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Revision as of 14:14, 3 October 2015 by 79.47.83.42 (talk) (location of Avalon no Glastonbury guide. The content of the page "Avalon" are on other pages "Glastonbury abbey"., "glastenbury festival" not appropriate, and original research)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) For other uses, see Avalon (disambiguation).| Avalon | |
|---|---|
| 'Historia Regum Britanniae' location | |
 The Last Sleep of Arthur by Edward Burne-Jones | |
| Created by | Geoffrey of Monmouth |
| Genre | Arthurian legend |
| In-universe information | |
| Type | Legendary island of the dead |
| Characters | King Arthur, Morgan le Fay |
Avalon (/ˈævəˌlɒn/; Template:Lang-cy; probably from afal, meaning "apple") is a legendary island featured in the Arthurian legend. It first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's 1136 pseudohistorical account Historia Regum Britanniae ("The History of the Kings of Britain") as the place where King Arthur's sword Excalibur was forged and later where Arthur was taken to recover from his wounds after the Battle of Camlann. Avalon was associated from an early date with mystical practices and people such as Morgan le Fay.
Etymology
Geoffrey of Monmouth referred to it in Latin as Insula Avallonis in the Historia. In the later Vita Merlini he called it Insula Pomorum the "isle of fruit trees" (from Latin pōmus "fruit tree"). The name is generally considered to be of Welsh origin (though an Old Cornish or Old Breton origin is also possible), derived from Old Welsh aball, "apple/fruit tree" (in later Middle Welsh spelled avall; now Modern Welsh afall). In Breton, apple is spelled "aval"/ "avaloù" in plural. It is also possible that the tradition of an "apple" island among the British was influenced by Irish legends concerning the otherworld island home of Manannán mac Lir and Lugh, Emain Ablach (also the Old Irish poetic name for the Isle of Man), where Ablach means "Having Apple Trees" – derived from Old Irish aball ("apple")—and is similar to the Middle Welsh name Afallach, which was used to replace the name Avalon in medieval Welsh translations of French and Latin Arthurian tales. All are etymologically related to the Gaulish root *aballo- (as found in the place name Aballo/Aballone, now Avallon in Burgundy or in the Italian surname Avallone) and are derived from a Common Celtic *abal- "apple", which is related at the Proto-Indo-European level to English apple, Russian яблоко (jabloko), Latvian ābele, et al.
In Arthurian legend
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According to Geoffrey in the Historia and much subsequent literature which he inspired, Avalon is the place where King Arthur is taken after fighting Mordred at the Battle of Camlann to recover from his wounds. Welsh, Cornish and Breton tradition claimed that Arthur had never really died, but would inexorably return to lead his people against their enemies. The Historia also states that Avalon is where his sword Caliburn (Excalibur) was forged. Geoffrey dealt with Avalon in more detail in Vita Merlini, in which he describes for the first time in Arthurian legend the enchantress Morgan le Fay as the chief of nine sisters (Moronoe, Mazoe, Gliten, Glitonea, Gliton, Tyronoe, Thiten and Thiton) who live on Avalon. Geoffrey's description of the island indicates a sea voyage was needed to get there.
Locations for Avalon
- See also Morgan le Fay
In medieval times suggestions for locating Avalon included Sicily, Canaries and Glastonbury Abbey. In more recent times, just like in the quest for Arthur's mythical capital Camelot, a large number of locations have been put forward as being the real "Avalon".
Geoffrey Ashe suggests an association of Avalon with the town of Avallon in Burgundy, as part of a theory connecting King Arthur to the Romano-British leader Riothamus who campaigned in that area.
Non-Arthurian notability
Places named after Avalon
A number of places around the world are named after Avalon.
- Avalon, California is the main town on Santa Catalina Island off Southern California.
- Avalon, New Jersey is a small beachside town.
- Avalon Airport is a small, currently used airport just outside of Melbourne, Australia.
- Avalon Beach, New South Wales is a beachside suburb in Sydney, Australia.
- Avalon, New Zealand is a suburb of Lower Hutt, in the Wellington metropolitan area.
