Legends of King Arthur
“Stop! WHAT is your name?
It is Arthur, King of the Britons!
WHAT is your quest?
To seek the Holy Grail!
WHAT is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?
What do you mean? African or European swallow?”
Was King Arthur a Real Person?
Here is what History.com wrote:
“We’ve all heard stories about King Arthur of Camelot, who according to medieval legend led British forces (including his trusted Knights of the Round Table) in battle against Saxon invaders in the early sixth century. But was King Arthur actually a real person, or simply a hero of Celtic mythology? Though debate has gone on for centuries, historians have been unable to confirm that Arthur really existed. He doesn’t appear in the only surviving contemporary source about the Saxon invasion, in which the Celtic monk Gildas wrote of a real-life battle at Mons Badonicus (Badon Hills) around 500 A.D. Several hundred years later, Arthur appears for the first time in the writings of a Welsh historian named Nennius, who gave a list of 12 battles the warrior king supposedly fought. All drawn from Welsh poetry, the battles took place in so many different times and places that it would have been impossible for one man to have participated in all of them.
“Later Welsh writers drew on Nennius’ work, and Arthur’s fame spread beyond Wales and the Celtic world, particularly after the Norman conquest of 1066 connected England to northern France. In the popular 12th-century book History of the Kings of Britain. Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote the first life story of Arthur, describing his magic sword Caliburn (later known as Excalibur), his trusted knight Lancelot, Queen Guinevere, and the wizard Merlin. An irresistible blend of myth and fact, the book was supposedly based on a lost Celtic manuscript that only Geoffrey was able to examine. A series of romances by the French poet Chrétien de Troyes gave Arthur’s quest a spiritual motive by introducing his search for the mysterious Holy Grail. Though Arthur may not have been a real person, his mythic power would only grow stronger as the centuries passed. English rulers from Henry VIII to Queen Victoria have appropriated the Arthur legend for political purposes, while countless writers, painters, photographers, filmmakers, and other artists have produced their own versions for posterity.”
Arthur may not have been a real person, but the personal attributes embedded in his story reflect our deepest desires for a world filled with wisdom, honor, valor, and equity. In a culture that so often seems to lack such qualities, we yearn for the ideal represented by Arthur. And despite the apparent evidence to the contrary, there are far more people out there who strive for this ideal on a daily basis than we sometimes recognize. May we all strive to be the real King Arthur!
Tintagel
Tintagel (Tin-TA-gle) gained literary fame when Geoffrey of Monmouth named it as the place where King Arthur was conceived. Before the 229 foot suspension bridge was installed in 2019, there was an ancient crossing between the mainland and island. You can watch an amazing short video on the making of the bridge here.
As shown in this model In the visitor’s center, there was once a stone bridge connecting the mainland and the island.
An imagining of how the large, high-status settlement would have looked in the 5th and 6th centuries AD, after the collapse of Roman rule. The headland was probably the seasonal home of a regional king, leader of a powerful kingdom called Dumnonia, which stretched across Cornwall and Devon and into Somerset. This important royal settlement may have inspired the legendary stories associated with this place.
Barras Nose is the name given the small headland immediately east of Tintagel Castle.
It’s a place where one simply must sit and appreciate the magnificence of this planet we call home.
From Barras Nose, Tintagel looks surreal: wispy clouds, hilltop buildings, high-slung bridges, steep hillside walkways, luminous blue waters, caves, and even a waterfall! With or without Merlin, the place exudes magical wonderment.
The new suspension bridge leading to the island.
A photo of the remains of the Great Hall when you first cross onto the island (Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images).
They may not speak of Arthur, but oh the stories these stones could tell!
A peak down through the remains of the Great Hall toward Tintagel Haven (aka Castle Cove) with its waterfall. Barras Nose is the headland in the distance.
Homes with a view. Hopefully they had thick walls to protect against the relentless coastal winds!
More early Dark Age settlements on top of the island.
Gallos (meaning “power” in Cornish)—the life-sized bronze sculpture inspired by the legend of King Arthur and Tintagel's royal past—stands at the island’s peak.
I dub thee “Sir Safety”!
