King Arthur

[Awaiting_the_fifth]

Is this information taken from any particular religion or tradition? or is this simply your personal belief?

I must say, I have never paid much attention to the "Ancient Lore and Mythology" section, but i am starting to regret it, this is fascinating stuff.

My own name actually refers to the manifestation of the fifth buddha, Maitreya, who is to be expected in about another 2400 years.

Your description of ascending to the 5th level is very similar to the Buddhist concept of enlightenment, except that Buddhism is concerned less with the actual anatomy of the process. I would love to discuss this further with you. Perhaps you could start a new thread in the Comparative Studies section outlining your beliefs and we could go from there? (we dont want to hijack this thread)

[Quahom1]

Greetings pohaikawahine,

I too find the stories of Arthur to be fascinating, and have done some research into the lore and "facts" before.

I would like to present some information and a link on further commentary pertaining to Arthur.

"In our own lifetime Arthur's body was discovered at Glastonbury, although the legends had always encouraged us to believe that there was something otherworldly about his ending, that he had resisted death and had been spirited away to some far-distant spot. The body was hidden deep in the earth in a hollowed-out oak bole and between two stone pyramids which had been set up long ago in the churchyard there. They carried it into the church with every mark of honour and buried it decently there in a marble tomb. It had been provided with most unusual indications which were, indeed, little short of miraculous, for beneath it, and not on top, as would be the custom nowadays, there was a stone slab, with a leaden cross attached to its under side. I have seen this cross myself and I have traced the lettering which was cut into it on the side turned towards the stone, instead of being on the outer side and immediately visible.

The inscription read as follows:

HERE IN THE ISLE OF AVALON LIES BURIED THE RENOWNED KING ARTHUR, WITH GUINEVERE, HIS SECOND WIFE

There are many remarkable deductions to be made from this discovery. Arthur obviously had two wives, and the second one was buried with him. Her bones were found with those of her husband, but they were separate from his. Two thirds of the coffin, the part towards the top end, held the husband's bones, and the other section, at his feet, contained those of his wife. A tress of woman's hair, blond, and still fresh and bright in colour, was found in the coffin. One of the monks snatched it up and it immediately disintegrated into dust.

There had been some indications in the Abbey records that the body would be discovered on this spot, and another clue was provided by lettering carved on the pyramids, but this had been almost completely erased by the passage of the years. The holy monks and other religious had seen visions and revelations. However, it was Henry II, King of England, who had told the monks that, according to a story which he had heard from some old British soothsayer, they would find Arthur's body buried at least sixteen feet in the ground, not in a stone coffin but in a hollowed-out oak bole. It had been sunk as deep as that, and carefully concealed, so that it could never be discovered by the Saxons, whom Arthur had attacked relentlessly as long as he lived and whom, indeed, he had almost wiped out, but who occupied the island [of Britain] after his death.

That was why the inscription, which was eventually to reveal the truth, had been cut into the inside of the cross and turned inwards towards the stone. For many a long year this inscription was to keep the secret of what the coffin contained, but eventually, when time and circumstance were both opportune the lettering revealed what it had so long concealed.

What is now known as Glastonbury used, in ancient times, to he called the Isle of Avalon. It is virtually an island, for it is completely surrounded by marshlands. In Welsh it is called 'Ynys Avallon', which means the Island of Apples and this fruit used to grow there in great abundance. After the Battle of Camlann, a noblewoman called Morgan, who was the ruler and patroness of these parts as well as being a close blood-relation of King Arthur, carried him off to the island, now known as Glastonbury, so that his wounds could be cared for. Years ago the district had also been called 'Ynys Gutrin' in Welsh, that is the Island of Glass, and from these words the invading Saxons later coined the place-name 'Glastingebury.' The word 'glass' in their language means 'vitrum' in Latin, and bury' means 'castrum' or 'civitas'.

You must know that the bones of Arthur's body which were discovered there were so big that, in them, the poet's words seem to be fulfilled:

All men will exclaim at the size of the bones they've exhumed (Virgil, "Georgics," I.497)

The Abbot showed me one of the shin-bones. He held it upright on the ground against the foot of the tallest man he could find, and it now stretched a good three inches above the man's knee. The skull was so large and capacious that it seemed a veritable prodigy of nature, for the space between the eyebrows and the eye-sockets was as broad as the palm of a man's hand. Ten or more wounds could clearly be seen, but they had all mended except one. This was larger than the others and it had made an immense gash. Apparently it was this wound which had caused Arthur's death."

by Gerald of Wales (Giraldus Cambrensis, as he is sometimes known). As a churchman and considered reliable historian of the 12th and 13th centuries AD, he wrote two accounts of an exhumation he had witnessed.

