Fans of all the paranormal claim that this amazing hill, located near the ancient British city of Glastonbury, is a portal to other worlds. Folk legends firmly associate it with the legends of King Arthur and his knights. And the official authorities are guarding the hill of St. Michael and the medieval tower at its top, in the hope that someday they will reveal their secrets.
It is a natural elevation of about 145 meters, surrounded by seven man-made ledges. Their origin is vague: some researchers believe that this is an ancient Celtic path that led to the temple of the Mother Goddess located on the top of the hill, others tend to see them as a kind of labyrinth. And still others argue that there is nothing mysterious about it - these ledges are the most ordinary vegetable gardens: in ancient times the area around was swampy, often flooded, so the practical Celts broke them up on special terraces arranged on the hillsides.
It is quite possible that this is so - the Celts settled in these parts in time immemorial: already in the III century BC. e. there was a fairly large settlement of them, and in the 5th century. n. e. - and a small fortress, the inhabitants of which had to eat something, so the version about gardens, for all its prosaic nature, looks quite reasonable.
And yet, it was from the Celtic times that the idea of this hill as a place of power, a portal to another world called Avalon, where there is no sorrow and suffering, was entrenched in the popular consciousness. In Celtic legends, Avalon is the place of residence of immortal heroes and wizards, wonderful apples grow on it, which grant immortality, King Arthur's sword was forged on Avalon, and he himself was taken there after his last battle …
Promotional video:
The appearance of these legends is justified by nature itself: during frequent floods, a hill towering over the surrounding swamps (they began to be drained only in the 16th century) turned into an impregnable island and gradually became a symbol of hope for salvation from the elements, a new life.
One way or another, but for hundreds of years, the hill of St. Michael has been closely connected in the popular mind with the main myths of the English land: about Avalon, about the Land of the Fairies (which, allegedly, can also be reached from here), about King Arthur. The discovery of sarcophagi with the remains of the legendary ruler of the Britons and his wife, the beautiful and unfaithful Guinevere, was announced in 1191 by the monks of the nearby Glastonbury Abbey during the renovation - they seemed to be under the floor of the church.
The holy fathers reburied them, put a cross over the grave and began to reap the fruits of their "resourcefulness": the flow of pilgrims to the abbey increased significantly. More than 8 centuries have passed since then, but popular rumor continues to stubbornly consider the hill of St. Michael to be the resting place of Arthur, and not the nearby abbey.
In light of all the above, it would be quite logical if the hill was named after this legendary king. Why is it named after the main Christian archangel?
After the Celts became part of history, they were replaced by the Romans, and then by the Christians, who built a church on the top of the hill dedicated to St. Michael. By the way, it is considered one of the first religious Christian buildings in the British Isles. Now, from this ancient (archaeological excavations claim that it was erected almost in the 5th century), only the medieval tower remained - at first the church was severely damaged during a powerful earthquake in 1275, and during the reign of the violent Henry VIII, who destroyed many churches and monasteries throughout good old England, it was generally abolished. By order of the king, the last abbot of Glastonbury was hanged on the hill, and the walls of the church were dismantled - stones were used to pave the roads.
Despite the fact that nothing remains of the ancient structures, except for the majestic tower, St. Michael's Hill is one of the main tourist attractions in Great Britain. Thousands of people come here to see with their own eyes a place that has become so firmly embedded in dozens of English legends and traditions.
Author: Korobennikova Julia