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Home , Tintagel Castle

1. Zapraszamy do odkrycia małej części atrakcji turystycznych USA- każdy stan ma coś ciekawego do zaoferowania. Miłego zwiedzania!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HF2mwFTsJw

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2. – miejscowość w Wielkiej Brytanii ( Kornwalia ), w której znajduje się legendarny zamek – miejsce narodzin króla Artura. W materiale piękne zdjęcia oraz quiz TINTAGEL – 'S LEGENDARY BIRTHPLACE

Our destination today is the Tintagel Castle in South West England or rather what remains of this medieval fortification, described as the legendary birthplace of mythical King Arthur. We arrive at the village of Tintagel in North . Our route leads along a valley, down to the Celtic Sea coast. With no ruins of a castle to be seen yet, but we are welcomed with this sign.

A few steps further we enjoy a lovely view of the sea and the ruins.

We buy tickets and finally we are allowed to enter the realm of legends.

The inscription reads: High on the cliff edge ahead of you are the remains of the medieval castle built by Richard, Earl of Cornwall, between 1233-36. This castle was built at least 500 years after a real or fictitious ‘Arthur’ fought the Saxons away to the East in the 6th century. An ‘Arthur’ may never have come to Tintagel, but it was probable that at about that time Tintagel was the stronghold of the kings oi Cornwall. Whoever lived there, there is no doubt that they were powerful and wealthy. The discovery of thousands of pieces of Mediterranean pottery show that Tintagel was the centre of a trade in luxury goods unknown in the rest of Cornwall.

To reach the castle, we need to climb up the hill.

The views are magnificent, though we are a bit disappointed with the remains of the castle. No moats, no drawbridges, no portcullis we are so fond of when depicting castles. A 19th century gateway and wall instead.

Who was King Arthur then? King Artur, known as Arthur Pendragon, is believed to have been a legendary Celtic ruler. What we know about him is taken from the works of chronicler , poet Chrétien de Troyes and Thomas Malory, writer, author of the knightly romance Death of Arthur (Le Morte d’Arthur). The name Arthur is said to have its origin in the Welsh word Arth, meaning bear. Pendragon is the title Arthur inherited from his father, , and derives from the Celtic pen, pointing to the head, and the word dragon. Legend has it that Arthur was the illegitimate son of Uther Pendragon and Igerna. He was born at Tintagel Castle in Cornwall. , a wise magician, advised the king to bring up Arthur in solitude to protect him against being assassinated by the king’s enemies. The day came when King Uther Pendragon died, and the mighty lords began to fight for the throne. To prevent wars, Merlin cast a spell that the new ruler would be the one to draw the Sword from the Stone, which appeared on Christmas Day at a cathedral. Arthur, who was there as his brother’s squire, was to bring the sword that his brother had forgotten. As he was unable to find it, on the way he noticed a sword stuck in the anvil, he pulled it out and carried it to his brother, unaware of the gravity of his act. It came to Arthur once again, this time in front of witnesses, to prove that it is he who is to become king of Britain and restore peace to the kingdom. Geoffrey of Monmouth reported that before he ascended the throne, unaware of his family ties, he spent the night with his half-sister, and the fruit of this relationship was .

On the opposite hill we can see a hotel named .

During the struggle to bring peace to the kingdom and maintain the throne, Arthur meets the beautiful and decides to take her as his wife. It is also then that a skirmish occurs, during which the Sword of Stone breaks. Forced to look for another weapon, Arthur receives another magical sword, the , from Merlin and the . It has magical properties, protects the owner from injury. Arthur takes an oath to the Lady of Lakes to return the sword when the time comes. Arthur goes on war expeditions against Saxons and enemies, throughout his reign. He chooses Camelot Castle as his headquarters, where he settles and from where he rules the kingdom. Arthur gathers knights at the , which gives rise to their name, the Knights of the Round Table. One day the Grail appeared to the Knights of the Round Table. From that moment on, the expeditions to find the begin. Some claim it was eventually found by , a knight. King Arthur’s fall was caused by his own past. He was betrayed by his illegitimate son, Mordred. There are several versions of King Arthur's death. According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, he was taken to the magical island of .

King Arthur was famous for his valour, nobility, and wise decisions. He was loved by the people. British folklore has it that King Arthur, with his knights and full warrior equipment, is sleeping in a cave. This tradition gives hope for the king’s return when the time comes. In numerous towns in this region we can find streets named after King Arthur and other protagonists of these legends.

Now try your hand at this quiz.

1. King Arthur was by origin: a) Roman (b) Celt (c) English 2. Excalibur, belonging to King Arthur, is his: a) sword (b) horse (c) castle 3. The reign of the legendary King Arthur was: (a) at the turn of the 11th century (b) from mid-fifth to mid-sixth century (c) at the end of the 9th century 4. Who was Merlin? a) a king of a kingdom hostile to Arthur (b) a magician (c) one of the Knights of King Arthur 5. How did the search for the Grail end? (a) the cup was not found (b) King Arthur found the cup during the Crusade (c) the chalice has been found by Galahad, one of the Knights Arthur 6. How many Knights of the Round Table were there? a) 12 b) 150 c) 60 7. The death of King Arthur took place: (a) from the fatal wound inflicted by his son Mordred, (b) in the fight against the Dothraki, (c) naturally, of old age. 8. Uther Pendragon was: (a) Arthur's father, (b) one of the legendary dragons, (c) a sorcerer.

9. In Arthurian legends Avalon is the famous: a) Arthur’s sword, (b) Arthur's place of birth, (c) Celtic land of the dead. 10. According to the records, King Arthur lived in a castle called: a) Westeros, (b) The castle behind the Great Wall, (c) Camelot. 11. What was the name of Arthur’s beloved? (a) Lady Guinevere, (b) Lady Forrester, (c) . 12. Sir of the Lake, the most eminent of the knights: a) became a hermit after the death of Arthur's wife, with whom he was unhappily in love, (b) fled with King Arthur's wife, (c) contributed to the death of Arthur's wife at the stake by revealing her treason.

Author: Monika Szela

Answers: 1. b 2. a 3. b 4. b 5. c 6. b 7. a 8. a 9. c 10. c 11. a 12. a