Glastonbury Tor
Elevation	518 feet (158 m)
Location	Somerset, England
Prominence	476 feet (145 m)
Topo map	OS Landrangers 182, 183
OS grid reference	ST512386
Listing	Sub-Marilyn

Glastonbury Tor is a teardrop-shaped hill at Glastonbury, Somerset, England, which features the roofless St. In topography a summit is a point on a surface which is higher in Elevation than all points immediately adjacent to A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International Somerset ( or) is a county in south west England The County town is Taunton, which is in the south of the county England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland A topographic map is a type of Map characterized by large-scale detail and quantitative representation of relief, usually using Contour lines in modern Ordnance Survey (OS is an Executive agency of the United Kingdom government The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using Latitude and Longitude There are many notable lists of mountains around the world Typically a list of mountains becomes notable by first being listed or defined by an author or group (e Glastonbury is a small town in Somerset, England, situated at a Dry point on the Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. Somerset ( or) is a county in south west England The County town is Taunton, which is in the south of the county England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Michael's Tower. The site is managed by the National Trust. The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organization in England, Wales

Tor is a local word of Celtic origin meaning 'conical hill'. A tor is a rock outcrop formed by Weathering, usually found on or near the summit of a Hill. The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic" a branch of the greater Indo-European Language family. The Tor has a striking location in the middle of a plain called the Summerland Meadows, part of the Somerset Levels. The Somerset Levels (or Somerset Levels and Moors as they are less commonly but more correctly called is a sparsely populated Wetland area of central Somerset The plain is actually reclaimed fenland out of which the Tor rose like an island, but now, with the surrounding flats, is a peninsula washed on three sides by the River Brue. A fen is a type of Wetland fed by surface and/or groundwater Fens are characterized by their water chemistry which is neutral or Alkaline Fens are different A peninsula is a piece of land that is nearly surrounded by Water but connected to Mainland via an Isthmus. River Brue originates in the parish of Brewham in Somerset, England. The remains of Glastonbury Lake Village were identified in 1892, showing that there was an Iron Age settlement about 300–200 BC on what was an easily defended island in the fens. Glastonbury Lake Village was an Iron age village on the Somerset Levels near Godney, some north west of Glastonbury. ^[1][2] Earthworks and Roman remains prove later occupation. Earthworks are engineering works created through the moving of massive quantities of Soil or unformed rock. Roman Britain refers to those parts of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire between AD 43 and 410 The spot seems to have been called Ynys yr Afalon by the Britons, and it is believed to be the Avalon of Arthurian legend. Avalon (probably from the Celtic word abal: apple see Etymology below is a legendary island featured in the Arthurian legend, famous for its beautiful The Matter of Britain is a name given collectively to the Legends that concern the Celtic and legendary History of Great Britain, especially those

The slopes of the Tor appear to be quite regularly terraced. In Agriculture, a terrace is a leveled section of a Hilly cultivated area designed as a method of Soil conservation to slow or prevent the rapid Some believe that this formation is the remains of an ancient, perhaps Neolithic, sacred labyrinth. The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth ( Greek λαβύρινθος labyrinthos) was an elaborate structure designed and built by the legendary artificer ^[3] Others attribute the terraces to natural ruts formed everywhere on grassy slopes by generations of grazing animals, which are slow to disappear if the grass cover is left undisturbed. The generally accepted explanation is terracing for farming, possibly by medieval monks. ^[4] Even after the wetlands were drained by the Monks of Glastonbury Abbey via their vast network of drainage canals, the risk of flooding on the plain meant that farm land was at a premium for anything other than grazing cattle. A wetland is an area of Land consisting of Soil that is Saturated with Moisture, such as a Swamp, Marsh, or Bog MONK is a Monte Carlo software package for simulating nuclear processes particularly for the purpose of determining the neutron multiplication factor or k-effective Glastonbury Abbey, founded in the seventh century was a rich and powerful monastery in Glastonbury, Somerset, England. Canals are artificial channels for water There are two types of canals water conveyance canals which are used for the conveyance and delivery of water and Waterways