On our way down. Can you tell it’s windy on the top of the island? The suspension bridge to the right with the mainland portions of the castle visible. The building behind and to the left is the Camelot Castle Hotel, one of the most sought after destinations and places to stay in the Victorian and Edwardian world. More recently, the hotel was a filming location throughout the Doc Martin series.
Amanda stands on the “new” bridge, while the “old” stairs used for accessing the island are visible below.
Looking up at the island and suspension bridge from the cliffside stairs below.
Merlin’s Cave
Merlin’s Cave is a 330-foot-long sea cave that passes completely through Tintagel Island from Tingle Haven on the east to West Cove on the west. The cave formed by marine erosion along a thrust plane between slate and volcanic rocks. The cave fills with water at high tide, but has a sandy floor and is explorable at low tide.
Looking through Merlin's Cave toward West Cove.
Looking through Merlin's Cave toward Tintagel Haven (aka Castle Cove).
Tintagel Haven and its waterfall.
The legendary tales say that Arthur is meant to have grown up in Tintagel Castle with King Uther and Lady Igraine.
Merlin lived in the cave below and then tutored Arthur as a boy, in the hope that he becomes a good man and noble king.
We know this story from the tales by Geoffrey of Monmouth’s 1139 History of Kings of Britain. However, it truly shot to fame when Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote of Merlin’s Cave in his Idyll’s of the King. In the cycle of twelve epic poems, the waves of the sea bring Arthur to the shore and Merlin saves the boy and brings him to Tintagel Castle.
Legend has it that you can still see Merlin sometimes and hear his voice in the cave. I must be deaf.
Peter Graham, a local craftsman, spent three months carving Merlin’s face directly into the rock outside Merlin's Cave.
Cornish Pasties
From the Cornish Pasty Company’s website:
“The Cornish Pasty originates from Cornwall (Southwest England) and can be traced back as far as the 1200’s. Mining was once a thriving industry in Cornwall and at that time pasties were baked by the wives and mothers of the tin miners.
“Pasties were made with a thick crimped edge along one side so the miners could use the crimp as a handle to hold on to while eating. The miners hands would often be covered in arsenic from the mine, so the miners would discard the handle when they were done. The crusts were never wasted though, as many miners believed that ghosts, or “knockers,” inhabited the mines, and the leftover crusts would keep these ghosts contented.
“Traditionally, pasties were made with different fillings at each end. One end containing meat and vegetables, and one end with a sweet filling. The sweet end would be marked with an initial so the miners knew what side to eat first. Today, Cornish pasties are filled with steak, potatoes, swede (rutabaga), and onions.
“At one time Cornwall had nearly 2,000 flourishing tin mines, but by the 1880’s tin mining had become a rapidly declining industry. At this time, Cornish miners began emigrating to Michigan’s Upper Peninsular for copper mining, bringing pasties with them.”
After the steep hike up from the Castle, there is this wonderful little pasty shop, just begging you to step inside.
Piping hot tea for two and an oven-warm pasty. Since arriving in Cornwall, every pasty shop we’ve visited has had at least one, if not more, vegan options. It should come as no surprise that a pasty from Cornwall is a real treat! It was so good, we bought another for take away.
Camelot Hotel
For us, the Camelot Castle Hotel is best known from the very first Doc Martin episode where they conduct Dr Ellingham’s interview at the hotel. Pretty much just a photo op. 📷
St Nectan’s Glen & Waterfalls
St Nectan’s Glen is an area of ancient woodland where a tranquil walk leads to a 60-foot-high waterfall on the Trevillet River. It is said the Knights of the Round Table were blessed here before beginning their quest for the Holy Grail.
Below the main waterfall, the water cascades through a hole in the slate called a “kieve.”
St Nectan’s Kieve is the glen's most prominent feature.
A very tranquil and romantic setting.
Mementos and memorials placed below the falls. Can you spot the “dime” we left for Poppop?
Interesting little kitty at the exit gate.
Our pursuit of Arthur, Lancelot, Guinevere, and Merlin added up to a little over 6 miles, which included a lot of climbs and descents. Add that to our 7.5 miles the day before, and we’re pooped! Time to put some logs in the stove and settle down with a couple of good books—hopefully filled with stories of wisdom, honor, valor, and fairness.
