Avalon Found? Believers Think So

Rising 500 feet above the plain known as Summerland Meadows, in Somerset England, Glastonbury Tor is a monument to times gone by. A conical , tear dropped shaped hill , the Tor has been seen as a place of mystical power for millenia. Folk lore tells that the Tor is in the location of the the Isle of Avalon and home to Gwynn Ap Nudd, the god of the underworld. There is an energy, a mystery ,and rich history surrounding the Tor, this is enough in itself to make the place worthy or worship and ritual. What if the myth and legend go deeper? What if the similarities between the two point to actual evidence that the folklore of pagans is more than just lore? Believers like to think it does.

Some argue that Glastonbury Tor is more than just a conical hill, they say that looking at it on the horizon and taking into account the surrounding area, one can clearly see the shape of a pregnant woman laying prone, vulva exposed~ in representation of the Earth Mother and creation. Whether that is true or not, some things certainly are. The Top top of the Tor is accessed by following a series of of winding terraces. When one maps the terraces the image of a labyrinth becomes apparent. Labyrinths such as this can also be found in Kretian lore, as well as that of the Hopi Indians, where the labyrinths represent the Mother Goddess and the spiritual journey of seeking unity with her.

One of the things that people instantly take issue with in determining whether or not Glastonbury Tor is Avalon, is that Avalon was said to be an island. Well, Glastonbury Tor was also an island! The plain on which the Tor sits is actually a reclaimed fenland, drained for farm use. During the winter and times of heavy rain , the plain is often flooded, leaving Glastonbury Tor an island once again.

While the Tor is now only graced by a lone remaining tower of the Christian church that once sat there, legend claims that it once was home to a great stone circle similar to Stonehenge, and perhaps even a circular temple. Scholars have argued that idea for years, but in 2002 an archaeological dig atop the Tor revealed the remains of what appeared to be a circular stone floor. Preliminary reports stated that the floor was indeed a preChristian structure. Also uncovered by archaeologists are the remains of a Celtic lake town on the Tor, Celtic tools and artifacts~ some of which point to the use of the site as a Celtic place of worship.

Legend also tells that monks found the remains of King Arthur and his wife Guinevere in a tomb atop Glastonbury Tor, marked with a stone cross that read here lies King Arthur. Naturally that claim has gone unproven, but the literature is fascinating. Doubtlessly there are many who believe that the legend is true.

The most mystical asset of Glastonbury Tor , the one that draws people into it's magic the most, may well be one of the least known and least publicized facts. The Chalice well and the White Spring are natural springs that occur at the base of the Tor. Coming from deep within the bowels of the Earth the chalice well runs a deep red laden with iron. Less than 100 meters from the Chalice Well, however, is the White Spring. The White Spring mysteriously runs iron free , and is instead rich with calcium, thus running a pure crystal white. The Celts would have seen the two springs innately connected, the White Spring a pure masculine energy the red spring a manifestation of the blood of creation. The two joined together would have represented great power and mystery. It is already known that both the Celts and the Romans saw these springs as sacred even before the Christians, who also revered the site. Chalice Well is enclosed and protected in a beautiful spiritual garden, but unfortunately White Spring is not. Persons of questionable character have even sold the water off as bottled mineral water for commercial purposes, and it it is now left to drain off into city sewage.

While none of this evidence marks Glastonbury Tor as irrefutably having been the mythical Isle of Avalon, to believers it is more than adequate. The positioning of the Tor on sacred leylines, Tye rich lore of it's history, and the knowledge in the hearts of seekers that Tagus is a sacred place is more evidence than any other religious artifact or place has presented to this day. Besides, faith is after all, the ability to believe without the need for evidence.