When mist surrounds Glastonbury Tor it rises, like the ancient Isle of Avalon, from the surrounding Somerset Levels. In Celtic legends, and for many Celtic believers today, it is known as the Isle of the Dead. It is a sacred threshold where the material world of the living meets the spirit world of the dead.

On this journey, one travels into a space where wisdom and knowledge pass from the Otherworld to this world. The Isle of Avalon was a paradise, a fertile island of apples, a place of rest and sustenance, from the travails and worries of this life. Today, many go to Glastonbury to bathe in the mysterious waters that run through this most sacred of towns of England.

William of Malmesbury's, in his History of Glastonbury, says that St Philip sent St Joseph of Arimathea away with eleven disciples to preach in a new land that had not heard the Gospel. Carrying the Cup of the Last Supper, which bore the sweat, tears and blood of Jesus, they travelled in a boat without oars allowing the winds and the waves to guide them, until he and his fellow travellers ended up on the mysterious shores of Glastonbury. The year was 63AD; only thirty years after the Crucifixion.

At the foot of Glastonbury Tor, Joseph bade his friends to bow down to pay and give thanks for their safe passage, and to ask the Lord to support their work in this new land. Standing up, Joseph thrust his staff into the sod of Wearyall Hill. Miraculously, by the following morning, the staff took root and budded. Not only was he showing his resolve; he was planting the Gospel in England. Today descendents of the original Glastonbury Thorn still bear fruit at each and every Christmas. In accordance with royal tradition, the reigning monarch herself has a sprig from the horn on her Christmas pudding!

Joseph was met with a favourable response from the local chief, King Arviragus, who gave him some land at Glastonbury, and Joseph and his fellows stayed to convert the locals. At the foot of the Tor, Joseph built a wattle church, called the Vetusta Ecclesia. St Joseph decreed that twelve monks should always be in the church to pray. Jesus, appearing to Joseph and his friends, blessed them and their work. In honour of his Mother, Joseph dedicated the church to Mary. Several years later, Joseph died, and he was buried next to the wall of the little wattle and daub church.

When two papal envoys arrived in about 180AD, they found that the Vetusta Ecclesia was almost in ruin. They had the building repaired. Worship began in earnest. According to the ancient Welsh Triads, Glastonbury held one of the three perpetual choirs of Britain, in which one hundred monks worshipped and sang the liturgy and Psalms all day and all night. A separate story has Joseph bringing the boy Jesus and his Mother Mary to Cornwall. They party were coming to Britain to purchase lead from the Mendips in Somerset. This is the legend behind William Blake's Jerusalem. And did those feet in ancient time walk upon England's grasses green; and was the Lamb of God on England's pleasant pastures seen?

The Goddess takes many forms and is seen in many differing images of womanhood. Believers see her essential nature in the harmony and balance of the natural order. They seek her strength and inspiration in the midst of life as a well of energy to overcome suffering. The decay of life all around us, they believe can be restored through birth and re-birth. Today there is a thriving industry of Goddess worship in Glastonbury.

In Celtic mythology Glastonbury Tor is the seat of Gwynn ap Nudd - the King of the Underworld. Gwynn's palace within the Tor cannot be seen by ordinary people. But every May Day, Gwynn does battle with Gwyther, the King of the Summerland, for the hand of the Maiden of Spring. According to other stories, the hermit St Collen decreed that at Doomsday their quarrel would be resolved. Hence settling their dispute for the time being. But yet there remains a menacing suggestion that combat is still likely at some time to explode once more.

In the Life of St Collen, written sometime after the sixth Century when the saint lived, has a legend in which the saint was living as a hermit on the Tor, when suddenly two ambassadors of the fairy king Gwynn ap Nudd appear before him. They persuade the saint to visit the king on the summit of the Tor. St Collen believes that the fairies are demons, so he brings holy water as a precaution. When he enters the Underworld of the fairy king's castle, he refuses to eat what is set before him, then splashes the walls with holy water . . . and everything disappears around him.

