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96-634: His character is a composite based on an historical Autcharius Francus who was aligned with king Desiderius of Lombardy against Charlemagne. The legend of a certain Othgerius buried in Meaux is also incorporated into the Chevalerie . In Scandinavia, he was first known as Oddgeir danski in the Old Norse prose translation Karlamagnús saga , but later became more widely known as Holger Danske, and

192-487: A lead cross bearing the inscription: HIC hic IACET iacet SEPVLTVS sepultus INCLITVS inclitus REX rēx ARTVRIVS Arturius IN in INSVLA īnsula AVALONIA Avalonia. HIC IACET SEPVLTVS INCLITVS REX ARTVRIVS IN INSVLA AVALONIA hic iacet sepultus inclitus rēx Arturius in īnsula Avalonia. "Here lies entombed

288-461: A part as well. Gerald was a constant supporter of royal authority; in his account of the discovery aims to quash the idea of the possibility of King Arthur's messianic return : Many tales are told and many legends have been invented about King Arthur and his mysterious ending. In their stupidity the British [i.e. Welsh, Cornish and Breton] people maintain that he is still alive. Now that the truth

384-640: A patriotic presentation of Kunzen's opera in Copenhagen became a manifestation of Danish national feeling and opposition to the occupation. The largest armed group of the Danish resistance movement in World War II, Holger Danske , was named after the legend. The Hotel Marienlyst in Helsingør commissioned a statue of Holger Danske in 1907 from the sculptor Hans Peder Pedersen-Dan . The bronze statue

480-468: A place of magic where King Arthur 's sword Excalibur was made and later where Arthur was taken to recover from being gravely wounded at the Battle of Camlann . Since then, the island has become a symbol of Arthurian mythology, similar to Arthur's castle of Camelot . Avalon was associated from an early date with mystical practices and magical figures such as King Arthur's sorceress sister Morgan , cast as

576-469: A pleasing set of laws those who come to them from our country. In Layamon 's Brut version of the Historia , Arthur is taken to Avalon to be healed there through means of magic water by a distinctively Anglo-Saxon version of Morgan: an elf queen of Avalon named Argante. Geoffrey's Merlin not only never visits Avalon but is not even aware of its existence. This would change to various degrees in

672-559: A publicity stunt performed to raise funds to rebuild the Abbey after it had been destroyed by a 1184 fire. Leslie Alcock in his Arthur's Britain postulated a theory according to which the grave site had been originally discovered in an ancient mausoleum sometime after 945 by Dunstan , the Abbot of Glastonbury, who reburied it along with the 10th-century stone cross; it would then become forgotten again until its rediscovery in 1190. In 1278,

768-630: A reworking in Alexandrin s written in the 14th century, as well as its prose redaction retitled Ogier le Danois ( Ogyer le Danois ) printed in a number of editions from the late 15th century onwards. The Alexandrines version may contain some vestiges of the lost 12th-century Chevalerie Ogier . It is also possible that Ogier the Dane has first appeared in the Arthurian context as the Saxon prince Oriolz

864-565: A sea voyage was needed to get there. His description of Avalon here, which is heavily indebted to the early medieval Spanish scholar Isidore of Seville (being mostly derived from the section on famous islands in Isidore's work Etymologiae , XIV.6.8 " Fortunatae Insulae "), shows the magical nature of the island: The Isle of Fruit Trees which men call the Fortunate Isle ( Insula Pomorum quae Fortunata uocatur ) gets its name from

960-499: A similar narrative, the chronicle Draco Normannicus contains a fictional letter from King Arthur to Henry II of England , claiming Arthur having been healed of his wounds and made immortal by his "deathless (eternal) nymph " sister Morgan in the holy island of Avalon ( Avallonis eas insula sacra ) through the island's miraculous herbs. This is similar to the British tradition mentioned by Gervase of Tilbury as having Morgan still healing Arthur's wounds opening annually ever since on

1056-590: A variety of sites across Britain, France and elsewhere have been put forward as being the "real Avalon". Such proposed locations include Greenland or other places in or across the Atlantic, the former Roman fort of Aballava (known as Avalana by the sixth century) in Cumbria, Bardsey Island off the coast of Gwynedd, the isle of Île Aval on the coast of Brittany, and Lady's Island in Ireland's Leinster. In

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1152-624: A war campaign against Saracens invading Rome, Ogier is there initially as an unarmed bystander. But when the French suffer a setback, Ogier joins the fray, seizing a flag and arms from a fleeing standard-bearer . For his deeds, Ogier is knighted by Charlemagne and is girt with the king's own sword. Next, Ogier accepts the challenge of single combat from the Saracen warrior Karaheut of India, but enemies interrupt and abduct Ogier. Karaheut protests for Ogier's release, to no avail, and loses his engagement to