Contents 1 History 2 Mythology 3 Terraces 4 Geology 5 Popular culture 6 See also 7 References 8 External links

History

Some Neolithic flint tools recovered from the top of the Tor show that the site has been visited and perhaps occupied throughout human prehistory. Flint (or flintstone) is a hard sedimentary Cryptocrystalline form of the Mineral Quartz, categorized as a variety of Chert Excavations on Glastonbury Tor, undertaken by a team led by Philip Rahtz between 1964 and 1966, revealed evidence of Dark Age occupation around the later medieval church of St. Philip Rahtz (born in Bristol in 1921 is a British archaeologist. This article is about the phrase "Dark Age(s" as a characterization of the Early Middle Ages in Western Europe Michael: postholes, two hearths including a metalworker's forge, two burials oriented north-south (thus unlikely to be Christian), fragments of 6th century Mediterranean amphorae (for wine or oil), and a worn hollow bronze head which may have topped a Saxon staff. A forge is the workplace of a smith or a Blacksmith. A forge is sometimes referred to as a smithy. Burial, also called interment and inhumation, is the act of placing a person or object into the ground Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings The history of the Mediterranean region is the History of the interaction of the cultures and peoples of the lands surrounding the Mediterranean Sea An amphora (plural amphorae or amphoras) is a type of Ceramic Vase with two handles and a long neck narrower than the body Wine is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of Grape juice Cooking oil is purified Fat of Plant or Animal origin which is liquid at room temperature Bronze is any of a broad range of Copper alloys, usually with Tin as the main additive but sometimes with other elements such as Phosphorus For their language see Anglo-Saxon language. Anglo-Saxon is the term usually used to describe the invading Tribes in the south ^[5]

The Celtic name of the Tor was "Ynys Witrin," or sometimes "Ynys Gutrin," meaning "Isle of Glass". At this time the plain was flooded, the isle becoming a peninsula at low tide. A peninsula is a piece of land that is nearly surrounded by Water but connected to Mainland via an Isthmus. Characteristics A tide is a repeated cycle of sea level changes in the following stages Over several hours the water rises or advances up a beach in the flood

Remains of a 5th century fort have been found on the Tor. Fortifications are Military Constructions and Buildings designed for defense in Warfare Humans have constructed defensive works for This was replaced by the medieval St. Michael's church that remained until 1275. According to the British Geological Survey's, an earthquake was recorded on 11 September 1275 which was felt in London, Canterbury and Wales and this quake was what destroyed the church of St. The British Geological Survey (BGS is a partly publicly-funded body which aims to advance geoscientific knowledge of the United Kingdom landmass and its Continental Events 9 - The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul Michael, Glastonbury Tor. ^[6] The quake is reported to have destroyed many houses and churches in England. It is suggested that the quake had a magnitude of well over 7 MSK and it is possible that the epicentre of the quake was in the area around Portsmouth or Chichester, South England. The Medvedev-Sponheuer-Karnik scale, also known as the MSK or MSK-64, is a macroseismic intensity scale used to evaluate the severity of ground shaking on the basis History See also History of Portsmouth There have been settlements in the area since before Roman times mostly being offshoots of Portchester, which Chichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, England. It has a long history as a settlement its Roman past and its subsequent importance

A second church, built in the 1360s, survived until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539 when the Tor was the place of execution where Richard Whyting the last Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey was hanged, drawn and quartered along with two of his monks. The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the formal process between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded Capital punishment, the death penalty or execution, is the Killing of a person by judicial process as Punishment. The word abbot, meaning Father, is a title given to the head of a Monastery in various traditions including Christianity. Glastonbury Abbey, founded in the seventh century was a rich and powerful monastery in Glastonbury, Somerset, England. To be hanged drawn and quartered was the penalty once ordained in England for the crime of High treason. The remains of St. Michael's Tower were restored in modern times. It is a grade I listed building and is managed by the National Trust. A listed building in the United Kingdom is a building or other structure officially designated as being of special architectural historical or cultural significance The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organization in England, Wales ^[7]

The site of the fair held at the foot of the Tor is embodied in the traditional name of "Fair Field" given to an agricultural enclosure, the enclosures in the local landscape dating from the 18th century. A fair is a gathering of people to display or trade produce or other goods to parade or display animals and often to enjoy associated Carnival or Funfair entertainment

Mythology

The Tor has been associated with the name Avalon, and identified, since the alleged discovery of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere's neatly labelled coffins in 1191, with the legendary hero King Arthur. King Arthur is a legendary British leader who according to medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against the Saxon invaders Modern archaeology has revealed a fort, dated to the 5th century.

