Joseph of Arimathea and Arthurian Legend

Have you ever been to Glastonbury?

If you have not, then I can assure you that Joseph of Arimathea, like our beloved King Arthur, is someone you will pretty quickly become very familiar with.

Who was Joseph of Arimathea and what on earth does he have to do with Arthurian Legend?

 

 Joseph of Arimathea by Pieto Perugino 

Joseph of Arimathea's story can be found in all four gospels of the Bible. This is what Luke has to say about him...

"Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph, who, though a member of the council, had not agreed to their plan and action. He came from the Jewish town of Arimathea, and he was waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God.

This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid it in a rock-hewn tomb where no one had ever been laid." Luke 23:50-53

Joseph of Arimathea has attracted as many myths as Arthur has -- dare I say his connection with Glastonbury may well have been down to the pragmatic monks of Glastonbury Abbey  -- as businessmen, those monks certainly knew how to attract pilgrims!

Let me briefly detail the British story of Joseph of Arimathea...

"And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountains green?"

 Jerusalem by William Blake

Joseph was Jesus' great-uncle.

Joseph was a wealthy merchant who travelled to Britain - more specifically to Cornwall - to purchase tin. On one of these trips to Britain, Jesus came with him -- hence Blake's famous opening line in Jerusalem.

It is said that Joseph was the first person to bring Christianity to Britain - there is much debate about whether there was any truth in this...Christianity certainly did come to Britain...but the jury is out on whether Joseph had anything to do with this.

Joseph built the very first Christian church in Britain - in fact he built the very first church in the whole world! 

Many poets, such as Robert de Boron wove Joseph's story into Arthurian legend. This idea was cemented further when John of Glastonbury (c. 1340) - a Benedictine monk and chronicler - assembled the history of Glastonbury Abbey. Unsurprisingly the chronicles refers to Arthurian legend on several occasions. John stated that when Joseph came to Britain he brought with him two vessels. On of these vessels contained the blood of Jesus, and the other his sweat - it is interesting to note that not once is the Grail mentioned. John also claimed that Arthur was descended from Joseph and he had the pedigree to prove it??!

This version of events was believed, indeed Elizabeth I told the Roman Catholic bishops that the Church of England pre-dated the Roman Church in England because of Joseph's missionary work.

The legend grew and it was said that Joseph brought the Grail to Britain and hid it in a well at Glastonbury -- which is why the water has a reddish hue to it. You can visit that well today. I wrote a post on The Chalice Well a little while back. If you missed it you can read it here.

Joseph settled in Glastonbury. He was given some land by King Arviragus.

The Glastonbury Thorn

But it doesn't end there. When Joseph visited Glastonbury he thrust his staff into the ground at Wearyall Hill -- then, something amazing happened. Miraculously a thorn tree took root and sprouted from the staff. A miracle indeed. A budded  branch of The Glastonbury Thorn is presented to the Queen once a year at Christmas.

So there we have it. A very brief look at Joseph of Arimathea and his place in Arthurian legend.

The Chalice Well Gardens

 "It is said that beneath its waters Joseph of Aramithea hid the Chalice of the Last Supper and immediately the waters flowed red."

The Chalice Well Gardens can be found in Glastonbury, along with Glastonbury Abbey and Glastonbury Tor - what a wonderful little town it is!

The Chalice Well Gardens are beautiful - especially on a warm summers days.The Gardens is a place where you can meditate. It is also a great place to take a book and spend the afternoon surrounded by tranquility while you get lost in another world.

The Well has been in use for over 2,000 years. The water from the well, which pumps a staggering 25,000 gallons a day, is said to have mystical healing properties. 

The water has a reddish hue. Nowadays we know that this colour is caused by Iron Oxide.  But before scientist could explain such things, our ancestors interpreted the colour of the water in a slightly different way...

In Irish and Welsh mythology, the Well is a gateway to the spirit world.

The Christians thought the reddish hue occurred after Joseph of Aramithea placed the chalice, that caught Jesus's blood at the Crucifixion, in to the water. Others say the water represents the rusty nails that were hammered in to Jesus's hands and feet. There is even evidence to back this up - if you forget about all the scientific knowledge we now know for just a minute - Let me explain how this legend came into being;

The water is red,

The water coagulates (just like hemoglobin),

The water is warm.

The legend also states that Joseph of Aramithea drove his staff into the ground near the well and from that grew a Holy Thorn Tree, which blooms every Christmas.

It is considered by some to be the resting place of the Grail. Although the stories suggest otherwise!

Glastonbury Tor

And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England’s mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England’s pleasant pastures seen?
And did the countenance divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among those dark satanic mills?

                                                             Jerusalem 

I love driving down to Wells from the Mendip Hills. There is a rather bendy and steep hill that has trees and high stone walls on both sides of the road. But then you go around a corner and the scenery opens up in front of you. I particularly like driving down this road early in the morning, because the Tor looks like it is rising from the mist and for that moment, it is easy to believe that Glastonbury was Avalon. This "mist" even has a name - Fata Morgana - the Italina name for this type of mirage. It is said that the Arthurian sorceress Morgen le Frey created fairy castle and false lands in the air, to lure sailors to their deaths.

