History: Glastonbury Abbey Cemetery
Since the arrival of Joseph of Arimathea, Glastonbury has been a religious center. The Abbey’s cemetery was used for centuries before St. Dunstan became Glastonbury’s abbot in the tenth century.

At that time, the cemetery was full. St. Dunstan ordered the workmen to pile a very thick layer of soil on top of the existing graveyard. This created enough space for another layer of graves at the Abbey.

During this process, St. Dunstan created new markers for the most important graves. Inscriptions were carved on leaden crosses, which were set horizontally in the ground. (Similar markers were found in nearby Wells Cathedral.) These markers prevented workmen from disturbing older, deeper graves.

One of these lead crosses indicated the grave of King Arthur. This marker remained hidden until the early 12th century.

Prophecy
Before King Henry II died in France in July 1189, he sent a message to the monks of Glastonbury. He said that an old Welsh bard had provided instructions for the discovery of King Arthur’s grave.

According to the King’s Welsh source, the royal grave was between two pyramid-shaped stones in the cemetery at Glastonbury Abbey. Arthur’s oak coffin–not stone–was at least 16 feet underground. King Arthur was buried that deeply, so that his enemies–the Saxons–would not desecrate the grave.

The bard also predicted that the monks would find a leaden cross about seven feet underground, marking the grave.

Prophecy fulfilled
The message from King Henry II reached the Abbey shortly after the King’s death. Soon after that–in September 1189–the new king, Richard II, named Henry de Sully as Glastonbury’s new abbot.

With new responsibilities and administrative changes, it was a year before the new Abbot could act upon Henry II’s message about King Arthur’s grave.

Late in 1190, the monks were digging in the cemetery.

According to some, they were looking for King Arthur’s grave, correctly guessing that its discovery would mean additional revenue for the Abbey, which needed to be rebuilt after fire destroyed most of the buildings in 1184.

In other versions of the tale, the monks were simply digging a grave and accidentally uncovered the marker for King Arthur.

The stories are unanimous in the outcome:
At a depth of about seven feet, a leaden cross was found, attached–face down–to a stone slab. It said in Latin,

Hic iacet supultus inclitus rex Arturius in insula Avallonis
This means, “Here lies buried the famous King Arthur, buried on the Island of Avalon.”

The cross may have had additional notes on the back, indicating that Guinevere was also interred there. Earliest records say that she was described as Arthur’s second wife, in the inscription.

Continuing to dig, following Henry II’s written message, the monks found an oak coffin about 16 feet underground. Inside, they found the bones of a very tall man. His shin bone was estimated to rise about three inches about the height of a normal man’s knee. His skull was enormous. In life, he was about seven feet tall.
According to the 12th century eyewitness account of Gerald of Wales, the skeleton had ten wounds, all of which had healed. One fatal wound remained; it appeared to be a blow to the skull.

There was a second body in the grave. The bones belonged to a woman. The monks saw her blonde hair when they opened the grave, but as soon as one of them touched the yellow locks, the strands crumbled into dust.

The grave is removed, and–later–is lost
The skeletons were returned to their grave, and it was reburied. Apparently, no one was certain how to prove the authenticity of the discovery.

In 1278, King Edward I had the bones moved to a marble coffin, and the lead cross was attached to it. The coffin was set in the main Abbey church, underneath the high altar. The cross remained visible for pilgrims to see, for over 250 years.
In 1539, King Henry VIII dissolved Glastonbury Abbey, along with every other Catholic Church in England. His zealous soldiers may not have realized that the founder of Camelot was buried within the Abbey.

No one knows what happened to the graves of King Arthur and Guinevere after that.

The leaden cross was seen and handled by John Leland around 1540, and later sketched for a 1607 engraving by William Camden.

The cross was last seen in the early 18th century, in the possession of the Chancellor of Wells, Mr. William Hughes.

Since then, although there have been hoaxes and false rumors, only its current owner knows the actual whereabouts of the cross.

Recent excavations and conclusions
In 1958, Raleigh Radford re-excavated the original site of King Arthur’s grave. Since then, there have been other digs at this location.