1248-630: Is Ogier of the legend. Per Petterson 's novel I Curse the River of Time (2001) has a ferry named Holger Danske . There is an Ogier story event in the strategy video game Crusader Kings II . Desiderius Desiderius , also known as Daufer or Dauferius (born c.  720 – died c.  786 ), was king of the Lombards in northern Italy , ruling from 756 to 774. The Frankish king of renown, Charlemagne , married Desiderius's daughter and subsequently conquered his realm. Desiderius

1344-500: Is by Gerald in Liber de Principis instructione c. 1193, who wrote that he viewed the cross in person and traced the lettering. His transcript reads: "Here lies buried the famous Arthurus with Wenneveria his second wife in the isle of Avalon" ( Hic jacet sepultus inclitus rex Arthurus cum Wenneveria uxore sua secunda in insula Avallonia ). He wrote that in the coffin were two bodies, whom Giraldus refers to as Arthur and "his queen";

1440-634: Is conflated with (and explicitly named as) the mythological Island of Brasil , said to be located west of Ireland and afterwards hidden in mist by Morgan's enchantment. In some texts, Arthur's fate in Avalon is left untold or uncertain. Other times, his eventual death is actually confirmed, as it happens in the Stanzaic Morte Arthur , where the Archbishop of Canterbury later receives Arthur's dead body and buries it at Glastonbury . In

1536-530: Is generally considered to be of Welsh origin (a Cornish or Breton origin is also possible), from Old Welsh , Old Cornish , or Old Breton aball or avallen(n) , "apple tree, fruit tree" (cf. Welsh afal , from Proto-Celtic * abalnā , literally "fruit-bearing (thing)"). The tradition of an "apple" island among the ancient Britons may also be related to Irish legends of the otherworld island home of Manannán mac Lir and Lugh , Emain Ablach (also

1632-654: Is granted Hainaut Province and Province of Brabant (now in Belgium) by Charlemagne. Ogier and his squire Benoit/Bennet are interred at Meaux. Modified verse versions were produced in the 14th century. The decasyllabic Roman d'Ogier appeared (31000vv., early 14th cent. or c. 1310) which contained an ending plot where Ogier is invited to Avalon by Morgue la Fee (Morgan le Fay). Later an Alexandrine (dodecasyllabic) Roman d'Ogier (29000vv., mid-14th cent. or c. 1335 ) of 29,000 verses, appeared, datable to c. 1335, extant in three manuscript redactions, and this too expanded upon

1728-470: Is introduced as the son of Geoffroy de Danemarche (while Geoffroy, in turn, is son of Doon de Mayence according to other works). Ogier is surrendered as a hostage to Charlemagne, but at the castle where he is kept, he becomes intimate with the castellan's daughter, who bears him a son, named Baldwinet ( Old French : Bauduinet , dim. of Baudouin ). When Charles (Charlemagne), at the Pope's request, launches

1824-548: Is known, I have taken the trouble to add a few more details in this present chapter. The fairy-tales have been snuffed out, and the true and indubitable facts are made known, so that what really happened must be made crystal clear to all and separated from the myths which have accumulated on the subject. The burial discovery ensured that in later romances, histories based on them and in the popular imagination, Glastonbury became increasingly identified with Avalon, an identification that continues strongly today. The later development of

1920-469: Is no longer preserved, but an illustration of the interior was printed in editions of Mabillon's Acta Sanctorum Ordinis S. Benedicti . Ogier is the main character in the poem La Chevalerie Ogier de Danemarche (written c.  1200 –1215). The work consists of twelve parts (or "branches") of varying lengths. In the first branch of the poem (sometimes referred to as the Les enfances Ogier portion), Ogier

2016-494: Is related at the Indo-European level to English apple , Russian яблоко ( jabloko ), Latvian ābele , et al. In the early 12th century, William of Malmesbury claimed the name of Avalon came from a man called Avalloc, who once lived on this isle with his daughters. Gerald of Wales similarly derived the name of Avalon from its purported former ruler, Avallo. The name is also similar to "Avallus", described by Pliny

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2112-488: Is remembered for this connection to Charlemagne and for being the last Lombard ruler to exercise regional kingship. Born in Brescia , Desiderius was originally a royal officer, the dux of Tuscia and he became king after the death of Aistulf in 756. At that time, Aistulf's predecessor, Ratchis , left his monastic retreat of Montecassino and tried to seize the kingdom, but Desiderius put his revolt down quickly with

2208-532: Is slain by Charlot over a game of chess. Ogier attacks Charlot and demands his life in revenge, resulting in his banishment. Ogier is given safe haven by King Didier of Pavia in Lombardy . Ogier strengthens the fortifications at Castelfort (Chastel Fort) and Mont Quevrel in Lombardy. In the subsequent branches, Ogier wars with Charlemagne (alone, after losing his squire Benoit/Bennet), enduring for seven years, then