Here is a link that might present food for thought: http://www.britannia.com/history/docs/debarri.html

v/r

Q

[pohaikawahine]

It's hard to know where to start. These thoughts (including the name reference to the fifth level) comes from about 40 years of studying ancient traditions and religions. Just a passion of mine, no other reasons. That is why there is so much weaving of different thoughts. I see symbols and follow their connections intuitively. I don't know any other way to explain it. The essence of what I believe is that all paths lead to the same mountaintop and the deepest or sacred meanings in most great books as well as legends tells us about the process to enlightnment. We have misinterpreted most of them and people look outside of themselves for power, we gave away our own freedom and sovereighty when we fell into what I refer to as "the great sleep" .... when we remember who we were, we will know who we are and we will remake our world because we will simply change our minds. I see seeds of truth in all religions but it is not necessarily the same view as held by those that practice these religions. The same truths are present in many ancient cultures and traditions that are not connected with religion at all. I am kanaka maoli, native hawaiian, and even our own rituals are greatly misunderstood, in my view, by our own people. Understanding the brain itself, the energy centers in the body (operated by the 12 pairs of cranial nerves) and the path of this energy (which moves up and down the spinal column) is one of the keys to opening the doors. I'd be happy to share my views and to hear from others.... perhaps I can start with something I'm working on right now related to the concept of the lightening bolt and the twin towers or twin pillars. I'll start a new thread as you suggested and we can see where it goes. It is rather eclectic (encompassing all) so I suspect a new thread would be important. I'm posting all over this site and beginning to lose track of what and where I posted (lol) .... me ke aloha pumehana, pohaikawahine

[pohaikawahine]

also wanted to add a thought on the last posting about King Arthur .... there is also a meaning behind having the Abbey of Glastonbury and the mystical Isle of Avalon positions in the same place .... the two exist side by side within each other .... one is the material world and the other is the inner world .... the so-called "shape shifters" are able to cross between the worlds. Guinevere represents the physical world and Morgan le Fay represents the inner world .... Morgan le Fay is a shape shifter .... in fact if you look at the definition of a Morgan le Fey, it is also known as a "mirage". All of these are symbols and beautiful ones at that. There are many burial places for Arthur and Guinevere, including one on a "mound" that you must walk a labyrinth to access the top .... it takes "seven" times to complete the labyrinth. Everything is in the symbols and the numbers. He hawai'i au, fay (aka pohaikawahine) .... pohaikawahine is my hawaiian name, its literal meaning is "a circle of women" and is related to what is known as the 12 birdwomen of the island of Molokai .... you will not find information on the 12 birdwomen, it is generally not known.... the name was given to me by a circle of my "aunties" .... I have other given names but this is the one I use for posting.

[Quahom1]

No worries sir, I was merely adding my two cents, not trying to take away your two bits...be at ease my friend.


v/r

Q

[ProphetSmurf]

First narrative known of Arthur is in the Welsh poem Gododdin, around 600 AD
He pierced upwards of three hundred of the foe,
He slaughtered the centre and the extreme;
He was worthy to be at the head of an army, most gentle;
He fed his horses upon barley in winter.
Black ravens croaked on the wall
Of the beautiful Caer. He was an Arthur
In the midst of the exhausting conflict,
In the assault in the pass, like Gwernor the hero.

Welsh traditions portray Arthur as the great hero in the struggle between the British and the Saxons. If he did exist, he may represent the remnant of a Roman tradition, for the Romans had an officer, the Dux Britanniarum (duke of Britain), the leader of a mobile force charged with the duty of protecting the integrity of the Roman province. The fact that places commemorating Arthur may be found in widely separated parts of Britain suggests that he may have held such an office.

I almost forgot, an earlier post asked of the origins of the Excaliber sword. its original name was Caladfwlch, a Welsh word influenced from Calad-Bolg meaning "Hard Lightning". Later it developed to become the Caliburn and by the time the French tell the story of Arthur, it has become Excaliber. According to legend, it was created by an elfsmith near Avalon. It was created to be unbreakable, unlike the sword in the stone, which was broken in battle while Arthurs father held it. I wish to know more of the Lady of the Lake.

[InquisitiveInHalifax]

Originally Posted by I, Brian

For some reason Amazon pulled my rather critical review of that work...

