Glastonbury is a small town in Somerset located in the south of England. It is famous for many legends and myths throughout the history.
The name of Glastonbury Abbey holds immense importance in the line of early legends of Britain. Over time, the abbey has become the nucleus of Britain’s legends largely because of its pivotal role in the development and creation of the legends of Joseph of Arimathea and King Arthur.
It is said that Joseph of Arimathea was the opulent uncle and a covert disciple of Jesus who claimed the crucified body of Jesus from Pilate. He along with other disciples arrived in Britain, initiated the first British church at Glastonbury and planted his staff. It miraculously grew into a tree. The Glastonbury thorn whose offshoots can still be seen today and they flower every Christmas.
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Joseph also had many sacred relics including the chalice cup or the Holy Grail. Before, he was a tin merchant in Britain and his nephew Jesus used to accompany to his trips to Britain. According to the legends of Arthur it is believed that Joseph, Virgin Mary and the grail are buried in the abbey, whose tomb can still be seen today.
The ‘Holy legend’ was first printed in the grail romances of the early middle ages. Joseph of Arimathea which surfaced around 1200 AD showed Joseph and his followers as the ‘keepers of grail’ . It is said that St. Patrick and St. David also visited this place and later on King Arthur who is reputedly buried here.