2304-565: Is taken prisoner for another seven years. In the ninth branch, renewed attack by the Saracens forces Charlemagne to seek Ogier's help, and Ogier, reunited with his old war horse, slays the giant , King Brehus (or Brahier, Braihier, Bruhier) of Africa. In the concluding branches (XI and XII), Ogier engages in a warring adventure in England, and marries the English princess whom he succors. He

2400-504: Is the protagonist of The Viking (1951) by Edison Marshall , where he is portrayed as the child of Ragnar Lodbrok via his rape of the Northumbrian noblewoman Enid, mother of Aella of Northumbria ; his chief rival is his paternal half-brother Hastein . The protagonist of Poul Anderson 's fantasy novel Three Hearts and Three Lions (1961), World War II Danish resistance member Holger Carlsen, time warps and learns that he actually

2496-569: Is treated in La Chevalerie Ogier de Danemarche , a 13th-century assonanced poem of approximately 13,000 lines, attributed to Raimbert de Paris, preserved in six manuscripts. It relates Ogier's early years, his rebellion against Charlemagne and eventual reconciliation. This is now considered a retelling. Ogier in a lost original " Chevalerie Ogier primitive" is thought to have fought alongside the Lombards because Charlemagne attacked at

2592-548: Is usually one of the twelve peers in other works. In the poeticized Battle of Roncevaux Pass , Ogier is assigned to be the vanguard and commands the Bavarian Army in the battle against Baligant in the later half. He plays only a minor part in this poem, and it is unclear what becomes of him, but the Pseudo-Turpin knows of a tradition that Ogier was killed at Roncevaux. A full career of Ogier from youth to death

2688-561: The Chevalerie of Raimbert, by adding an Avalon adventure (about 18,000 verses). The Alexandrine version represented fan intermediate stage between the decasyllabic romance and the later prose rendering. In the Alexandrine version, Ogier's fate with Morgan is set in motion while he is still a newborn in his crib. Six fées visit the baby, each with a gift, and Morgan's gift is longevity and life living with her. Ogier has an enhanced career, even becoming King of England, and when he reaches

2784-564: The Holy Grail . In the chanson de geste La Bataille Loquifer , Morgan and her sister Marsion bring the hero Renoart to Avalon, where Arthur now prepares his return alongside Morgan, Gawain , Ywain , Perceval and Guinevere . Such stories typically take place centuries after the times of King Arthur. In Perlesvaus , Guinevere and her young son Loholt are buried in Avalon by Arthur during his reign. Conversely, Lanzelet has Loholt (Loüt) as having left with Arthur to Avalon "whence

2880-581: The Holy Land , finally delivered there by Bron, the first Fisher King . In his final romance, Perceval, the Story of the Grail , Chrétien de Troyes featured the sea fortress of Escavalon, ruled by the unspecified King of Escavalon. The name Escavalon might be simply a corruption of the word Avalon that can be literally translated as "Water-Avalon", albeit some scholars proposed various other developments of

2976-625: The Old Irish poetic name for Isle of Man ), where Ablach means "Having Apple Trees" — from Old Irish aball ("apple") — and is similar to the Middle Welsh name Afallach , which was used to replace the name Avalon in medieval Welsh translations of French and Latin Arthurian tales. All are related to the Gaulish root * aballo "fruit tree" (found in the place name Aballo/Aballone ) and are derived from Proto-Celtic * abal - "apple", which

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3072-519: The Strait of Messina , located to the north of Etna and associated with the optical mirage phenomenon of Fata Morgana ("Morgan the Fairy"). Pomponius Mela 's ancient Roman description of the island of Île de Sein , off the coast of Brittany, was also notably one of Geoffrey of Monmouth's original inspirations for his Avalon. In modern times, similar to the search for Arthur's mythical capital Camelot,

3168-404: The capalus ( chapalu ), which is a giant cat monster known from the Arthurian cycle. A legend of Conversio Othgeri militis was invented by the monks at the abbey of Saint Faro at Meaux around 1070–1080. It claimed Othgerius Francus ("Frankish") to be the most illustrious member of Charlemagne's court after the king himself, thus making him identifiable with Ogier the Dane. He was buried in

3264-575: The 12th century, the high conical bulk of Glastonbury Tor in today's South-West England had been surrounded by marsh before the draining of fenland in the Somerset Levels . In ancient times, Ponter's Ball Dyke would have guarded the only entrance to the island. The Romans eventually built another road to the island. Glastonbury's earliest name in Welsh was the Isle of Glass, which suggests that