Any book that can claim a complete understanding of the New Testament by simply referencing two non-Biblical sources, and then write a clear and precisely detailed history of the European Dark Ages, despite an otherwise dearth of manuscripts on the political events described, killed my interest in the book. Probably good fiction, but masquerading as history it was something of a sensationalist travesty.

I agree that the theory devised in the book is far-fetched but it certainly did pique my interest in religion again, it got me thinking about what I really do believe. It was a good read, so different from anything I'd ever read before and it's so rare to find anything that actually encourages free-thinking that I really appreciated that. If I hadn't read it I'd never have found this site and the wealth of information on spirituality and religion presented here by so many diverse and knowledgeable people.

[Quahom1]

Originally Posted by InquisitiveInHalifax

I agree that the theory devised in the book is far-fetched but it certainly did pique my interest in religion again, it got me thinking about what I really do believe. It was a good read, so different from anything I'd ever read before and it's so rare to find anything that actually encourages free-thinking that I really appreciated that. If I hadn't read it I'd never have found this site and the wealth of information on spirituality and religion presented here by so many diverse and knowledgeable people.

Hmmm, all roads lead to Rome, all paths lead us home...(something my mother once told me). Enlightenment comes in all shapes and sizes, colors, smells, etc. Guess that is why it is hard to "knock" anyone for what they believe...never know where their influence will lead one.

v/r

Q

[Rouge47]

Originally Posted by Quahom1

Hmmm, all roads lead to Rome, all paths lead us home

Gee, thats funny. I was walking down a street once and it came to a dead end. That didn't lead me anywhere!

[17th Angel]

Originally Posted by Ralf Biermann

Although the story about King Arthur is a legend, it contains some elements of truth, especially of Christianity.
Arthur was the only one who was able to pull the sword out of the rock. It is written: Jesus is the Word, the Truth, which is the sword that proceeds out of the mouth of God. God is Love, the Rock.

So the sword in the rock means: True Love, which is the strongest force in the Universe.

Ralf Biermann

Say what?!

If your going to do that, you can take any legend or even movie or what not and say parts of it are true because if I use this saying and then add it with a Bible verse (which keep in mind has no connection whatsoever.) Then do it again with another part of that movie or legend or whatever and add that with another bible quote.... SEE!! It's got truth behind it....

[Bandit]

Originally Posted by Paul James

Gee, thats funny. I was walking down a street once and it came to a dead end. That didn't lead me anywhere!

that was too funny.
the circle street of dead ends. i spent almost an hour one night in this well to do house project trying to get out of it. we were dying because every turn we made led to a dead end & no one in the car could remember what turns we had made to get in because it was night time. glad i was not the driver but it was still pretty weird & obnoxious, but funny at the same time.

one time i let my girlfriend drive years ago & she landed us in the middle of michigan instead of Chicago...another time coming form florida she had us all in ohio instead of chicago & she says 'LOOK AT WHAT GOOD TIME I AM MAKING'

yah, we lost like 4 hours cause she did not read the signs & we all fell to sleep. oh but she had it floored at 95MPH.

[Rouge47]

Is she a blonde? (no offense to any blondes here)

[Bandit]

Originally Posted by 17th Angel

Say what?!

If your going to do that, you can take any legend or even movie or what not and say parts of it are true because if I use this saying and then add it with a Bible verse (which keep in mind has no connection whatsoever.) Then do it again with another part of that movie or legend or whatever and add that with another bible quote.... SEE!! It's got truth behind it....

this is kind of like the Smorgasboard religion, where people scoop out the parts of every religion that they like, then discard all the parts they do not like.
you know, i dont like spinach but i will try the green bean salad & take 10 plates of cake. since this is a smorgasboard it does not matter what i throw away.
no offense to anyone who does that, but i just cant do that.

i like the story of King Arthur & pulling the sword out of the stone. everyone was still called 'My Lord' in those times or at least the parts i have seen in the movie. i dont have much to offer on the subject but will see what i can dig up.

[Bandit]

Originally Posted by Paul James

Is she a blonde? (no offense to any blondes here)

YES! Donna is her name, with a big beautiful blonde hairdo. big hair was her trademark along with the telephone & shopping. and polish too, not that it matters because i love polish people & think they are some of the nicest people ever to be friends with.
i just cant believe she drove us so far out of the way all the time & there are many true stories i could tell about her that are just too funny.

[Rouge47]

Gee, I hope she doesn't read this thread then.