All of them confirm that the grave was probably from King Arthur’s era, and the site had been excavated in the 12th century.

Although the cross cannot be located, the engraving of it shows lettering consistent with the tenth century. This supports the story about St. Dunstan raising the level of the cemetery during the tenth century. This proves that the legend of King Arthur’s grave–if it is merely legend–dates back nearly two centuries before the grave was discovered in the era of Richard II.

Today, a plaque marks the location where the bodies of King Arthur and Guinevere were originally found at Glastonbury Abbey.

But… was it Arthur?
Many people believe that the body found by the monks was King Arthur. It’s impossible to resolve this question without additional evidence–such as the bones–for analysis.

It is noteworthy that while many sites claim to be Camelot, no other location claims to be the burial place of King Arthur.

However, in most Arthurian tales, King Arthur did not die. According to legend, Arthur was fully healed at Avalon, and he lives today.

In this story, he will return to our world as “the Once and Future King” when he is needed. When that happens, he will restore Camelot to a world which desperately needs it.

All that we can conclude from Glastonbury’s folklore is: If King Arthur actually lived and died, his grave was probably at Glastonbury Abbey.

Marley’s ghost appears to Scrooge and rattles his chains.

“The chain he drew was clasped about his middle. It was long, and wound about him like a tail; and it was made (for Scrooge observed it closely) of cash-boxes, keys, padlocks, ledgers, deeds, and heavy purses wrought in steel.” -Dickens, “A Christmas Carol”

Today, we rarely hear of a ghost rattling chains. In fact, ghosts which appear in forms similar to the living, rarely make any noise. Ghosts which knock, rattle objects (including chains), and even speak, are usually invisible.

However, there are exceptions. In the first century CE, Pliny the Younger documented a ghost who was seen and heard by Athenodorus, at a villa in Athens. The ghost wore chains, and pointed to a spot in the garden before vanishing. The next day, Athenodorus had that spot in the garden dug up, and a skeleton in chains was found buried. They re-buried him in a proper cemetery, and the ghost never appeared again.

But ghosts in chains are not entirely in the past. Even today, a tall, evil-looking man appears on back roads and highways in Yorkshire, England, and jumps out to frighten late-night travelers. He’s known as “Jack in Irons.” Most people who’ve seen him comment that the ghost appears wrapped in chains.

Of course, Marley is not the only ghost in Dickens’ famous tale. There are the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future.

As Scrooge is led through scenes of his past, his ghostly companion informs him, “These are but shadows of the things that have been…They have no consciousness of us.”

This is a superb description of paranormal phenomena we call “residual hauntings.” These hauntings are like a hologram or video, played on a continuous loop. Events from the past appear to be played like a movie, over and over again. The participants may or may not be spiritual entities. Most are probably mere images of people who took part in the events, many years ago.

One of the best examples of residual hauntings, is the visions of war seen in the United States, at Civil War battlegrounds.

Residual hauntings are a ghost hunter’s best opportunity to see a “ghost” that appears in human-like form. However, these forms rarely react to or interact with people viewing them. In fact, most ghost hunters believe that these hauntings are just energy imprints on the environment, replaying the events on a repeating and regular schedule.

In the United States, one of the clearest examples of a residual haunting is near Tiverton, Rhode Island on the Sakonnet River. Two or three canoes appear on the river, each carrying six Native people. Sometimes they fight, sometimes they simply row to shore and vanish, sometimes they continue on their journey down the river. These images have been reliably reported as recently as 1996.

But what about Scrooge’s visions of Christmas Present?

It is important that Scrooge did not see himself in his visions of the present. Thus, we could speculate that his experience was similar to astral travel, with minor time elements involved.

Many people question the validity of astral travel. However, the Wilmot Apparition is one of the most famous and well-documented examples.

