7/29/2010

Ancient Chorus




Here 2000 years ago
Stood the Isle of Avalon,
The holyest earthe,
The Goddess’ abode.

Anon, monks came and
Built a church,
In praise of a newer God
Nearby Avalon of olde.

Monks and Goddess, 
None remain.
But when silence swells
To fill these walls, all hark!

Monks still chant,
 While the Goddess hums along.

************************************
These photos were taken at Glastonbury Abbey, Glastonbury, England.  The Abbey was begun in the 7th Century by the Saxons. It was built at the foot of Glastonbury Tor, which was the legendary Avalon, reputed home to the Mother Earth Goddess and a major site of pre-Christian worship. Glastonbury and the tor are still hosts to pilgrimages today.

The Abbey itself has a fascinating legend.  It is said that in 1191, the monks dug on abbey grounds and discovered the graves of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere.


To learn more about Glastonbury Abbey, Avalon and the legends, visit the Abbey's website.

*************************************

The was written for Friday Flash 55, hosted by G-Man at Mr. KnowItAll.

27 comments:

  1. wonderful images and the ambiance created by your verse is incredible!

    ReplyDelete
  2. beautiful 55, amazing photos. i have never ever heard of Glastonbury. thanks for sharing

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love "While the Goddess hums along."

    ReplyDelete
  4. A lovely 55! And the pictures are absolutely wonderful!
    "But when silence swells
    To fill these walls, all hark!" - Loved these line the most!! They lend a melancholy and tender tone to the poem

    ReplyDelete
  5. What beautiful ruins!
    I love it.

    Lots of fodder for creative daydreaming. :)

    Thanks for another 55!
    Mine's posted right here.

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a great 55! And the pictures are excellent too. thanks

    ReplyDelete
  7. Smart picture and beautiful description.. Some addition to general knowledge too.. great 55
    mine is up here

    ReplyDelete
  8. All this and the festival too... amazing place!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Beautiful. Glastonbury is one of the most spiritual places in England - a crossroads for so many faiths.

    ReplyDelete
  10. How very English! We live near to York so are well accustomed to the interest the ancient churches hold for tourists. My 55 is a rather fowl one today! lol!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Live just up the road from there. Used to work there in the 90's and the father of a friend was a beloved minister to the hippy/alternatives of the town. Just a fun 55 today!

    ReplyDelete
  12. oo...cool pics and delicious tale...perhaps i will give a listen....nice 55 patti!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Lovely...The pictures are gorgeous!

    Nice 55.

    Thanx for visiting.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Wow, one of my dreams to visit.
    Good 55 Patti.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Lovely. Added Glastonbury to the 'Bucket List'.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Patti...
    I just love the way you incorporate History with your literary offerings.
    Fantastic 55.
    Thank you so much for the very cool pics as well. Thanks for playing, and have a Kick Ass Week-End...G

    ReplyDelete
  17. Awesome, photos and words - how d'you do that??? I love that the goddess still hums along with the monks that still chant...

    ReplyDelete
  18. like your ancient chorus - and the pictures are breath-taking!

    ReplyDelete
  19. I can almost hear the monks chanting! Great pics and I so do love anything related to England...;)

    ReplyDelete
  20. I just love ancient ruins. Since we have none in America, we have to live vicariously through those in the lands of our forefathers. Great 55, Patti.

    ReplyDelete
  21. oooh...I'd love to go, the legend combined with the beauty of the ruins is simply enchanting. I love your poem as well, the last line especially.
    -C

    ReplyDelete
  22. love the images,
    you combine history with creative writing,
    which is unique and fun!

    ReplyDelete
  23. "When silence swells..." - my favorite line. Beautifully written and I learned some history.
    Cee

    ReplyDelete
  24. What a perfect 55 for this weekend. Lammastide, when both faiths celebrate the harvest.
    And lovely photos of Glastonbury.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Poetry and pictures, two of my favourite things. Have a great day.

    ReplyDelete
  26. There's so much history embedded over there, in walls, behind paintings, and underground, and the architecture is so far beyond what we could build now. Nice 55. You're right....in the silence you can hear the past.

    Thanks for visiting my 55.

    ReplyDelete

Thoughts? I would love to hear from you.