Was Tintagel Castle A Fortress Used By Iconic Hero King Arthur?
A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com - Ancient Tintagel Castle has quite spectacular natural topography, particularly the eroded neck of land dividing the island from the mainland.
Located on both sides of the chasm, the Castle experienced centuries-long erosion.
It practically 'consumed' many parts of it along with earlier buildings. Split in two by the force of the sea and ruined, the Tintagel Castle was once the fortress used by King Arthur.
Iconic hero King Arthur was first linked to Tintagel in the 12th century when Geoffrey of Monmouth named it the place where Arthur was conceived.
One legend is that the infant Arthur, probably of mixed Roman and British parentage, was thrown by the waves on the beach by Merlin's cave. He is identified with the known history of a Celtic chieftain of the 5th century, a great warrior who led his fellow citizens in the West in their resistance against Saxon invaders.
The marriage of Arthur and Guinevere. Image credit: Speed Lancelot (1860-1931) - Scan of illustration at title page in a book of The Legends of King Arthur and His Knights (Facing p. 78), 1912., 9th edition. Ed. Sir James Knowles, K. C. V. O. London; New York: Frederick Warne and Co., 1912 - Public Domain
The original fortress is long gone, but archaeologists have found proof in their diggings on the Tintagel Castle that fifth-century citizens lived on the site.
The replacement castle was built between 1230 and 1236 and is now nearly 800 years old. The Castle was in ruins within two hundred years and remains so.
There is something special about Tintagel. Its associations with the legendary King Arthur date back to the twelfth century.
This iconic hero was for the first time linked to Tintagel by Geoffrey of Monmouth, the medieval author of "History of the Kings of Britain," who, in the story "Once and Future King," confirms it as the place where Arthur was conceived with the help of Merlin.
Geoffrey places the event at Tintagel Castle, which was said to be the home of the Duke of Cornwall, Gorlois, and his enchanting wife, Ygerna. Some 700 years later, the great Victorian poet laureate, Alfred Lord Tennyson, in "Idylls of the King," begins his story of Arthur at Tintagel.
Was it just a coincidence? Why did the authors choose this particular place for their stories? Were they inspired by an ancient oral or written tradition that associated Arthur with Tintagel?
Geoffrey of Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britain contains the earliest written mention of Tintagel. The tale tells how Arthur was conceived there by Uther Pendragon, King of Britain, because of his magically assisted seduction of Queen Igerna (Igraine), wife of Duke Gorlois of Cornwall.
Enigmatic Tintagel Castle is a very ancient place; its visible ruins date back to the 13th century, but according to archaeological excavations, there were other older ruins on this site.
Dr. C.A. Ralegh Radford (1900- 1999) excavated the site in the 1930s. He believed that the earlier Tintagel was a Celtic monastery dating back to around the fifth century, the supposed time of Arthur.
Further excavations in the 1990s have shown that it was not a monastic site but the stronghold of a powerful, dark-age chieftain.
Who was the mysterious man?
Written by – A. Sutherland AncientPages.com Staff Writer
Copyright © AncientPages.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or part without the express written permission of AncientPages.com
Expand for referencesMore From Ancient Pages
-
Mysterious La Berta – ‘Petrified’ Stone Head And The Curse Of Cecco d’Ascoli Who Was Burned At The Stake
Featured Stories | Jul 29, 2019
-
Enigmatic Footprints Reveal Humans Were In Spain 200,000 Years Earlier Than Previously Thought
Archaeology | Nov 11, 2022
-
Early Humans Were Walking 7 Million Years Ago – Hominin Fossils Reveal
Archaeology | Sep 1, 2022
-
13,000-Year-Old Human Footprints Discovered In Canada
Archaeology | Mar 30, 2018
-
Oldest Greek Oracle At Dodona And Zeus Sacred Oak Tree – Where Oracle of Dodona: Sacred Place Where Gods Spoke To Humans For The First Time
Featured Stories | May 24, 2016
-
Modern Pesticide Accelerates Corrosion Of Ancient Roman Bowl
Archaeology | Oct 6, 2022
-
Viking Longships: Fearless Dragonships Daring The Oceans And Seas
Ancient History Facts | Apr 16, 2016
-
The Ebers Papyrus – Most Famous Plant Medicine ‘Encyclopedia’ Of Ancient Egypt
Civilizations | Feb 3, 2016
-
Extremely Well Preserved 2,000-Year-Old Child Shoe Discovered In Salt Mine
Archaeology | Sep 5, 2023
-
12,000-Year-Old Flutes Made From Bird Bones – Discovered
Archaeology | Jun 10, 2023
-
Ancient Mosaics Dated To The First Century Discovered In Southern Turkey
Archaeology | Jan 14, 2019
-
Homo Longi: Extinct Human Species That May Replace Neanderthals As Our Closest Relatives
Evolution | Sep 14, 2023
-
Was Prehistoric Baghdad Battery A Unique Find Of The Ancients? – Did Its Manufacturers Discover Electricity By Accident?
Ancient Technology | Mar 8, 2019
-
Study Reveals Average Age That Women And Men Had Children Over Past 250,000 Years
DNA | Jan 10, 2023
-
Statue Of Greek Health Goddess Hygieia – Unearthed
Archaeology | Aug 24, 2021
-
Mystery Of Hizir – One Of The Most Enigmatic And Extraordinary Ancient People
Featured Stories | Oct 16, 2018
-
‘Collata Quipu’ May Explain Messages Hidden In Mysterious Writing Of Inca
Archaeology | May 10, 2017
-
Can Pollen Analysis Solve The Ice Age Mystery How And When Homo Sapiens Migrated Across Europe And Asia?
Archaeology | Sep 23, 2023
-
Evidence Europeans Used Slash-And-Burn Methods 9,500 Years Ago For Agriculture Purposes
Archaeology | May 18, 2022
-
Knights Templar’s Legendary Sword In Stone In Terminillo Mysteriously Disappeared – Where Is It Hidden?
Featured Stories | May 3, 2021