S. R. Wilmot had been aboard a ship crossing the Atlantic for many stormy days. On the night of October 11th, 1863, he dreamed that his wife entered his cabin and bent over to kiss his sleeping form. What alarmed him the most was that his roommate, William J. Tait, had been awake at the time and clearly saw the apparition of Mrs. Wilmot. Adding to the mystery, Mrs. Wilmot had dreamed about visiting her husband that night, and awoke feeling as if the experience was real, not just a dream. Despite intense research, no one has been able to explain this event in terms other than paranormal.

A second, well-documented apparition of the living, or doppelganger, appeared in May 1822 at a villa near San Terenzo in Italy. The houseguests at this villa included the poet, Shelley. He claimed that he saw himself on the terrace, one day. On two other occasions, he was seen on the terrace by Mrs. Edward Williams, another houseguest. However, at those times, Shelley was many miles away.

So, we can say that Scrooge could have seen Marley, could have seen images of the past, and may have traveled within his own time to see others’ Christmases. However, what about the future?

In his autobiography, philosopher Goethe (1749 - 1832) described an event similar to what Scrooge experienced, but in a much more benign context: In about 1772, “…I saw myself on horseback coming towards me on the same path dressed in a suit such as I have never worn…”

Eight years later, Goethe was on that path again. This time, he was on horseback, and–glancing down–realized that he was wearing the suit he’d seen “himself” wearing, many years earlier. Had he seen himself in the future? Perhaps–like Scrooge–he did.

Of course, Dickens’ tale was never meant as a literal account of events. His story delivers a message about living our lives in a way that benefits others as well as ourselves, with spiritual wealth far greater than gold.

Nevertheless, it is interesting that the various ghosts and spirits of A Christmas Carol are not pure fantasy, but based on events that could really happen.

For additional reading:
A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens.
Ghost Sightings, by Colin Wilson. (c)1997, Robinson Publishing, Ltd., UK
True New England Mysteries, Ghosts, Crimes, & Oddities, by Charles Turek Robinson. (c)1997, Covered Bridge Press, N. Attleborough, MA.
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Ghosts and Hauntings, by Tom Ogden. (c)1999, Alpha Books, Indianapolis, IN.
The Ghost Hunter’s Guidebook, by Troy Taylor. (c)1999, Whitechapel Productions Press, Alton, IL

Others know that they were helped by a guardian angel, a deceased friend or relative, or some other spiritual entity (other than Deity), in times of danger or crisis.

Dreams

A surprising number of people have had contact with the “other side” in dreams.

Of course, it’s easy for people to hear these stories and say, “Oh, you just wanted to hear from so-and-so.”

However, some of the most compelling proof of valid communication in dreams, appears among genealogists. These are the people who trace people’s family trees, or ancestry.

Many genealogists have received messages and clues from people they’ve never met. They’ll hear a voice from nowhere, when searching dusty library files. At other times, a book falls open to just the right page, and it seems more than coincidence. Or a microfilm was in the wrong box, and “by accident,” the researcher discovers the records he’d been searching for, for weeks or longer.

Several report a visit, in a dream, from the (deceased) relative whose records they’re searching for. In the dream, the relative tells the researcher exactly where to look.

Upon checking this resource, the records are found. (Some of these stories are at Serendipity: Genealogical discoveries with a little help from above.)

Other people report lengthy and lucid conversations, in dreams, with people who’ve passed on.

In some cases, the friend or relative provides an important message or warning to the living, which changes the course of future events.

There are too many of these kinds of events, to dismiss them as “coincidence,” or wishful thinking.

Reminders

Ask just a few people, and you’ll quickly find someone who says something such as, “Oh, every time I hear [a particular song], I know that Aunt Janie is thinking of me.” It’s easy to raise an eyebrow at this sort of claim, but…is it really such an unlikely communication?

My mother is convinced that her uncanny ability to find convenient parking spaces in crowded lots, is due to the assistance of her late father.

Infrequently, someone reports a telephone call from a deceased relative. Usually, the message is brief and perhaps cryptic. Sometimes, they carry on a short conversation before the line becomes eerily quiet, or a dial tone interrupts.

Others have had the unsettling experience of receiving a letter, apparently days, months, or even years after the sender had died.