With the 19th-century resurgence of interest in Celtic mythology, the Tor became associated with Gwyn ap Nudd, who was first Lord of the Underworld, and later King of the Fairies. Celtic mythology is the Mythology of Celtic polytheism, apparently the Religion of the Iron Age Celts Like other Iron Age In Welsh mythology, Gwyn ap Nudd (/ˈgwɨn ap ˈnɨːð/ sometimes found with the antiquated spelling Gwynn ap Nudd) was king of the Tylwyth Teg (the " A fairy (also fay, fey, fae, faerie; collectively wee folk, good folk, people of peace, fair The Tor came to be represented as an entrance to Annwn or Avalon, the land of the fairies. Annwn or Annwfn ( Middle Welsh Annwvn, sometimes inaccurately written Annwyn Annwyfn or Annwfyn) was the Otherworld Avalon (probably from the Celtic word abal: apple see Etymology below is a legendary island featured in the Arthurian legend, famous for its beautiful ^[3]

A persistent myth of more modern origin is that of the Glastonbury Zodiac, an astrological zodiac of gargantuan proportions said to have been carved into the land along ancient hedgerows and trackways. The Temple of the Stars is an alleged ancient temple thought to be situated around Glastonbury in Somerset, England. Zodiac denotes an annual cycle of twelve stations along the Ecliptic, the apparent path of the sun across the heavens through the Constellations that divide the ecliptic A hedge is a line of closely spaced Shrubs and bushes planted and trained in such a way as to form a barrier or to mark the boundary of an area The theory was first put forward in 1927 by Katherine Maltwood, an artist with an interest in the occult, who thought the zodiac was constructed approximately 5,000 years ago. Katherine Emma Maltwood was an artist and became known as the discoverer of the Glastonbury Zodiac (otherwise known as the Temple of the Stars) an enormous geomantic The vast majority of the land said to be covered by the zodiac was, at the proposed time of its construction, under several feet of water.

Christopher Hodapp asserts in his book The Templar Code For Dummies that Glastonbury Tor is one of the possible locations of the Holy Grail. Christopher L Hodapp (born 1958 in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American Author and Filmmaker, noted for his writings about Freemasonry According to Christian mythology, the Holy Grail was the dish plate or cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper, said to possess miraculous powers This is because it is the location of the monastery that housed the Nanteos Cup. The Nanteos Cup is an olivewood bowl held for many years at Nanteos Mansion Rhydyfelin, near Aberystwyth, Wales where it was ^[8]

Another speculation is that the Tor was reshaped into a spiral maze for use in religious ritual, incorporating the myth that the Tor was the location of the underworld king's spiral castle. ^[3]

Terraces

The seven deep, roughly symmetrical terraces are one of the Tor's enduring mysteries. A number of possible explanations for them have been put forward:

