with him the Chalice of the Last Supper and two cruets containing the blood and water that came from Christ's wounds, depositing them in the Chalice Hill. From that day forward, the waters of the spring flowed red with the blood of Christ. Enter the Chalice Well Gardens and you will experience a feeling of peace. Walk on to the Wellhead and you may witness a pilgrim, crystals spread around, praying or meditating. As the water flows through the Chalice Well gardens, it spouts from a lion's head fountain where you may take the waters and taste the blood of Christ, before it forms a holy pool of water in which you may bathe, then on it flows to the Abbey fishponds. The curative powers of the water have been known for many centuries, but in the mid-18th century a certain Matthew Chancellor published an account of a dream in which he'd been directed to drink this water for several Sundays to cure his asthma. He followed the directions carefully and found himself cured. This publication drew crowds from far afield and on 5 May 1751, 10,000 pilgrims invaded the town. Some would say nothing's changed! What is really surprising is that the 'Red Spring', rich in iron, is situated only a few yards from the 'White Spring', rich in calcium and these springs have never run dry. Moving on into the centre of town you can't miss the Abbey ruins. St Mary's Church, the original part of the Abbey, is the site of the beginning of Christianity in this country. In fact it was the first Christian church to be built in Britain, and together with the later, much bigger church, subsequently covered and joined together, form the longest chancel in England. Long before the Abbey was built, Arthur and Guinevere were buried in ground which became part of the Abbey curtilage. The Abbey itself was originally established as a Benedictine monastery, under Beorhtwald, its first Saxon abbot, during the years 670 to 678 AD. The church was enlarged in the 10th century by the Abbot of Glastonbury, St Dunstan, who became Archbishop of Canterbury in 960. By 1086 when the Domesday survey was undertaken, the Abbey was the richest monastery in Britain but in 1184 it was consumed by fire. Its saviour was Henry II, who, in atonement for his part in the death of Thomas Becket ("will no-one rid me of this turbulent priest?"), dedicated his entire income for one year to the rebuilding of Glastonbury Abbey. Unfortunately, during that year he died and his successor, Richard I, had better things to do with his money. The Abbey was only half built and the Abbot was pondering the problem at length and prayed for a miracle. Then someone came up with a solution. He remembered Arthur and Guinevere, buried in the grounds for over 600 years. From amongst thousands of other bodies, theirs were miraculously identified, exhumed and reburied in the chancel! The publicity was enormous; pilgrims came from far and wide, paying to visit the grave of the ancient King and Queen and the walls started to grow again until the Abbey was completed. Henry VIII was responsible for its present state. From the entrance to the Abbey in Magdalene Street, turn right and walk up the High Street. These are the two main streets in the town. At the top of the High Street you will find the usual day-to-day shops found in any small town - if you like cheddar cheese, don't miss 'The Truckle of Cheese' where you will find more kinds of cheddar than you can possibly imagine. You may see hippies and think you are still in the 1960s; you may see punks with purple crests and think this is the 1980s; whichever way you look, people are different. You may catch the man playing bagpipes in the street. Wander in and out of the shops at the lower end of the High Street and you will find many curiosities: ornaments from India and Africa, shops selling crystals and mystical objects, books on witchcraft, broomsticks and the overwhelming scent of incense. They set the scene for Glastonbury's calendar. In May 2007, AvalonCAN, a network dedicated to creative arts and crafts in and around Glastonbury, organised an Art Week. It happened that May Day fell during this week so Glastonbury showed that it knows how to celebrate May Day or 'Beltane'. At daybreak, a group of people can be seen on the Tor, greeting the spring morn. By lunchtime they are gathered, may blossom garlands in their hair, in the town centre, singing 'summer carols' to bid farewell to winter and welcome spring. Enter then the Morris Men to perform their dance, not in the traditional white, but dressed pagan-style in leaves and branches. Then the May Queen is crowned and the maypole carried through the town, in a procession joined by all, pausing beside the two springs where the pole is blessed with water from each, then on to the top of Chalice Hill where it is erected and laced with ribbons in a traditional maypole dance. In June, the pilgrims come again, this time to neighbouring Pilton, to Worthy Farm, in search of music rather than religion, and invariably that's when the rains come too. Then at the beginning of August it's the turn of the Goddesses. They come from who knows where, most are Goddesses, a few are Priestesses of Avalon... Their arrival heralds the mysterious Annual Goddess Conference with workshops, craft exhibitions and earth healing ceremonies. Maybe they can be seen 'walking the labrynth', the terraced path around the Tor; to do so is 'to take a journey into your innermost self'. Ceremonial dress is worn for the Opening Ceremony, procession and sacred Lammas bonfire on the top of Chalice Hill, around which drums, rattles and other instruments are played. The conference ends with the Goddess procession and thanksgiving through the streets of the town to the Chalice Well, where they will bathe, then on to the top of the Tor for a Fruit Feast. All conference goers are encouraged to bring something lovely to give away to someone else. Also in August
is the Glastonbury Extravaganza, organised by Michael Eavis of Festival
fame, it takes place in the grounds of Glastonbury Abbey for three nights
on the first weekend. Take your table, chairs and lanterns, wine and a
picnic and sit under the stars. Enjoy a concert, with a firework finale,
which in the past has included Joss Stone, Jules Holland, Van Morrison,
Acker Bilk, The Rat Pack (straight from the West End), Ray Davies and
on the Saturday, always the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with a guest.
I will never forget the pin-drop silence of 7,000 people listening to
the exquisite sound of Nigel Kennedy's Danny Boy. And when you've done Glastonbury, cross the tiny River Brue on your way to Street, pause for a moment on the bridge, for this is the spot where the Lady of the Lake produced Excalibur. First published in VISA 80 (Aug 2008) |