It’s more reasonable when someone “just happens” to find a loved one’s journal, or a stack of old letters that convey important information. However, did they really find the papers by coincidence?

Interventions

By far the most dramatic encounters with the “other side” are when a ghost or spirit manifests fully, at a time of danger.

Ask firefighters and policemen who’ve seen “miracles” occur in situations where death or injury seemed inevitable.

Many of these stories will include a helpful person who “appeared out of nowhere,” and disappeared just as mysteriously.

Now and then, the person who escaped injury–or his/her family–will explain that the description of the mysterious stranger matches someone who passed on, long before the near-tragedy. There is usually a tell-tale item, such as a favorite dress, or a distinctive hat or tie, which makes the appearance particularly difficult to explain in reasonable terms.

Conclusions?

Combine the many stories of “ghosts,” apparent hauntings, and messages received in dreams or by “coincidence.” Add the miracles, where someone escapes harm, or perhaps death, thanks to the intervention of a mysterious stranger, who’s description matches someone on the “other side.”

It is nearly impossible to avoid the conclusion that–at the very least–there are a large number of things that science and skeptics cannot explain.

It is even more difficult to argue with someone who has had a ghostly encounter, that they simply imagined it, or unconsciously embellished a perfectly natural event.

The explanation…?

In time, we may understand some of what we now call “paranormal.” Until then, most of us will experience a slight shiver when a ghost story sounds almost too true. And, at Halloween and other times when the veil between our world and the “other side” are supposed to be especially thin, we’ll question odd coincidences and experiences and wonder if there really are ghosts.

Somewhere in-between, there is the average ghostly encounter. I’ll describe a typical ghost hunt, from my experiences:

Where to organize a ghost hunt

When I’ve scheduled a “real” ghost hunt, I’ve usually confirmed that the site is actually haunted. Most of the time, this means that I’ve visited the location informally, with one or two others, and often with a group of people. During at least one visit, unexplained significant events have captured my interest.

For example, orbs in a few photos plus someone feeling “creepy” are not enough to spark a full investigation. However, if every psychic visitor to the site is practically overwhelmed by imagery, emotions, and/or sounds, we’ll go back with measurement tools for a formal investigation.

Deciding which site is worthwhile, is usually a decision made by a group, not an individual.

Who is on the research team

The next step is to schedule a more formal ghost hunt, with scientific instruments, and a team of researchers representing a variety of interests, abilities, and beliefs in the supernatural.

For this more formal investigation, I would include people with whom I’ve previously encountered the paranormal. No one can predict how a particular haunting will affect each person. Someone may be fine with a spectral battle at Gettysburg, but go to pieces over a ghostly dog that appears lost and whimpering. From one investigation to the next, it is nearly impossible to predict which individuals will be fine, and which leave the site badly shaken with fright.

In general, I do not invite sarcastic skeptics, people who frighten too easily, or anyone whose personality quirks might conflict with others in the group. This is an entirely arbitrary process, similar to planning invitations to a formal dinner, but not quite so awkward as seating people at a wedding reception. *grin*

I try to include a balance of psychics and people who approach the paranormal from a purely scientific basis. However, many psychics use tools such as cameras, heat sensors, tape recorders, or EMF meters to support their paranormal observations.

Basic preparations

Before the investigation, I advise people what to expect in terms of landscape, hazards (weak floorboards, gopher holes in cemeteries, broken glass scattered in a park, and so on), and weather quirks. If possible, team members should visit the site once before the investigation, to get an idea of what to expect.

Before the investigation, I also check to make certain that we won’t be trespassing or otherwise breaking the law during our ghost hunt.

In some communities, there are vague laws suggesting that public parks (including cemeteries) are closed from dusk to dawn. If the site is not specifically posted, I usually begin the research well before dusk, and all participants agree that we’ll leave cheerfully and promptly if asked, when it’s well past dusk.

In other areas, cranky neighbors or law enforcement officials may use loitering statutes to get ghost hunters to leave a site. Frankly, there isn’t much you can do about this. You’ll have the fewest problems with ghost hunts during daytime hours, in most settings.

This leads to the issue of when is the “best” time to encounter ghosts.

