Nicholas Mann - Isle of Avalon: Sacred Mysteries of Arthur and Glastonbury Tor

This is an excellent book. Mann explores the mysteries of Avalons physical and sacred features, its mythology, geomancy and spiritual properties with insights that admirably demonstrate his in depth knowledgeSirius

Scholarly and well-documented, this is an outstanding text for those seeking to learn more about the actual sites of the Arthurian legends. An absolute treasure essential for your libraryThe Unicorn

This book places it all in context by providing for the first time a step by step guide to almost every aspect of the Avalon experience. A most valuable reference Balder Journal

Nicholas Mann explores Avalon in impressive detail with a wealth of facts and eloquent discussion which no iconoclasm can dispelGeoffrey Ashe

The Isle of Avalon# 2001 by Nicholas R Mann. All rights reserved No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form without written permission from the author except in the case

of quotations in articles and reviewsFirst published by Llewellyn Books USA 1996

This fully revised edition is published by Green Magic
BCM Inspire

London WC1N 3XXIllustrations by Nicholas R MannPhotographs by Nicholas R Mann and Kevin RedpathTypeset by Academic and Technical, Bristol Printed and bound by Anthony Rowe, Chippenham WiltsCover design by Chris RenderTechnical assistance R Gotto and Wes Freeman

Cover photography
Dawn at The Tor by Simant Bostock (simantbostock@hotmail) Rainbow over The Tor by Kathy Jones Chalice Well Vesica Piscis cover by Kevin Redpath Celebration on The Tor at Millennium Eve by Kevin Redpath (kevin@glastonbury.co.uk)

ISBN 0 9536631 3 2

Reprinted 2003
Reprinted 2005
Reprinted 2006

Nicholas R. Mann made his home upon the Isle of Avalon in 1983. He conducted original fieldwork, took many visitors around the sites, and wrote several guidebooks there. This book is a compilation of his extensive research and experience. He has a degree in ancient history and anthropology.

The Silver Branch Cards , Druidways, 2000
Druid Magic, with Dr. Marcia Sutton, Llewellyn, 2000
Giants of Gaia, with Dr. Marcia Sutton, Brotherhood of Life, 1995 His Story, Llewellyn, 1995
The Red and White Springs, Triskele, Glastonbury, 1993 The Keltic Power Symbols, Triskele, 1987
Glastonbury Tor, Triskele, 1986
The Cauldron and the Grail, Triskele, 1985

We may conclude from the literary, topographical, and the physical evidence, that the British Celts and their Druids held the Isle of Avalon to be the place of the World Axis, with its attendant caves, pathways, openings, World Mountain and World Tree. The Tor is the prototypical sacred and spiral mountain. It provides the steps to the above. Its springs provide the means of egress from and the means of access to the magical realm of the spirit beings below. The Chalice Well and the cave at the White Spring are where the sources of prophecy, wisdom, poetry, sovereignty, sexuality, healing, rebirth, immortality and abundance are actualized and become visible. The physical topography of the island provides an exact mirror of the sacred. It is the cosmogony in microcosm. The Isle of Avalon contains the cosmos and thus is the point of connectionand of journeyingbetween the worlds.

To be close to this mystery, the first people on the Isle of Avalon lived in the simplest possible way. Their lives were a mirror of the seasons. They ate only what could be gathered. They performed a constant round of ritual to be in harmony with the energies of the inner world. Where these energies flowed to the surface of the land, at the caves, hills, trees, groves, and especially at the fountainous springs, they worshipped at the appropriate times and built nothing to interrupt the flow. The island was an earthly paradise because the balanced harmony of Nature, the generative power of the Great Mother, prevailed. The food they ate, the apples of Avalon, were said to give immortality. The mystery kept upon the Isle was that of the cycle of life, death and reincarnation. It was they, the Druids, and before them, the shamans, who took the initiates who came to the Isle through the rites of life passage...

