Mount Etna & The Legend of King Arthur
From the travellers of The Grand Tour, which always concluded in Taormina and resulted in many of those tourists choosing to relocate there to Thomas à Becket who in the middle ages after being exiled to France found refuge at the court of King William II of Sicily.
Lord Nelson who owned two properties, one in Bronte and one in Taormina. Even though he never set foot in either of them his plan was to live in Sicily for the rest of his days with Lady Emma Hamilton.
Benjamin Ingham and John Woodhouse who discovered Marsala wine importing it back to England in the 1800's who were followed by the wealthy Whitaker family who owned luxurious properties in Palermo.
Then there is the conspiracy theory that tells that the English play writer William Shakespeare was in fact Sicilian and from the city of Messina.
But do you know the legend of King Arthur and Mount Etna?
Could Etna really be the Island of Avalon and the final resting place of this legendary king?
Sicily is a place full of myths, legends and romance and there are many stories associated with the island both fact and fiction. Avalon literally means "the isle of fruit trees" and it is a legendary island featured in Arthurian folklore.
Along with King Arthur, Avalon first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's 1136 historical 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 fatal wounds after the Battle of Camlann. Avalon has been associated from an early date with mystical practices and figures.
King Arthur was a legendary British leader who according to medieval histories and romances led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the late 5th and early 6th centuries. The details of Arthur's stories are mainly composed of folklore and literary intervention.
In tales and poems that date before Geoffrey of Monmouth's work, Arthur appears either as a great warrior defending Britain from human and supernatural enemies or as a magical figure of folklore. The themes, events and characters of the Authurian legends vary widely.
One of the main characters is Morgan Le Fay also known as Morgana. She is depicted either as a powerful enchantress, a goddess, a witch or a sorceress and is related to Arthur as his magical saviour and protector and is associated with Avalon, where Arthur was carried after being wounded. After the Battle of Camlann she became known as the immortal Queen of Avalon.
There are many legends of Arthur's final resting place, one of the most popular is Mount Etna and it is said that it is possible he lies in a castle whose hidden entrance could be in one of the many mysterious caves that dot the volcanoes slopes.
Some legends say that King Arthur is still alive on the volcano and that Morgan Le Fey keeps him alive by a single sip from the holy grail once a year until he is needed again.
So lets look at the evidence ….. is Mount Etna the final resting place of King Arthur?
It seems likely that Arthurian tales were carried to Sicily during the Norman occupation of the island.
Camlann, the location of the battle where Arthur was fatally wounded is unknown.
In the time of King Arthur the quest for the Holy Grail was the highest spiritual pursuit for a Knight. Did Arthur travel through Sicily in order to reach the holy land?
After being fatally wounded Arthur is said to have been taken to recover on Avalon by Morgan Le Fey.
Morgan Le Fey gave her name to the form of a mirage common off the Straits of Messina known as a Fata Morgana.
This same illusion is associated with the lady of the lake who in early stories is thought to be a water nymph who gives Arthur back the sword Excalibur after he throws it into the lake. There has been many mythological stories of water nymphs who live in the Straits of Messina.
One of the ladies of the lakes, Viviane was also known as the Queen of Sicily where she was worshipped as a goddess. Viviane was a member of the legendary wizard Merlin's Vulgate Cycle also known as the Lancelot-Grail Cycle.
The Sicilians call Mount Etna Mongibello and the Arabs called it Mungibeddu, both meaning 'beautiful mountain'. The name 'Mongibel' is known in Arthurian legend as the other castle of Morgan Le Fey.
Mediaevalist Roger Sherman Moomis quotes passages from the works of Gervase of Tilbury and Caesarius of Heisterbach dating from the late 12th century featuring accounts of Arthur's returning of a lost horse which had strayed into a subterranean kingdom beneath Etna.
Gervase of Tilbury also recounts a story of how one of the Bishop of Catania's grooms set off after a lost horse only to find himself entering a secret location on Mount Etna where he found King Arthur living in a palace.
There is a story which claims that King Richard I whilst passing through Sicily gave a sword he claimed to be Excalibur as a gift to Tancred of Sicily in 1191.
Excalibur was thought to have been forged on the Isle of Avalon.
Hephaestus was the Greek god of blacksmiths, metalwork, volcanoes and fire. He is said to live on Etna where he forges thunderbolts and swords on the flames and lava of the volcano.
Avalon means "the isle of fruit trees", Sicily boasts an abundance of citrus and forest fruits all year round.
So what do you think?
I could watch Mount Etna all day whilst sitting on my roof terrace. At times there are low clouds and the top of the main craters peep out above making the volcano look as if it is floating in the air, giving it a look of a mythological place full of gods and legends or maybe this is just another one of Morgan Le Fey's illusions.
And so as I sit on my roof terrace watching Etna whilst listening to Roxy Music's haunting 1980's anthem 'Avalon' I raise my chalice of Sicilian wine to King Arthur and Mount Etna.
(P.S. I know you are all humming that song in your head now).
But do you know the legend of King Arthur and Mount Etna?
Could Etna really be the Island of Avalon and the final resting place of this legendary king?