When to ghost hunt

The overwhelming opinion in fictional accounts is that ghosts appear after dark, usually around midnight, and particularly on Halloween or anniversaries of the death of the ghost(s). Because belief often triggers events, and not vice versa, this may be the “most haunted” time of day.

However, the hour immediately before dusk and after dawn are when a large number of paranormal events occur.

Some ghost hunters insist that they have the best results between 9 p.m. and midnight, but just as many stories are even more credible because they take place at mid-day and in sunlight.

I have encountered ghosts at noon on sunny days, but most often as the light fades at or immediately after dusk.

This is why I schedule ghost hunts starting one hour before sunset. We’ll have plenty of research time before dusk, if local laws prohibit us from working later

However, I believe that the Green Lady is benevolent, and the darker imagery comes from a look-alike, or the storyteller’s exaggerations.

The Green Lady is similar to the Irish Banshee, because she is neither human nor ghost. Most describe the Green Lady as a mortal woman who is under an enchantment, or has already entered the faerie world.

Whatever her nature, her appearance is lovely. She is a slender and lovely young woman, with long golden hair. She wears a green gown that reaches the ground. She is usually associated with water, and there are stories of a beautiful woman arriving at a cottage, dripping wet. She asks if she can enter the home to warm herself and dry her clothing. If welcomed, she stays for awhile, and then she becomes the home’s own Green Lady.

Each Green Lady protects a particular house, and the family in it. If the family moves, the Green Lady remains in the house and protects the next family to move in. In this way, the Green Lady is very different from the Banshee, which follows and protects a particular family.

The Green Lady is especially helpful with farm animals. There are many stories of a Green Lady taking care of a farm’s cattle, herding them into the barn when a storm was coming, or when enemies were nearby.

There is a male counterpart to the Green Lady, but this is not the “Green Man” of Celtic forest legends. The male version of the Green Lady is a slender, handsome young man who wears red and green. He also protects the house, the family that lives there, and its cattle. However, this male counterpart is rarely mentioned. Nearly all of the stories describe a Green Lady.

Because she has long hair, the Green Lady is usually called a Gruagach. This is a category of brownie-type spirits of the Scottish Highlands. As soon as you read the word ‘brownie’, you know that these are generally good spirits, although they sometimes enjoy a practical joke. Any mischief they cause is minor compared with the good that they do.

In Skye, where Gruagachs are usually male, there is a tradition called a ‘gruagach stone’. This is a stone with a small hole or depression in it. Every night, the family sets out its gruagach stone and leaves a bit of milk in it. This is to thank the home’s own Gruagach for help. A small amount of milk, fresh cream, cake, or bread is acceptable. Anything larger will insult the Gruagach.

But this connection with Gruagachs is merely guessed. The Green Lady is a unique spirit, and not someone lightly categorized with all brownies or Gruagachs.
Every woman who appears as the Green Lady wears a rich green gown that reaches the ground. In some darker legends, this is because she is actually a demon and the gown covers her hairy, goat-like body. In other stories, the Green Lady is cursed with hooves for feet, and the gown hides them.

The goat’s body tradition relates to another category of Highland spirits: the Glaistig. In fact, the Green Lady can be called a Ghlaistig uaine, ‘the Green Glaistig’. Glaistigs are spirits who were once women of title, or at least the mistress of a house. For some reason, each of them has been put under an enchantment. They dislike dogs, prefer to be alone, protect houses, and favor fools and people ‘of weak intellect’. The Green Glaistigs are rarely seen, but there are stories of the Glaistigs of Ardnacaillich (home of the Macquarries), Donolly Castle, Mernaigh, Dunstaffnage, and many other locations.

In other cases, she is simply called the Green Lady. One of the most famous is the Green Lady of Skipness Castle, by Loch Fyne. She has protected her home and the family in it for centuries. Several times, she created a supernatural confusion among enemies who’d planned to attack the castle. After they left Skipness, their wits returned, but as they marched back towards the Castle, they became confused again.