The main cover photograph is the Vesica Piscis cover to the Chalice Well designed by Bligh Bond

It can be seen at the Chalice Well Gardens in Chilkwell Street, GlastonburyChalice Well website: www.chalicewell.org.uk To the Spirit of Avalon Introduction ....................................... 1Part 1

1. The Island ....................................... 7 Geography. The Tor. Geology. The Tor Springs. Ponters Ball. The Avalonian Traditions. Joseph of Arimathea. The Red and the White.

2. Prehistory: The First Comers......................... 26 Somerset 40002000 B.C. The Prehistoric Monuments.
A Ceremonial Monument? Somerset 20000 B.C.

3. Early History: The Old Church & King Arthur............ 35 Caradoc of Llancarfan. William of Malmesbury. The Excavations on the Tor. The First Settlement. Somerset in the Dark Ages. Cadbury Castle. The Second Settlement.

4. Later History: The Abbey & the Tor ................... 50 Glastonbury Abbey. The Last Abbot. Frederick Bligh Bond. The Monastery on the Tor. St Michaels Tower. The Fairfield.

The Terraces on the Tor. Agriculture on the Tor. The Present Day. The Mystery of the Terraces.Part 2

5. Geomantic Mysteries 1: Lines, Stones & Diamonds ......... 71 The St. Michael Line. Ley Lines. Glastonbury Global Alignments. Arthurs Hunting Path. Chalice Hill Geometry. The Tor Stones.

6. Geomantic Mysteries 2: Labyrinths, Spheres & Stars......... 90

The Tor Labyrinth. The Tor Labyrinth and its Astronomical Alignment. The Glastonbury Zodiac. The Floorplan of the Temple.
7. Myth and Legend: Cave, Cauldron, Mountain & Tree....... 111

Gwynn ap Nudd. Caradoc and King Arthur. Morgan le Fay. The Goddess at Beckery. Brides Well. The Landscape Goddess. The Hollow Hill. The World Axis. The World Mountain and Tree.

8. The Underworld: Red Spring & White Spring............ 141 The Chalice Well. The Vesica Piscis. The Tor Springs. The White Spring. The Underworld. The White Spring to the Present Day.

9. The Matter of Britain: Dragons Blood & Heavenly Dew.... 158 The Red and the White Dragons. The Blood Mysteries of Avalon. The Twice Born. The Red and the White Rose. The Alchemy of Britain.

Appendix: Dualism and Deity........................... 177Bibliography ....................................... 181 Index............................................ 185

Diana. Howie who pointed out the landscape diamonds. Stanley Messenger. Alexis. Roger, Jag and Nigel who assisted in the obtaining of the true measure of the Mary Chapel. Sig Lonegren whose skill, and computer, verified the dimensions and the astronomical alignments. Terry Walsh who insisted on the unequivocal and provided the global alignments. Ann Morgan who insisted on the equivocal. Kevin Redpath who provided photographs. Palden who first told me about the King of Faery. Patrick Whitefield. Willow. John Michell. John Brunsdon. Robert Coon. Ella and Andy Portman. Peter Gotto. The Glastonbury Antiquarian Society. And all the many researchers, writers, archaeologists, engineers and frequent flyers on the Avalonian Dreamtime who provided the basis for this book and endured my constant badgering, thank you all very much indeed.

~ Wick Hollow.

After a long period of time, during which ages of ice and flood came and went, people began to settle around the inland sea of the Summer Land. The abundance of game, the easily traveled waterways, and the rich soil supplied all their needs. From the surrounding countryside the Isle of Avalon stood out in the centre of the marshes. The islands unusual hills and groves of trees, watered by two strange and prolific springs, made it an attractive and compelling destination. One milky spring bubbled out from a white grotto that led into a mysterious realm below the highest hill, the other spring flowed blood red. At times the isle could not be seen because of the strange mists that encircled it. Over the ages an otherworldliness grew up around the island. It was not to be idly visited.

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