• Agriculture — many cultures, not least the British farmers of the Middle Ages have terraced hills to make ploughing for crops easier. In Agriculture, a terrace is a leveled section of a Hilly cultivated area designed as a method of Soil conservation to slow or prevent the rapid Mann, however, observes that if agriculture had been the reason for the creation of the terraces, it would be expected that the effort would be concentrated on the south side, where the sunny conditions would provide a good yield, however it may be seen that the terraces are equally deep on the north, where there would be little benefit. Additionally, none of the other slopes of the island have been terraced, even though the more sheltered locations would provide a greater return on the labour involved.
• Cattle grazing — over long periods of time, cattle grazing can cause terraces to develop, but these are usually of a much smaller size than those observed at Glastonbury and also tend to run parallel to the contours of the hill. In some places, the terraces of Glastonbury are quite steep and it is difficult to point to other hills with comparable patterns of livestock-induced erosion.
• Defensive ramparts — Other Iron Age hill forts in the area show evidence of extensive fortification of the slopes of hills, (for example, South Cadbury Castle). For other Cadbury Castles Camps and Hills see Cadbury. Cadbury Castle is an Iron Age Hill fort in the Civil parish However, the normal form of these ramparts is that of a bank and ditch and on the Tor, there is no evidence of this arrangement. Additionally, South Cadbury, as one of the most extensively fortified places in early Britain had three concentric rings of banks and ditches supporting an 18 hectare enclosure. By contrast, the Tor has seven rings and very little space on top for the safekeeping of a community, making it a strange thing indeed to have spent so much effort to have gained so little.
• Labyrinth — Professor Rahtz felt that the theory that the Tor terraces formed the remains of a three dimensional labyrinth was "well worth consideration" (in Mann, 1993). The theory, first put forward by Geoffrey Russell in 1968, states that the 'classical labyrinth', a design found all over the Neolithic world, can be easily transposed onto the Tor so that by walking around the terraces one eventually reaches the top in the same pattern. In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth ( Greek λαβύρινθος labyrinthos) was an elaborate structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Evaluating this hypothesis is not easy. A Labyrinth would very likely place the terraces in the Neolithic era (Rahtz, in Mann, 1993), but given the amount of occupation since then, there may have been substantial modifications by farmer and/or monks and conclusive excavations have not been carried out.

Geology

The Tor consists of layers of clay and blue lias strata (Jurassic sandstone) with a cap of hard midford sandstone, whose resistance to erosion compared to the lower layers is responsible for its height. Blue Lias is a sequence of layers of Limestones and Shales laid down in Jurassic times between 195 and 200 million years ago Sandstone is a Sedimentary rock composed mainly of Sand -size Mineral or rock grains. The iron-rich waters of Chalice Well, a spring, have been flowing out as an artesian well for millions of years, impregnating the sandstone round it with iron oxides that have reinforced it. Iron (ˈаɪɚn is a Chemical element with the symbol Fe (ferrum and Atomic number 26 Chalice Well is a holy well situated at the foot of Glastonbury Tor in the county of Somerset, England. A spring is a point where Groundwater flows out of the ground and is thus where the Aquifer surface meets the ground surface Altogether there are sixteen known Iron Oxides and oxyhydroxides Iron-rich but oxygen-poor water in the aquifer carries dissolved Iron (II) "ferrous" iron, but as the water surfaces and its oxygen content rises, the oxidized Iron (III) "ferric" iron drops out as insoluble "rusty" oxides that bind to the surrounding stone, hardening it. Iron (ˈаɪɚn is a Chemical element with the symbol Fe (ferrum and Atomic number 26 Iron (ˈаɪɚn is a Chemical element with the symbol Fe (ferrum and Atomic number 26 As the surrounding soft sandstone has eroded away, Glastonbury Tor has slowly been revealed.

Popular culture

Glastonbury Tor has been used in various fictional works. Some examples are given below:

