Glastonbury, England

As mentioned previously, Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory of The Crown, with Queen Elizabeth as its the monarch.

At one time, the British Crown ruled one-fourth of the world.  Even today it covers a considerable amount of territory that you may only realize to be part of the Crown's current realm upon seeing local currencies that feature Queen Elizabeth's image.


 

That tradition of sovereign likenesses on currency as a means of reinforcing recognition of the ruler dates back to the Roman Empire, which ruled England when Jesus walked the earth.

Beyond that, much of what we associate with England started with Roman rule.

Heroic King Arthur, that chivalrous paragon of all that is deemed virtuous and noble in English royalty, probably had a Roman father, although nothing is known for certain because his story is shrowded in legend and complicated by him living during the Dark Ages, an era bereft of reliable written history, assuming his persona is based on an actual person.

Just as King Arthur is said to have had his quest for the Holy Grail, Julie and I signed up for a day tour from Bath, England, to Glastonbury, where we could hike up to the hilltop Tor on what might have been the legendary Avalon in search of Arthur's spirit.  1600 years ago,  the sea and inland-lake/marsh water levels were considerably higher than today, making Avalon an island.

The scenic uphill walk takes your breath away in more ways than one, with panoramic views of pastureland all around.

At the top is St. Michael's Tower, a roofless structure that is all that remains of a monastery that once stood there.  King Henry VIII destroyed the rest of St. Michael's Church in 1539 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

Henry VIII had created the Church of England with the royal monarch --- himself --- as its head.  He then proceeded to plunder and destroy most of the cathedrals and monasteries of the Catholic Church in lands that he ruled.

If the Holy Grail was at St. Michael's Tower, then King Henry VIII perhaps drank wine from it back at the royal palace, dining rapaciously, sprawled out on his throne with one leg arched over the armrest.

However, if like me you have an image of Henry VIII eating a turkey leg and throwing the bone over his shoulder to be cleaned up by servants, you will be surprised to learn that he likely never tasted turkey, which was a food of the New World that hadn't yet come to England, according to our guide at Glastonbury Abbey, where we stopped next.

As we were getting off the Viator Tours bus, I asked our guide where we might go to see more sites associated with King Arthur's legend.  He sardonically replied, "A book store."

He had already parked next to Glastonbury Abbey, which we knew was supposed to be where the graves for King Arthur and Guinevere were found in an ancient coffin below two pyramids in the year 1191, and he gave us a nudge in that direction.

Paying for admission proved to be an incredible value leading to a wonderful experience.  We were guided by Sir Richard, whose costume from Henry the Eighth's Era and excellent historical patter made this a highlight of our vacation.

Oddly, the hourly tour was offered free to anyone who paid for admission, but only Julie and I chose to follow Sir Richard, so it was essentially a private one-hour tour for us.

We eventually meandered to the very spot where the graves of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere were supposed to have been excavated in the twelfth century.  The remains of the revered monarchs had purportedly been buried sixteen feet deep to avoid desecration and plunder by Arthur's enemies.

Cynics claim that like stories I've read about religious relics in medieval times, this discovery may have had more to do with Glastonbury Abbey needing to attract more "tourists" than real history.

Another fascinating legend was revealed by Sir Richard.  Joseph of Arimathea might have brought his favorite "great-nephew," Jesus of Nazareth, along to visit his tin-mining interests in southwest Britannia.  While visiting, the story continues, they built a church, a variation on the lore that the first Christian Church in England was built in Glastonbury.

A  more prominent legend says Joseph of Arimathea returned carrying with him the Holy Grail, which he buried near the Glastonbury Tor.

What had been subjects of verbal lore and poetry formed the basis for an Abbot's claims in the fourteenth century of an amalgamation being legitimate history.

Once again, were these stories true or simply used to bring religious tourists and their travel dollars (donations)?

Regardless of what you conclude, I highly recommend touring Glastonbury should you find yourself in England.  It's not far from Stonehenge, which is probably on your bucket list already.



By the way, I guess I should clarify that King Arthur may or may not have actually lived.  He could have been entirely fabricated by imaginative storytellers, but many believe he is at least based to some extent on a real person.  That sixth-century leader might have been more of a great military commander who defended Britain against invading Saxons than an actual King of the British.

Church in Glastonbury (not part of Glatonbury Abbey)

 

Cheddar Gorge (Tour Break Stop After Glastonbury)

CLICK HERE To see part II of "And Did Those Feet...?" at Stonehenge.