Many people feel drawn to the Tor and I am one of them. I have spent many an evening up there in my youth, with my friends. It was usually pretty cold, but it was always worth it for the sunset.

I have to be honest, I have avoided blogging about the Tor and I don't really know why that is. I guess it's just one of my special places and sometimes like books, if you talk about them, dissect them, then all you are left with is words - the magic is gone. I do not want to lose the magic of the Tor. But that is a poor excuse! The Tor has a fascinating history and it needs to be shared.

I am not going to go into masses of detail about how high it is or why no one seems to know why the Tor has seven deep, roughly symmetrical terraces. If you have never climbed it, lets just say, your going to be glad when your reach the top. There is a great many steps and boy, is it steep - The picture does not do it justice as to how steep it is - Although I did once see a woman jogger who ran up and down those steps twice - without stopping. I can remember thinking she must be completely mad - I always have to stop half-way and collapse on the grass in a heap! She was obviously just super fit where as I am....

The Tor hides many secrets, of that I am certain. But one thing is for sure, this hill has been drawing people towards it for a very long time. Archaeologists have found Neolithic flint tools at the top of the Tor - and there wasn't even steps up the hill back then - they must have been really, really fit!

Philip Rahtz and his team excavated the site 1964 - 1966 and found evidence of occupation in the 5th to 7th Centuries.

There were at least four buildings on the summit of the Tor during the late Saxon and early medieval period.

The 11th and 12th Century saw the building of a timber church, which was dedicated to St Michael. Monk cells have also been identified there. Although, I can not understand why anyone would want to live on top of the Tor because when that wind blows...your teeth are definitely going to chatter. Believe me - I know.

On the 11th September 1275, there was an large earthquake that destroyed the church. So they built another one in the 14th Century. This church survived until Henry VIII had his own earthquake which saw the destruction of many beautiful monasteries. Richard Whiting, the last Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey was rather brutally executed on top of the Tor along with two of his monks. It always makes me feel incredibly sad when I think of the Abbot and his monks. The Abbot was held in very high esteem. He was a caring spiritual leader. Not only did they all die a traitors death, but from the top of the Tor they could have seen their once beautiful Abbey lying in ruins. The only thing left of the church on top of the Tor was the tower.

Richard Colt Hoarse bought the Tor in 1786 and in 1804 he funded the repair of the tower. In the 20th century the Tor was sold and it became a memorial to Thomas Jex-Blake, the former Dean of Wells. In 1933 the National Trust took control of the Tor and they have looked after her ever since.

Ynys yr Afalon

The Isle of Avalon
(Ynys Witrin - The Island of Glass) 

The Tor has long been associated with Arthur and his knights. The discovery of Arthur and Guinevere's coffin seemed to cement the fact that Glastonbury, is in fact Avalon. Although due to recent discovery's the whole, Arthur and Guinevere connection may not have been so genuine. Those monks of Glastonbury Abbey really knew how to make money!

The 19th Century saw a resurgence of interest in Celtic mythology. It was thought the Tor was the entrance to Avalon - the land of the fairies. 

I have not explained all the myths and folklore associated with the Tor. I am sure you have somewhere better you really should be. 

But it is a most magical place. It is easy to believe in fairies and Goddesses, King and legends, when you are on top of it.

Whether Glastonbury is Avalon, no one knows. But think of this, since the beginning people have been drawn to this place and this hill. I have suspicion that they always will be. Now tell me that isn't magic... 

 

Let's dig King Arthur up!

Remember, in a previous blog about Geoffrey Monmouth ...how he published his work at a politically sensitive time...the Welsh were revolting... and how they claimed that "Arthur would rise again...?" Well, it was time to put an end to this nonsense. It was time to dig up his body and show the world, well the Welsh, that he was in fact, dead.

Around this time there had been strange occurrences at Glastonbury Abbey. The monks had had some nocturnal visions. And that is not all...King Henry II told the abbot that he knew the exact whereabouts of Arthur's body, for a Welsh barb had whispered in his ear that Arthur was buried in the Saxon graveyard within the Abbey.

The monks dug in the exact location that the King described and sure enough they discovered a huge oak coffin beneath a lead cross bearing the inscription. "Here lies King Arthur buried in Avalon."

Inside the coffin there were two bodies. A man and a woman. It is said that the woman's golden hair crumbled away when the monks touched it. The bodies were said to be that of King Arthur and his Queen, Guinevere.

Unfortunately, King Henry died before he could see the bodies.

Now I love the idea of visions and a Welsh barb whispering secrets to a king...But...There is always a but....A fire had badly damaged the Abbey and they were in desperate need of funds and finding Arthurs tomb came at just the right time.

  "....as businessmen, medieval abbots were nothing but pragmatic..." Michael Wood.

They had proof that Arthur was in fact dead and they now had a major tourist attraction which would draw pilgrims, in their thousands, for years to come.

But, even though they had now produced the body, people still believed and some still do, that Arthur would one day rise again. He was after all, "King Arthur, the once and future King."

Mary xx