- During the 17th century, the area surrounding one of North America's first European settlements Ferryland, was named after the legendary isle.
- Originally called the Province of Avalon, in modern times the Avalon Peninsula in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador contains that province's capital.
Avalon in culture
Avalon is a major setting for many modern works of fiction or fantasy, including non-Arthurian French literature, folklore, and epic poems as well as in later works without other connections to King Arthur. Several examples are listed below.
Avalon in non-Arthurian French literature, folklore, and epic poems
Examples include:
- Li coronemenz Looïs (an anonymous twelfth-century Old French chanson de geste, in which appears the phrase por tot l'or d'Avalon "for all the gold of Avalon")
- The legends of Holger Danske, who was taken there by the sorceress Morgan le Fay of Arthurian legend
- The legends of Melusine. It also recurs in a number of later works without other connections to King Arthur
Avalon in modern fiction
Avalon is a major setting for many modern works of fiction or fantasy. Several examples are listed below.
In comics
- In the X-Men comic-book franchise, the supervillain Magneto creates a floating asteroid named Avalon to be a sanctuary for mutants.
- Avalon also appears in the New 52 DC comic book series, Demon Knights.
In literature
- Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon, ISBN 0345350499
- The Chronicles of Amber (1970-1991) by Roger Zelazny is a fantasy book series that references Avalon as shadow-kingdom formerly ruled by Corwin, the protagonist of the first five novels.
- In Chapter 19 of James Rollins' sixth Sigma Force novel, The Doomsday Key (2009), Father Rye and historian Wallace Boyd tell the group seeking the Doomsday Key that Bardsey Island was home to Fomorian royalty and that Merlin was a famous Druid priest, buried on sacred Bardsey Island with other prominent Druids. In the book's "Fact or Fiction" epilogue, Rollins writes: "Bardsey Island truly is Avalon. All the stories and mythologies of the island are accurate, including Merlin's tomb, Lord Newborough's Crypt, and the twenty thousand buried saints. Also, the Bardsey apple continues to grow, and cuttings can be purchased of this ancient tree. As to those nasty currents around the island, those are also real."
- In Poul Anderson's Technic History, Avalon is the name of a planet with a colony composed jointly of Humans and the eagle-like Ythrian aliens.
In video games
- In the online game Wizard101, there is a playable world called Avalon
In television
- Avalon has been referenced in the science-fiction television series Stargate SG-1 (see Avalon (Stargate SG-1)).
- Avalon and many other Arthurian legends are referenced in the anime "Fate/stay Night"
- Avalon and many other Arthurian legends are referenced in Game Soul Sacrifice and Soul Sacrifice Delta
- Avalon is the setting of the mid-1990s animated series Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders.
- Avalon is also visited by the protagonists during the Disney/Buena Vista animated series Gargoyles.
- Avalon (Avila) is the city in Spain that Cary Grant (British Officer), Frank Sinatra (Spaniard Revolutionary), and Sophia Loren (Love Interest and Revolutionary); must move a gigantic canon to fight the French.
In music
The song, "Avalon." was copyrighted in 1920 by Warner Bros., Inc. Music by Vincent Rose, lyrics by Al Jolson and B. G. DeSilva.
Led Zeppelin sings "I'm waiting for the angels of Avalon, waiting for the eastern glow." in the song "The Battle of Evermore", along with references to the Latin meaning of Avalon (apple): "The apples of the valley hold the seeds of happiness".
The line "Sweet Avalon, the heat is on" is found in the track "A Call to Arms" from Mike & The Mechanics' first album.
Avalon is the title of a song from the album World on Fire by Slash.
Avalon Sunset is the nineteenth studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, released in 1989. Morrison also wrote the song "Avalon of the Heart", which was included on his next album Enlightenment in 1990.
Avalon is the title of English rock band Roxy Music's eighth album.
Avalon is a song from the album Fables & Dreams by Swiss symphonic metal band Lunatica.
Isle of Avalon is a song on English rock band Iron Maiden's 2010 progressive metal album The Final Frontier.