One Green Lady appears today at Crathes Castle, about 15 miles southwest of Aberdeen City in Scotland. This Green Lady is usually called a “ghost,” and she appears by the fireplace to pick up a ghostly infant. Then they vanish together. Her bones, and those of the baby, were found buried beneath this spot in the castle, when the castle was renovated centuries ago.

Another reliable place to see a Green Lady, is at the ruins of the castle at Caerphilly, just north of Cardiff in Wales. Like the Green Man of the forest, she hides herself as ivy around this castle. However, if you watch very closely, she will reveal her presence by moving slightly. Once she knows she has been seen, she will emerge as the gracious and lovely woman that she is, extend a hand in welcome if she likes you, and then she vanishes.

There are no reports of a Green Lady outside of the British Isles, but there are some similar tales. For example, there is Ocean-Born Mary, who remains to protect her home in Henniker, New Hampshire. I’ll post something about her soon

Glastonbury’s unique history covers many centuries. Since the Middle Ages, Glastonbury in Somerset has been considered a most likely location of Avalon, the final resting place of King Arthur and Guinevere. However, Glastonbury’s mystical and spiritual history starts far before the era of Camelot.

Glastonbury, the Isle of Glass
Over 2,000 years ago, Glastonbury was an island on the edge of the sea, near the coast of Britain. In Celtic times, it was a great Pagan sanctuary, shown by its ruins dating to the third century, BCE, and even earlier.

In Celtic times, Glastonbury was known as Yniswitrin, a Welsh name meaning “Isle of Glass.” The surrounding county of Somerset was called the Summer Country, referring to the Otherworldly realm of “the Summerland.”

From earliest times, Glastonbury and the Arthurian Kingdom have always been on the edge of the faery world.

As years passed, the landscape changed. Glastonbury acquired its Saxon name and became an inland island, surrounded by a lake.

Today, that lake is gone and Glastonbury Tor rises 500 feet above the land around it, capped by the 14th century chapel of St. Michael. At the foot of the Tor, the serene town of Glastonbury is both a New Age and Christian landmark, and the home of significant spiritual history.

Jesus and Joseph of Arimathea in Glastonbury
There are many links between Jesus, his family, and the Glastonbury area.
According to the Herald’s Office of England’s College of Arms, the Christian history of Glastonbury begins with Ann, the mother of Mary, and Ann’s brother, Joseph (later called “Joseph of Arimathea”).

Ann was born in “Cornouaille,” or Cornwall; her father was probably involved in the mining of tin. Ann’s family had relatives in the Nazareth area, which is where Ann’s daughter, Mary (the mother of Jesus) was born. There is evidence that Ann’s family traveled often.

Ann’s brother, Joseph, moved first to Marmorica in Egypt. Most likely, it was his family with whom Mary and Joseph found shelter, when they fled to Egypt during Herod’s “slaughter of the innocents.”

In early accounts, Joseph of Arimathea is called Joseph de Marmore in reference to his years in Egypt.

Joseph later moved to Arimathea, where he was the Minister of Mines for the Roman government. He travelled to Cornwall and Somerset frequently on business.
(There are tales of Joseph of Arimathea and his nephew, Jesus, in these two regions, but nowhere else in the British Isles. Coincidentally, these are the only two areas in Britain where tin is mined.)

Additional evidence supports these legends: Archaeological digs at Ostia, a seaport of ancient Rome, produced ancient Roman drainpipes. When analysed, the tin used for the drainpipes came from the Mendip Hills, near Glastonbury, England.

According to legend, Joseph brought Jesus to Glastonbury several times when Jesus was in his teens. Together, they built the first church in Glastonbury, on the site where Lady Chapel stands, today.

As early as 597 CE, St. Augustin wrote to Pope Gregory, “In the Western confines of Britain there is a royal island of large extent, surrounded by water…,” where a church was “constructed by the hands of Christ himself.” St. Augustin was referring to the church at Glastonbury.

This church–and the Christianity which flourished here immediately after Jesus’ death–is the reason why, when the world Church Council is seated at the table in the order in which they received Christianity, Great Britain is first, even before Rome

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