New Views over Megalithia

[Mick Harper]

Making sense of early European history (or as may be, pre-history) is something most of us would like to do. We have, in The Megalithic Empire, endeavoured to meet this need, discussing not just the stones but how they are connected, and since none of our readers so far has come up with anything better we are opening this thread to explore ...er...well, if I knew that we wouldn't need the thread.

Thoughts and feedback regarding The Megalithic Empire can be posted here.

[Mick Harper]

[Boreades]

As I had a hand in publishing The Glastonbury Zodiac by Mary Caine, I flatter myself I know the kind of Glastonbury locals who will be attracted to Megalithomania. Tidal islands will be fine, as long as you emphasis the part they played in Connectivity and Communication (we were all one, even then, via the Atlantic Trade routes). If you must mention Joseph of Arimathea, do it in the context of the tail-end of the great Bronze & Iron Age trading empires, before the Romans took over.

[hvered]

Isn't it generally agreed that the Joseph of Arimathea story was invented by Sabine Baring-Gould, the nineteenth-century antiquarian and folklorist? Glastonbury locals might be keen to circulate such a prestigious (and commercially important) legend but most of the audience will probably be from elsewhere.

[Mick Harper]

[Mick Harper]

The New Thesis was finally launched on an unsuspecting public at Bracknell Library this week. I was brilliant, the audience not. They were immensely suspicious of the idea that, say, St Michael's Mount is artificial. They also resisted the idea that the Megalithics (of Avebury c 3000 BC) could have anything to do with the St Michael Folk of c 500 AD.

However they took the whole mapping of the tin route from Burgh Island to Mont St Michel and the copper route from Portland Bill to St Malo in their stride. I rather suspect they did not realise it was all completely new and totally incompatible with the prevailing view of British pre-history.

Things will be slightly tweaked for the Wokingham Library talk of the 2nd May.

[Boreades]

[Mick Harper]

Yes, it's called the Michael Line.

[macausland]

hvered

I think the story of Joseph of Arimathea goes back to the middle ages when the local monks were on a money making quest and claimed to have found the tomb of King Arthur. The Joseph story appears around the same time. According to wikipedia Robert de Boron is credited with inventing it.

The whole thing was very handy at the time for the Norman kings who were looking for extra justification for their invasion. They claimed connection through Brittany to King Arthur, therefore they were the rightful rulers of the country. Henry VII got in on the act later when he called his first son Arthur.

Perhaps the idea is still strong today in certain minds with William and Harry?

[hvered]

I doubt the Glastonbury monks chose Joseph of Arimathea at random, in the NT he's not only rich but generous and allegedly allowed his own new tomb to be used for Jesus' burial.