King Arthur's Avalon: The Story of Glastonbury

by Geoffrey Ashe

Glastonbury is a place of strong magic, which one day will revive…In King Arthur’s Avalon , leading Arthurian scholar Geoffrey Ashe explores the idea that King Arthur and his wife Guinevere are buried at Glastonbury, a town which also has legendary links to Camelot and the iconic Holy Grail.Ashe suggests that the Somerset town, which is also linked to Joseph of Arimathea, was in fact Avalon, the legendary island at the heart of Arthurian legend where the sword Excalibur was forged.In this detailed historical and literary discussion of Britain’s ‘New Jerusalem’ Ashe moves from Malory to Blake to Tennyson to show that Glastonbury’s magic is at the heart of British history, as well as British legend.King Arthur’s Avalon has sold more than 100,000 copies in over sixty years and has been widely credited with reviving interest in both Glastonbury and the Arthurian legends.'Crisp, imaginative and contemporary ... a book that will madden the academic historian and delight the common reader' - Sunday Times'It attacks all the problems which have gathered around Arthur and the Grail legend, and makes what is perhaps the first coherent and cogent narrative out of the whole tangle' - ObserverBorn in London in 1923, Geoffrey Ashe spent several years in Canada. He graduated from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, before continuing at Cambridge. He has written numerous books, many focused on the Arthurian legend. In 1963 he became a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and he was awarded an MBE in 2012. He is recognised as a leading cultural historian and author, and lives in Glastonbury, where he is an Honorary Freeman “in recognition of his eminent services to the place”, with his wife Patricia.

Genres: History, Arthurian, Mythology, Nonfiction, Archaeology

315 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1957

About the author

Geoffrey Thomas Leslie Ashe is a British cultural historian, a writer of non-fiction books and novels.

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

First published in 1957, this is the post-war book that really re-invigorated interest in King Arthur and the Dark Ages by focusing on the medieval notion that he was buried in the grounds of Glastonbury Abbey. On the surface all the omens were good: archaeologically there was evidence that there was an ancient cemetery here – in the early sixties a prominent archaeologist, Ralegh Radford, would even pinpoint where 12th-century monks dug for the supposed grave of Arthur – legends placed Dark Age saints here, the medieval abbey was one of the richest (if not the richest) monastic foundation in the country, and many people in recent times have been attracted by the supposed aura of the place. Certainly Ashe, a Catholic, believes there is something special here, and that the legends, even if not true, have a significance beyond the claimed facts; and he has lived on the slopes of Glastonbury Tor for many decades now, a vindication of the magic of this small Somerset town.

If however you don’t fall prey to that magic, see the town as ordinary or – worse – tawdry, doubt that legends are anything other than the product of Rumour and Time, suspect that the tomb of Arthur may have been a publicity stunt by medieval monks and believe that the existing archaeology is at best ambiguous, then King Arthur’s Avalon still stands as a testimony to the ability of a young writer to capture a contemporary yearning for past glories, a zeitgeist that remains attached to Glastonbury well over half a century later and looks certain to be a powerful force for many years to come.

There have been many other books on Glastonbury since, most, I have to say, full of woolly mystical thinking and little else. An excellent survey of the archaeology, history and mystery by the late Philip Rahtz entitled, unsurprisingly, Glastonbury (published jointly by English Heritage and Batsford in 1993) is one of the very few I would recommend for its mix of historical accuracy and informed speculation. King Arthur’s Avalon’s very title, on the other hand, makes assumptions about the existence of Arthur, his status as monarch, his connection with Glastonbury and, indeed, the town’s original name, while the style is a little patronising and certainly of its time; but there is much that one can still profit from, particularly its survey of the part the medieval abbey played in contemporary politics, religion and culture.

Ashe himself has gone on to be a successful writer on a range of other subjects (he received an MBE in recognition of his contributions as a cultural historian), but still comes back to re-visit many of themes he first set out over five decades ago in this seminal book.

http://wp.me/s2oNj1-avalon

[Joanna · Rating 1 out of 5]

So, I'm finally finished with my thesis reading, and I have the liberty to choose books for leisure once again. So what's the first thing I reach for? Non-fiction Arthurian history...does anybody else find that really weird?

Addendum:
This book is soooo incredibly booooring. I'm going to shelve it for now, even though I absolutely hate doing that and usually continue to plow through books even if they're ridiculously boring or stupid, just because I made a commitment to finish them when I first picked them up. But, this one I just can't stomach at the moment. 'tis a shame.

[Gabriel Clarke · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is this book, exactly? Cultural history? Ecclesiastical history? A folklore study? All of these things? What caught me up when I first read this in my teens was the enthusiasm and energy Ashe brought to his project. That still glows through every sentence. There is a great deal of wistful speculation (but at least it’s presented as such), signposts to a veritable monastic library of excavated ancient texts and plenty to fascinate and educate. Take it as a source book for the many ways people have thought about Glastonbury, Arthur and the Grail and you won’t go far wrong.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

King Arthur's Avalon: The Story of Glastonbury by Geoffrey Ashe – A bit slow to read, but it was interesting if you love King Arthur! Happy Reading!

[Mitchie Baudelaire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great introduction into academic approach to research of Arthurian legend.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book deals with the legends surrounding King Arthur and the Holy Grail. It centers on Glastonbury, a small town in England that is reputed to be the site of Avalon, King Arthur's final resting place. The book combines the known history with the legends, and provides lots of interesting detail about the development of the Arthur story over the centuries.

[Gaby · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really bored by this book. It was more an ecclesiastic history than anything else and I think that Ashe is biased. A historian shouldn't be biased at all. I have a few other books by him on my shelves but I think I won't read them now.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting read about Glastonbury and the Isle of Avalon. I'm not going to use it for my BA thesis, but still liked to read about it.