Avalon is a song on acoustic oriented band Fiction Family's 2013 album Fiction Family Reunion.
Back to Avalon is a song on the album Desire Walks On by rock group Heart (band).
Avalon is the title of a song on the album Axis Mundi (2015) by Brown Bird.
Avalon is a song on the album Empire of the Undead by power metal group Gamma Ray (band)
Avalon is a contemporary Christian group with 3 Grammy nominations, 22 Number 1 songs, 6 Dove awards, 1 American Music Award.
Avalon is the title of Sully Erna's solo Album, vocalist from Godsmack. The first song of the album is entitled Avalon.
Sail Away to Avalon is a song on the first Ayreon album, The Final Experiment.
Avalon is a Bad Religion song from The Dissent of Man album.
See also
- Agharta
- Atlantis
- Baltia
- Brittia
- Camelot
- Hyperborea
- Lady of the Lake
- Shambhala
- Shangri-La
- Thule
- Thule Society
- Tír na nÓg
References
- Citations
- ^ Koch, John. Celtic Culture:a historical encyclopedia, ABC-CLIO 2006, p. 146.
- Savage, John J. H. "Insula Avallonia", Transactions and Proceedings of the American Philological Association, Vol. 73, (1942), pp. 405–415.
- Nitze, William Albert, Jenkins, Thomas Atkinson. Le Haut Livre du Graal, Phaeton Press, 1972, p. 55.
- Zimmer, Heinrich. Bretonische Elemente in der Artursage des Gottfried von Monmouth, Zeitschrift für französische Sprache und Literatur, Volume 12, 1890, pp. 246–248.
- Marstrander, Carl Johan Sverdrup (ed.), Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1976, letter A, column 11, line 026.
- Hamp, Eric P. The north European word for ‘apple’, Zeitschrift fuer Celtische Philologie, 37, 1979, pp. 158–166.
- Adams, Douglas Q. The Indo-European Word for 'apple' Again. Indogermanische Forschungen, 90, 1985, pp. 79–82.
- Berthelot, Anne, “Apprivoiser la merveille”, in: Mélanges en l’honneur de Francis Dubost, Paris: Champion, 2005, pp. 49–66.
- Avalon in Norris J. Lacy, Editor, The Arthurian Encyclopedia (1986 Peter Bedrick Books, New York).
- Geoffrey Ashe (1985), The Discovery of King Arthur, London: Guild Publishing, pp. 95–96,
(p95) In Welsh it is Ynys Avallach. Geoffrey's Latin equivalent is Insula Avallonis. It has been influenced by the spelling of a real place called Avallon. Avallon is a Gaulish name with the same meaning, and the real Avalon is in Burgundy—where Arthur's Gallic career ends. Again, we glimpse an earlier and different passing of Arthur, on the Continent and not in Britain. (p. 96) Riothamus too led an army of Britons into Gaul, and was the only British King who did. He too advanced to the neighbourhood of Burgundy. He too was betrayed by a deputy ruler who treated with barbarian enemies. He, too, is last located in Gaul among the pro-Roman Burgundians. He, too, disappears after a fatal battle, without any recorded death. The line of his retreat, prolonged on a map, shows that he was going in the direction of the real Avalon. (p. 96)
- Chambers, Edmund Kerchever. Arthur of Britain, Speculum Historiale, 1964, p. 219.
- Rollins, James (2009). The Doomsday Key. pp. Chapter 19 and Fact or Fiction.
- The Legal Fake Book, Warner Brothers Publications, Inc., 1979
- "Avalon Lyrics". Metrolyrics. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
- Bibliography
- Rahtz, Philip (1993), English Heritage Book of Glastonbury, London: Batsford, ISBN 978-0-7134-6865-6.
- Carey, John (1999), "The Finding of Arthur's Grave: A Story from Clonmacnoise?", in Carey, John; Koch, John T.; Lambert, Pierre-Yves (eds.), Ildánach Ildírech. A Festschrift for Proinsias Mac Cana, Andover: Celtic Studies Publications, pp. 1–14, ISBN 978-1-891271-01-4.