The Tor has also been identified as lying on the St Michaels Ley line, which runs through several other religious sites and finally connects it to St Michael's Mount in Cornwall.

Many believe that the lie of the ground around the sides of the Tor and rising to its summit may be all that remains of an ancient three-dimensional maze. Such mazes were a common occurrence in Bronze Age Europe of around 2,000 years BC. Another possible maze could be at Tintagel. The most famous mazes of this type were constructed by the Minoan civilisation on the Island of Crete. Perhaps, the entire hill was once a gigantic labyrinth leading to some sort of spiritual inner world.

Archaeological excavations on Glastonbury Tor, undertaken between 1964 and 1966, have revealed evidence of Dark Age occupation around the medieval church of St. Michael. Roughly cut steps to the west of the Church gave access to the remains of ancient structures. Beam slots of one wooden building were discovered, and there were post-holes indicating the existence of several others. Two hearths were also uncovered. One was a metalworker's furnace complete with bellows inlet. Alongside what may have been a small wooden wash-house, the archaeologists discovered two 6th century graves of youths orientated north-south. In another area, a vast amount of animal bone was recovered, possibly indicating feasting. Twelve shards of imported 6th century Mediterranean amphorae pottery were found. The most fascinating discovery was a small cast bronze head which may have been an accruement from the top of a staff or bishop's crosier, or possibly some other sort of decorative fitting to a more mundane piece.

In Caradog (or Caradoc) of Llancarfan's The Life of St. Gildas, written around 1130, there is a story telling of St. Gildas' intervention between King Arthur and King Melwas of the Summer Country or Summerland, as Somerset was then called. King Melwas had abducted Guinevere to his stronghold at Glastonbury. In defiance of Arthur, the Celtic king held Arthur's queen captive in his fortress on the summit of the Tor.  Arthur soon arrived with his army from Cornwall to besiege his fortress on the summit of the Tor. Arthur's army lay in wait for their king's command to lay siege.

As the armies prepared to engage in battle, Gildas appeared and mediated a truce between the two kings. Gildas persuaded Melwas to release the Guinevere rather than fight for her. Arthur forgave him, and the two kings became friends. Both kings gave generously to the monasteries, both learnt the lessons of forgiveness and both were blest.  The story can also appears in a Welsh poem known as The Dialogue of Melwas and Gwenhwyfar. The earliest surviving manuscripts dates from the 16th century. Chrétien of Troyes is best known for his use of the legend in his own story about Lancelot. But in Chrétien's story the Knight kills Melwas (also known as Meleagaunce), while St. Gildas is not present to broker a peace.

The summit of the Tor is still a religious site. Today all that survives is the tower of St. Michael's Church. The original church was destroyed in an earthquake in 1275. Its location suggests that a monastery or prayer cell may have been there before the church. And before the hill top had a Christian place of worship, it might have been a pagan religious site. The famous command of Pope Gregory enjoining the faithful to turn pagan shrine into Christian ones may have been what happened here. Many churches on high land are dedicated to the Archangel Michael for it is he that will combat the evil dragon in Apocalyptic literature. Indeed, St. Patrick himself is said to have discovered a religious hermitage here in the late 5th century. He stayed alone in St Michael's old church for three months praying and fasting, before a miraculous sign bade him come down from the Tor. He decreed that from then on at least two monks from the local monasteries should always be staying in the small cell praying and fasting.

Many churches on such high awe-inspiring sites were almost certainly pagan places of worship before they became Christian. Michael was a dragon slayer and many legends link him with the goddesses of fertility.

Useful Links

With this link from the BBC you can explore Glastonbury, including The Tor, Glastonbury Abbey, Chalice Well, St John's Church, The Tribunal, Market Place, and the Somerset Rural Life Museum.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/somerset/nature/walks/index.shtml