Glastonbury Legends

The legends that are interwoven forming much of your Glastonbury experience

Wearyall Hill Glastonbury
Thorn Bush On Wearyall Hill

Glastonbury is steeped in legends and mysticism that weave themselves through much of what you will see and experience at Glastonbury. On this page we give a briefing to the three main strands of legend and its impact on what you will see and experience at Glastonbury today.

Joseph of Arimathea And The Holy Grail

Joseph of Arimathea was a wealthy disciple of Jesus. He also provided the tomb where the crucified Lord was laid until his Resurrection.

After the death of Jesus, legend has it that Joseph accompanied the Apostle Philip, Lazarus, Mary Magdalene & others on a preaching mission to Gaul. Lazarus & Mary stayed in Marseilles, while the others traveled north towards Britain.


At the English Channel, St.Philip sent Joseph, with twelve disciples, to establish Christianity in the most far-flung corner of the Roman Empire: the Island of Britain. The year AD 63 is commonly given for this "event".

Glastonbury Overview
Myths and Legends
Wearyhall Hill
Glastonbury Abbey
Glastonbury Tor
Chalice Well
White Spring
Getting To Glastonbury
Public Transport
Day Tours From London
Within An Hour
Bath
Stonehenge
Lacock

His boat ran ashore in the Glastonbury Marshes and, together with his followers, he climbed a nearby hill to survey the surrounding land.


Having brought with him a staff grown from Christ's Holy Crown of Thorns, he thrust it into the ground and announced that he and his twelve companions were "Weary All". The thorn staff immediately took miraculous root, and it can be seen there still on Wearyall Hill.


The water flows through the garden and there is a small pool where you can paddle or bathe in the waters.

Sampling The Waters At Chalice Well

At Glastonbury Joseph built the first monastery in Britain. From here he became the country's evangelist.


Further, Joseph is said to have brought with him to Britain a cup, said to have been used at the Last Supper and also used to catch the blood dripping from Christ as he hung on the Cross.


A variation of this story is that Joseph brought with him two cruets, one containing the blood and the other, the sweat of Christ.

King Arthur & Avalon

Glastonbury claims to be Avalon and to be the final resting place of King Arthur. The nearby hill fort at South Cadbury has long been suggested as the location for Camelot.


Grave Of King Arthur At Glastonbury Abbey

According to legend after Arthur's many exploits and stories concerning his Knights, the Round Table and the Holy Grail, he was wounded by Mordred at the battle of Camlan. This was around the year 542 and he was then taken across the water to the Isle of Avalon for his wounds to be healed.


Glastonbury Tor, the hill that rises above Glastonbury, has been linked with the Isle of Avalon, where King Arthur was buried after his death. This isn't so farfetched as it may sound, for a millennium ago the water level was much higher, and the tor would indeed have been an island. Avalon was also called "the isle of glass" which does suggest similarities to the name "Glastonbury".


The Holy Grail, the object of Arthur's questing, is said to be buried beneath Glastonbury Tor, and has also been linked to Chalice Well at the base of the Tor.

The association of Arthur and Glastonbury goes back at least to the early Middle Ages. In the late 12th century the monks of Glastonbury Abbey announced that they had found the grave of Arthur and Guinivere, his queen.

According to the monks, an excavation found a stone inscribed "Here lies Arthur, king." Below the stone they found the bones of a large man, and the smaller skeleton of a woman. The monks reburied the bones in the grounds of the abbey, where they were a very handy draw for pilgrims. The site of the grave can be seen today in the abbey grounds.

Mystical Glastonbury - Druids, Earth Goddesses, Ley Lines ...

Glastonbury is a centre for mystics, earth spirits and such like, a substantial part of what makes Glastonbury unique. A walk down Glastonbury High Street encounters many retail outlets focused on the broad mystic subject and you'll encounter quite a few people in characterture strolling around on their everyday business.


You have a good chance of there being some kind of allied exhibition or meeting taking place.

Back 2,000 years ago the Celts believed Glastonbury Tor was a gateway to the underworld. The White Spring at the foot of Glastonbury Tor is now being turned into a Temple for such people who are into Mother Earth and mystic beliefs.


Natural geomagnetic lines in the earth, (ley lines) come together at Glastonbury.

One such ley line called 'The Michael line'. 'The Michael line' flows down from the Tor and then passes through the other major Glastonbury sites – Chalice Well, the Abbey and Wearyall Hill

Glastonbury is a long drive from London, by private car it will take around 3 hours. There are day tours from London though that operate several times a week by a couple of small group tour specialists. The large coach tour operators do not come to Glastonbury which only adds to its attraction.

International Friends King Arthur Tour - Glastonbury, Stonehenge and Avebury

Tour Highlights

- Entrance and tour of Stonehenge

- Glastonbury, entrance/tour to Glastonbury Abbey, Tor and Chalice Well Gardens

- Avebury stone circle and Silbury Hill


High quality tour in 16 seat luxury minibuses with pickups in the main hotel districts around 07:30 a.m. returning to London around 7 p.m.

Mid morning tour of Stonehenge is followed by lunch and early afternoon at Glastonbury with free time. A stop is made at Avebury henge on the return to London. Unlike Stonehenge, you can walk among and touch the stones at Avebury, it is totally open access.

Glastonbury, Stonehenge and Avebury Day Tour From London - More Details