Explorations in Arthurian Legends
The Places
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- Almesbury:
nunnery where Guinevere went after being rescued by
Lancelot. Click here
for more.
- Astolat:
land of Elaine and father Bernard and brother Lavaine. In
Tennyson, both Gawain and Lancelot stay in Astolat, the
former searching for the latter. Click here
for more.
- Avalon: the
sacred island Arthur is said to have been taken to after
receiving his mortal wound. It has never been positively
placed in the geography, but the good folks in
Glastonbury would have you believe that Glastonbury Tor,
which was an island centuries ago, was Avalon. For more,
click here
and here
and here.
- Avilion:
Tennyson's name for Avalon.
- Bedegraine:
forest that was the site of a battle between Arthur and
his supporters and a group of enemies, including Lot,
when the young Arthur first became king. Malory
identifies this forest as being part of Sherwood Forest.
Click here
for more.
- Benwick:
kingdom ruled by Ban, father of Lancelot. Malory
identifies Benwick as Bayonne and Beaune.
- Broceliande:
the mystical
forest is mentioned in many of
the tales, including those by Wace and Chretien. It is
also the place, tradition holds, where Niniane held
Merlin captive. In the heart of Britanny, which has its
own distinct Arthurian tradition.
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- Cameliard:
kingdom of Leodegrance, the father of Guinevere.
Carolhaise was an important city in Cameliard. The Round
Table came from Leodegrance as a gift to Arthur. Tennyson
says Arthur fought his first great battle here and first
saw Guinevere. Click here
for more.
- Camelot:
the legendary court and capital of Arthur. A great many
famous things happened here, including the sighting of
the Grail, the adultery of Lancelot and Guinevere, and
the rescuing of Guinevere by Lancelot. For more about the
legend, click here
and here
and here
and here.
- Cornwall:
many of the great Arthurian legends come from Cornwall
and are associated with places there.
King Mark ruled there. With Mark comes the story of
Tristan and Isolde. Merlin is also said to be involved in
many legends of Cornwall. Click here
for a general history of the region.
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- Glastonbury:
The good folks at Glastonbury claim that Arthur's (and
Guinevere's) remains were found here in the 12th century.
That claim notwithstanding, Glastonbury was the site of
the first permanent British Christian community. Legend
has it that the famous abbey was the inspiration of the
community's first great leader, Joseph of Arimathea, not
coincidentally the legendary bearer of the Holy Grail to
Britain. For more, click here
and here.
- Joyous
Gard: Lancelot's castle in the north. It was earlier
and later called Dolorous Gard. Click here
for more and here
to read a poem about the castle.
- Liones:
kingdom ruled by Meliodas, Tristan's father, in some
traditions and by Lot in others. It is also thought to
have been confused with Lyonesse.
- Lothian:
land in Scotland. King was Lot, alternately supporter or
foe of Arthur, depending on the source.
- Lyonesse:
the lost
kingdom, said to be across the
water. Often associated with Cornwall.
Click here
for more.
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- Stonehenge:
the Giants' Dance (or Ring in Geoffrey), the circle of
stones thought to be the burial place of many great
British heroes, among them Uther Pendragon. For more,
click here
and here
and here.
- Tintagel:
the legendary birthplace of Arthur, according to Geoffrey
and subsequent romancers. In the Tristan stories,
Tintagel Castle belongs to King Mark. For more, click
here
and here
and especially here.
- Waste
Land: land created by the Dolorous Stroke.
Only the Grail Knight's asking of the correct question
could remove it. The Didot Perceval says it was
all of Britain. Click here
and here
for more.
- Winchester:
Malory places Camelot here. The good folks at Winchester
even have a Round Table that they say is Arthurian in
nature. Click here
and here
for more.
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