Sicily is a place full of myths, legends and romance and there are many stories associated with the island both fact and fiction. Avalon literally means "the isle of fruit trees" and it is a legendary island featured in Arthurian folklore.
Along with King Arthur, Avalon first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's 1136 historical 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 fatal wounds after the Battle of Camlann. Avalon has been associated from an early date with mystical practices and figures.
King Arthur was a legendary British leader who according to medieval histories and romances led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the late 5th and early 6th centuries. The details of Arthur's stories are mainly composed of folklore and literary intervention.
In tales and poems that date before Geoffrey of Monmouth's work, Arthur appears either as a great warrior defending Britain from human and supernatural enemies or as a magical figure of folklore. The themes, events and characters of the Authurian legends vary widely.
One of the main characters is Morgan Le Fay also known as Morgana. She is depicted either as a powerful enchantress, a goddess, a witch or a sorceress and is related to Arthur as his magical saviour and protector and is associated with Avalon, where Arthur was carried after being wounded. After the Battle of Camlann she became known as the immortal Queen of Avalon.
There are many legends of Arthur's final resting place, one of the most popular is Mount Etna and it is said that it is possible he lies in a castle whose hidden entrance could be in one of the many mysterious caves that dot the volcanoes slopes.
Some legends say that King Arthur is still alive on the volcano and that Morgan Le Fey keeps him alive by a single sip from the holy grail once a year until he is needed again.
So lets look at the evidence ….. is Mount Etna the final resting place of King Arthur?
It seems likely that Arthurian tales were carried to Sicily during the Norman occupation of the island.
Camlann, the location of the battle where Arthur was fatally wounded is unknown.
In the time of King Arthur the quest for the Holy Grail was the highest spiritual pursuit for a Knight. Did Arthur travel through Sicily in order to reach the holy land?
After being fatally wounded Arthur is said to have been taken to recover on Avalon by Morgan Le Fey.
Morgan Le Fey gave her name to the form of a mirage common off the Straits of Messina known as a Fata Morgana.
This same illusion is associated with the lady of the lake who in early stories is thought to be a water nymph who gives Arthur back the sword Excalibur after he throws it into the lake. There has been many mythological stories of water nymphs who live in the Straits of Messina.
One of the ladies of the lakes, Viviane was also known as the Queen of Sicily where she was worshipped as a goddess. Viviane was a member of the legendary wizard Merlin's Vulgate Cycle also known as the Lancelot-Grail Cycle.
The Sicilians call Mount Etna Mongibello and the Arabs called it Mungibeddu, both meaning 'beautiful mountain'. The name 'Mongibel' is known in Arthurian legend as the other castle of Morgan Le Fey.
Mediaevalist Roger Sherman Moomis quotes passages from the works of Gervase of Tilbury and Caesarius of Heisterbach dating from the late 12th century featuring accounts of Arthur's returning of a lost horse which had strayed into a subterranean kingdom beneath Etna.
Gervase of Tilbury also recounts a story of how one of the Bishop of Catania's grooms set off after a lost horse only to find himself entering a secret location on Mount Etna where he found King Arthur living in a palace.
There is a story which claims that King Richard I whilst passing through Sicily gave a sword he claimed to be Excalibur as a gift to Tancred of Sicily in 1191.
Excalibur was thought to have been forged on the Isle of Avalon.
Hephaestus was the Greek god of blacksmiths, metalwork, volcanoes and fire. He is said to live on Etna where he forges thunderbolts and swords on the flames and lava of the volcano.
Avalon means "the isle of fruit trees", Sicily boasts an abundance of citrus and forest fruits all year round.
So what do you think?
I could watch Mount Etna all day whilst sitting on my roof terrace. At times there are low clouds and the top of the main craters peep out above making the volcano look as if it is floating in the air, giving it a look of a mythological place full of gods and legends or maybe this is just another one of Morgan Le Fey's illusions.
And so as I sit on my roof terrace watching Etna whilst listening to Roxy Music's haunting 1980's anthem 'Avalon' I raise my chalice of Sicilian wine to King Arthur and Mount Etna.
(P.S. I know you are all humming that song in your head now).
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King Arthurs Messianic Return - Wikipedia
Arthur being taken to Avalon in a 1912 illustration
for Lord Tennyson's poem
Morte d'Arthur
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Dominating the eastern side of the island, Mount Etna is Europe's largest volcano, with vast craters and a height of 3,330 metres, it remains one of the worlds most active volcanoes. For visitors it offers breathtaking views, great hiking and you might just see an eruption of bright red sparks and lava. There are ancient lava flows, caves and lava tunnels to discover which gives Etna a magical atmosphere.
Etna can be experienced in many ways and is a MUST DO visit on any trip to Sicily.
Etna can be experienced in many ways and is a MUST DO visit on any trip to Sicily.
For Volcanic Inspiration
read from my Blog archive
read from my Blog archive
"22 Ways to Experience Mount Etna"
Photo Gallery
We explored the lava flows of the 1928 eruption
in a Defender Jeep with
Simona from Tripping Sicily and Lorenzo from Etnafinder
Find out more in my Blog post
"Mount Etna by Jeep with Tripping Sicily"
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