'I don't believe there is an ISLAND OF AVALON but I know where it is'
(Part One)

Over the years knowledge gained, spin spun, interpretations interpreted yet, the debate rages as to the location of the mystical island of Avalon that emanated from the Arthurian legends.

James Bonwick, an Englishman, who moved to Australia, over a century ago wrote the book, 'Irish Druids and the old Irish Religions'. (Still available) He states, 'The Welsh Avalon, or the Island of Apples, the everlasting source of the Elixir of Life, the home of Arthur and other mythological heroes, lay beyond Cardigan Bay, the Annwn of the old sun, in the direction of Ireland'. It is interesting to note the references by Bonwick to Avalon, but, based on a reasonable rationale, can his prognosis on the location of Avalon be believed? If one wanted to prove the validity of this mysterious island 'beyond Cardigan Bay' one could use Bonwick's observation as 'jolly good evidence' but the evidential path that took Bonwick to his conclusion is littered with assumptions.

I, like most people, believes in facts. It is fascinating to read works of esteemed, academic, professorial researchers and authors who examine and attempt to 'prove' certain facts from books written down centuries prior, then going into most expansive of investigations, attempt to prove particular theories. It is the case in point when dealing with Arthurian authors who look at other authors in depth to prove points, even though their target book is constructed a long time after the original subject. A police detective always starts at the beginning of an enquiry, not a convenient or more interesting place further along the interrogatory trail.

The investigation of course is to find out if an Island of Avalon ever existed and if the evidence points to it's existence, where is it? If the evidence reveals that it did not exist, or at least extremely doubtful, then where did the original author get his ideas from? Perhaps he had an island in mind, this we can look at also. To do that we have to get into his mindset in the 12^th century. Not an easy task.

The name Avalon is encountered in every corner of the modern world. The name fronts companies as diverse as financial investments to laundries, from entertainment centres to hotels, from record labels to 'care homes'. It has a powerful resonance seemingly conjuring up feelings of well-being, strength and trustworthiness.
For example many researchers disseminate 'Mort d'Arthur' by Mallory (1485ad) for clues to the original Arthurian legends hoping to rubber-stamp a particular theory or opinion. The book was written almost one thousand years after the alleged events, it is akin to one of us, even in today’s Information Technology era, writing and making up personal and complex stories of hero's and heroine's of the mid 11^th century.
John Matthews who edited a superb compilation of Mallory's 'Mort d'Arthur' said this, 'Beginning with a few brief references in the early poetry of Wales, the burgeoning stories of Arthur developed into a tradition of courtly epics, composed by French 'conteurs' and 'trouveres' in the eleventh and twelfth centuries. These were followed in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries by huge story cycles which built the character of Arthur into a figure of nobility and power, promoting him from an heroic pagan to a mighty Christian King'.  (tbc)