• In the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, hidden beneath Glastonbury Tor is a secret chamber of King Arthur and Merlin; Merlin, according to the show, was actually a member of a race known as the Ancients (or the Alterans) ("Avalon"). A television program (US television programme (UK or television show (U The Ancients are a Humanoid race in the fictional Stargate universe " Avalon " (Parts 1 and 2 of 3 are the Season 9 Premiere episodes of the Science fiction Television series Stargate SG-1
• In Camelot 3000 Arthur is buried (and resurrected) in a tomb found in the tower. Camelot 3000 is an American twelve-issue Comic book Limited series written by Mike W In a later issue, the knights revisit the place to claim the Holy Grail from the Fisher King
• Conquests of Camelot, a 1989 computer game released by Sierra On-Line based on the Arthurian Legends about the Holy Grail, features Glastonbury Tor as one of the possible locations of the Grail. According to Christian mythology, the Holy Grail was the dish plate or cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper, said to possess miraculous powers The Fisher King or the Wounded King figures in Arthurian legend as the latest in a line charged with keeping the Holy Grail. Conquests of Camelot The Search for the Grail is a graphic Adventure game released in 1989 by Sierra. A personal computer Game (also known as a computer game or simply PC game) is a Video game played on a Personal computer, rather Sierra Entertainment Inc is a Worldwide American Video game developer and publisher founded in 1979 by Ken and Roberta King Arthur is a legendary British leader who according to medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against the Saxon invaders According to Christian mythology, the Holy Grail was the dish plate or cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper, said to possess miraculous powers
• In the science fiction novel series Area 51, this is the site of the Hall of Records for the Watchers, who monitor the war between the Arlia. A novel (from Italian novella, Spanish novela, French nouvelle for "new" "news" or "short story The Area 51 novels are a series of Science fiction novels by American author Robert Mayer writing under the Pseudonym
• The third instalment of the Broken Sword series of computer games sees Glastonbury Tor as the centre of the Earth's ley lines and site of the emergence of an evil power. Broken Sword is an Adventure game series created by Game designer Charles Cecil of Revolution Software. Ley lines are hypothetical alignments of a number of places of geographical interest such as ancient Monuments and Megaliths Their existence was suggested It is also the scene for the end battle between George and a dragon.
• In the second and third deliveries of the trilogy by Marion Zimmer Bradley, Lady of Avalon and The Mists of Avalon, Glastonbury of the Monks is the area where the Isle of Avalon is located, separated from the real world by magical mists, and governed by priestesses that descend from a royal line of ancients. Marion Eleanor Zimmer Bradley ( June 3, 1930 – September 25, 1999) was an American author of Fantasy novels such In Avalon, instead of a church, at the top of the Tor there is an ancient stone circle, probably similar to the one in Avebury or Stanton Drew. Avebury is the site of a large Henge and several Stone circles in the English county of Wiltshire surrounding the village of Avebury The Stanton Drew stone circles are at just outside the village of Stanton Drew, Somerset.
• It was featured on the 2005 TV programme Seven Natural Wonders as one of the wonders of the West Country. Seven Natural Wonders was a Television series that aired on BBC Two from 3 May to 20 June 2005.
• In Bernard Cornwell's Warlord trilogy, Glastonbury Tor (called Ynys Wydryn) is the home and fortress of the Druid Merlin. Bernard Cornwell OBE (born February 23, 1944) is a prolific and popular English Historical novelist He is best known for his The Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network ( MERLIN) is an Interferometer array of Radio telescopes spread across England and the The protagonist, Derfel Cadarn, was raised on the Tor. In The Winter King the Tor is raided and sacked by Gundleus, the warlord of Siluria, while Merlin is away. The Silures were a powerful and warlike Tribe of ancient Britain, occupying approximately the counties of Monmouthshire, Breconshire and
• In the popular teenage fiction series Ally's World by author Karen McCombie, the titular character's younger brother is named Tor after Glastonbury Tor, where his parents visited whilst his mum was pregnant. Ally's World is a series of books written for Young adults by Karen McCombie. Karen McCombie is an Author of children and Young adult Novels.

See also

• Drumlin
• European Megalithic Culture

References

• "Glastonbury: Alternative Histories", in Ronald Hutton, Witches, Druids and King Arthur
• 'Glastonbury Tor — A guide to the history and legends', Mann, Nicholas R. Professor Ronald Hutton (born 1954 is a professor of History at the University of Bristol, author and occasional commentator on British Television , 1993, Triskele publications, Butleigh, Somerset. ISBN 0-9510682-1-0
• 'Glastonbury', Philip Rahtz, English Heritage/Batsford 1993, ISBN 0-7134-68661

External links

• Glastonbury Tor information at the National Trust
• bbc.co.uk/somerset: The Glastonbury To(u)r
• Archaeology on the Tor
• National Trust conservation statement, 1999: topography, archaeology, associative values, policies
• Explanation of the geological origin of Glastonbury Tor
• Take a trip to the Tor in 3d (Anaglyphs)
• British Geological Survey (in relation to the quake of 1275. If you go to this link, scroll down to the quake of 11th September 1275)

Coordinates: 51°8′36″N 2°41′57″W / 51.14333, -2.69917

A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system.

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