The Lost Tomb of King Arthur: The Sh for Camelot and the Isle of Avalon

102 Pages·2016·0.91 MB·English

by  Phillips

In loving memory of my sister Margaret
The
Lost Tomb
of
KING ARTHUR
“Another must-read for anyone interested in the often inconvenient truth
of history from the audacious and persuasive graham Phillips. This book
will challenge much of what you think you know about Arthur—but in a
good way!”
LYNN PICKNETT, COAUTHOR OF THE TEMPLAR REVELATION AND TURIN SHROUD:
IN WHOSE IMAGE? THE TRUTH BEHIND THE CENTURIES-LONG CONSPIRACY OF
SILENCE
“The history of King Arthur, and whether he truly existed, has been
studied by many scholarly disciplines—it is an immense jigsaw puzzle. in
this book, graham Phillips brings these pieces together to form a coherent
picture of who the historical Arthur actually was. Always engaging and
informative, this book penetrates the mystery of one of England’s iconic
heritage figures.”
STORM CONSTANTINE, AUTHOR OF THE MAGRAVANDIAS CHRONICLES
“Just when you thought the legend of King Arthur was a fairytale, graham
Phillips shatters the illusion with historical facts, discoveries, and theories
that challenge everything you thought you knew about the once and future
king. Compelling read for all questers of the truth.”
ANDREW GOUGH, WRITER, PRESENTER, AND EDITOR OF THE HERETIC MAGAZINE
PRAISE FOR OTHER BOOKS
BY GRAHAM PHILLIPS
“graham Phillips has always been noted for his meticulous historical
research, depth of vision, and ability to follow the threads of a mystery
throughout history.”
NEW DAWN MAGAZINE
“Of the many books out recently shedding new light on ancient history,
this attempt to prove that the Bible is nearer historical truth than skeptics
maintain is one of the best.”
DAILY MAIL REVIEW OF ATLANTIS AND THE TEN PLAGUES OF EGYPT
“Compelling evidence that the Knights Templar may have taken the Ark
of the Covenant to the British isles.”
THE GUARDIAN REVIEW OF THE TEMPLARS AND THE ARK OF THE COVENANT
Acknowledgments
The author would like to thank the following people for their invaluable help:
Deborah Cartwright for the wonderful photography; Yvan Cartwright for
compiling the index and for fantastic IT support; my researcher Maia Wille; Jodi
Russell for extra research material; Sally Evans, Dave Moore, and Claire
Silverman in helping with translations; and Jon Graham, Kelly Bowen, Mindy
Branstetter, Jeanie Levitan, Manzanita Carpenter, and all the team at Inner
Traditions.
Contents
Cover Image
Title Page
Dedication
Epigraph
Acknowledgments
Introduction: A Flesh-and-Blood Historical Figure
Chapter 1: Here Lies King Arthur
Chapter 2: Camelot
Chapter 3: Swords of Power
Chapter 4: Avalon
Chapter 5: Morgan and Her Sisters
Chapter 6: The White Land
Chapter 7: Last of the Romans
Chapter 8: Merlin the Bard
Chapter 9: A Historical Figure?
Chapter 10: Capital City
Chapter 11: The Name of the King
Chapter 12: Camlann
Chapter 13: The Once and Future King
Appendix: Chronology
Endnotes
Bibliography
About the Author
About Inner Traditions • Bear & Company
Books of Related Interest
Copyright & Permissions
Index
9
A Historical Figure?
Before continuing with our investigation in the area of Britain that once
comprised the adjacent kingdoms of Gwynedd and Powys, we need to directly
appraise the case for Arthur’s existence. In the first chapter I said that even
before I began my search for his final resting place, I had compelling reason to
believe King Arthur had been a historical figure. It is time to elucidate. I have
left it until now, because to appreciate my reasoning requires knowing
something about the period in which Arthur is said to have lived; for example,
the Roman occupation of Britain, the fall of the Western Empire, and the
political and military upheavals in both Europe and the British Isles during the
fifth century. We would also need to have examined the Anglo-Saxons and the
Celts, the division of Britain into separate kingdoms, where these kingdoms
were, who ruled them, and so forth. By the time we got round to considering
evidence specifically concerning Arthur himself, we would be halfway through
the book. Instead, I have now covered such relevant background material while
recounting my search for the man behind the legend, just as it occurred.
Furthermore, we have also explored the various themes within the Arthurian
saga, discovering how, when, and why they emerged, preparing us to address the
principal argument against King Arthur as a historical figure. So before
presenting the case for him having been a real living person, let’s evaluate the
case for the opposition.
The way I see it, the essential reason most skeptics refuse to believe King
Arthur could possibly have existed is that the tales about him are just too
unbelievable. In which case, they would argue, why bother searching for any
truth behind the Arthurian legend? Consequently, merely to associate your name
with such an investigation is enough to prompt scorn in academic circles, which
is why many historians, archaeologists, and literary scholars tend to steer clear of
the subject altogether. (Indeed, this is one of the main reasons that the true
origins of the legend remained uncovered for so long.) The skepticism is quite
understandable. Initially, the story of King Arthur seems completely fictitious. It