In Glastonbury ,
England , the oldest church
in England
stands today; or what’s left of it. The ruins of Glastonbury Abbey have
become quite famous, and people from all over travel to this little town to
take in the beauty first hand. Perhaps it’s not just for the beauty, but for
the legends all over the grounds of the abbey. Whether it be fact, or fiction,
the Glastonbury Abbey is a very historical place.
 |
| The ruins of Glastonbury Abbey |
The making of the
church has split stories. One legend explains how Joseph of Arimathea and Jesus
Christ built the first edition sometime in the first century. However,
historical sources seem to prove the first church was built by missionaries who
came with King Lucius from Rome
in the second century. Either way, the first church in Glastonbury was built very early on, and was
not left alone. New additions were constantly added to the abbey through the
years until 1184. On May 25, 1184, a fire inside the monastery destroyed nearly
every room, and all the treasures being kept there.
 |
| Glastonbury Abbey today |
Although reconstruction began
immediately, it took 30 years for the new church to be built. Glastonbury
Abbey, as part of the Dissolution of the Monasteries under King Henry VIII, was
shut down in 1539. The stone that once held this magnificent church together
was sold for the use of local building work.
The
mysteries of Glastonbury Abbey still linger in the air. During the early
1900’s, archeologists attempted to discovered any artifacts in the area left in
the ruins. Frederick Bligh Bond, and archeologist from Bristol , was the director of these
excavations. On June 16, 1908, he sat down at a table with John Allen Bartlett,
giving him a pencil and paper. Through the use of automatic writing, or
psychography, Bond was able to locate all the artifacts they had been searching
for. The way automatic writing works is by allowing a spirit to enter a body,
and use the body to write what it wishes to speak. Bond was speaking to the
monks who once lived in the monastery hundreds of years ago. He later posted
all of these messages in The Gate of
Remembrance, and they are now known as the Glastonbury Scripts.
Not
only does the abbey have paranormal activity, but it is said to be the once
resting place of King Arthur. Yes, that’s right. King Arthur. During the monk’s
reconstruction of the monastery, they claim to have discovered the graves of
King Arthur and Guinevere. Historians believe it could be possible, but there
is no actual proof of King Arthur ever being there. The monks, upon discovering
their remains, moved them to a different location.
 |
| The gravesite of King Arthur |
 |
| Sign in Glastonbury Abbey for King Arthur’s gravesite |
The magical history of this place
doesn’t stop there, though. Shortly after Christ’s death, Joseph of Arimathea
and his followers came to Glastonbury .
With him, he carried the chalice used at the Last Supper. This chalice is more
commonly known as the Holy Grail. Joseph buried the grail, according to legend,
and a spring with water red like the blood in the chalice emerged in the same
spot. The water appears red, no because of the blood of Jesus Christ, but
because of the iron in the spring. People can drink the water whenever they
wish, and some even believe it to have healing powers.
 |
| |
Whether any of this is legend or
fact, the Glastonbury Abbey is a very historical place. Anyone who believes
King Arthur once was buried on the grounds can go and see the grave first hand.
Those with a faith in Jesus Christ can drink from a well that is colored from
the chalice used during the Last Supper. No matter what the belief is,
Glastonbury Abbey is the oldest church in England . Though only in ruins now,
the church still holds the same beauty in once used to. The magic of it all is
enough to consume anyone willing to step into it. Every now and then, it’s good
to allow legends to become fact. Doesn’t that make the beauty of it all?
 |
| Glastonbury Abbey and all of its beauty |
Works Cited:
Broome,
Fiona. “Glastonbury :
Home of the Holy Grail?” Celtic Art and
History. Celtic Art and History, 9 July 2011. Web. 09 Oct. 2012.
“Glastonbury
Abbey.” Sacred Destinations, 2005.
Web. 09 Oct. 2012.
“Glastonbury Abbey: The
Legends of King Arthur and Joseph of Arimathea.” Briannia, 2007. Web. 09 Oct. 2012.
hayward68.
“King Arthur’s Gravesite.” Photograph. Virtualtourist.com.
Virtual Tourist, 22 July 2004. Web. 23 Oct. 2012.
Morgan,
David. “Avalon.” British Heritage
19.3 (1998): 38. Academic Search Premier. Web. 9 Oct. 2012.
Oidelman,
Tom. “Former Gravesite of King Arthur (Glastonbury
Abbey).” Photograph. Think-differently-about-sheep.com.
Think Differently About Sheep, 1984. Web. 23 Oct. 2012.
Snyder,
Dr Christopher A. “Chalice Well.” Photograph. Arthuriana.org. Arthuriana, 30 June 2005. Web. 23 Oct. 2012.
Thomas,
Cricket St.
“Glastonbury
Abbey.” Photograph. Swandown.net.
Swandown at Cricket St.
Thomas, 2012. Web. 23 Oct. 2012.
Tymn, Michael E. “The Links for Further Research:
The Chronicle of Glastonbury Abbey
A book which can aid in learning about the abbey’s
past in the fourteenth century.
An online section
of a larger book about medieval history.
No comments:
Post a Comment