3360-608: The Battle of Camlann, a noblewoman called Morgan, later the ruler and patroness of these parts as well as being a close blood-relation of King Arthur, carried him off to the island, now known as Glastonbury, so that his wounds could be cared for. Years ago the district had also been called Ynys Gutrin in Welsh, that is the Island of Glass, and from these words the invading Saxons later coined the place-name "Glastingebury". Around 1190, monks at Glastonbury Abbey claimed to have discovered

3456-510: The Bretons still expect both of them evermore." In Erec and Enide , an early Arthurian romance by Chrétien de Troyes , a "friend" (i.e. lover ) of Morgan early during King Arthur's rule is the Lord of the Isle of Avalon, Guingomar (manuscript variants Guinguemar, Guingamar, Guigomar, Guilemer, Gimoers). In this appearance, he might have been derived from the fairy king Gwyn ap Nudd , who in

3552-524: The Dane (de Danemarche), sometimes known as the Red Knight , in the 13th-century Vulgate Merlin and its English adaptation Arthour and Merlin . There are also several texts that might be classed as "histories" which refer to Ogier. Girart d'Amiens' Charlemagne contains a variant of Ogier's enfances . Philippe Mouskes 's Chronique rimée (c. 1243) writes on Ogier's death. Jean d'Outremeuse 's Ly Myreur des Histors writes of Ogier's combat with

3648-640: The Danes") had rebuilt the St. Martin's monastery pillaged by the Saxons in 778, according to the chronicle of this monastery at Cologne (ca. 1050). However, this is not a contemporary record and may just be poetic fiction. Ogier the Dane's first appearance (spelled Oger ) in any work is in Chanson de Roland (c. 1060), where he is not named as one of the douzepers (twelve peers or paladins ) of Charlemagne, although he

3744-493: The Elder in his 1st-century Naturalis Historia as a mysterious island where amber could be found. According to Geoffrey in the Historia , and much subsequent literature which he inspired, King Arthur was taken to Avalon ( Avallon ) in hope that he could be saved and recover from his mortal wounds following the tragic Battle of Camlann . Geoffrey first mentions Avalon as the place where Arthur's sword Excalibur ( Caliburn )

3840-747: The Holy See in Rome. Sometime in 760, envoys from Pepin convinced Desiderius to return some of the cities he captured back to the papacy, but the Lombard king did not follow through on his promises. Intervening in the crisis that ensued after the death of Pope Paul I in 767, Desiderius seized a priest named Philip from the Monastery of St. Vitus on the Esquiline Hill in Rome on Sunday, July 31, 768, and summarily appointed him pope. Antipope Philip

3936-565: The Isle of Avalon ( Davalim ). In the Vera historia de morte Arthuri ("True story of the death of Arthur"), Arthur is taken by four of his men to Avalon in the land of Gwynedd (north-west Wales), where he is about to die but then mysteriously disappears in a mist amongst sudden great storm. Morgan features as an immortal ruler of a fantastic Avalon, sometimes alongside the still-alive Arthur, in some subsequent and otherwise non-Arthurian chivalric romances such as Tirant lo Blanch , as well as

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4032-483: The Isle of Avalon (named as Lady Lyle of Avalon by Malory) appears indirectly in the Vulgate Cycle story of Sir Balin in which her damsel brings a cursed magic sword to Camelot . The tales of the half-fairy Melusine have her grow up in the isle of Avalon. Avalon has been also occasionally described as a valley. In Le Morte d'Arthur , for instance, Avalon is called an isle twice and a vale once (the latter in

4128-685: The Italian peninsula. Dante Alighieri in Paradiso VI (line 95) refers to Desiderius as the "Lombard tooth" (or "snake") who bit the Holy Church and was subsequently defeated by Charlemagne. Avalon Avalon ( / ˈ æ v ə l ɒ n / ) is a mythical island featured in the Arthurian legend . It first appeared in Geoffrey of Monmouth 's 1136 Historia Regum Britanniae as

4224-594: The Lombard kingdom and he was the final Lombard king on record. He married Ansa (or Ansia) and, as well as a son, had five daughters: Today, the legacy of Desiderius still has significance in Italy. The beautiful monastic church of San Salvatore in Brescia , a testament to Lombard architecture still enduring, was constructed by Desiderius. His name in Italian—"Desiderio"—directly translates to " desire " in English. In

4320-457: The Lombards”, lengthening his moniker. When Charlemagne took the title rex Langobardorum , it marked the first time a Germanic king adopted the title of a kingdom he had conquered. Although Charlemagne had the power to destroy the Lombards outright, he instead permitted them to "retain their laws and pardoned those who were traitors." In the end, Desiderius's ambitions brought about the end of

4416-584: The Otherworld in attempts to link the location firmly with Avalon, drawing on the various legends based on Glastonbury Tor as well as drawing on ideas like Earth mysteries , ley lines and even the myth of Atlantis . Arthurian literature also continues to use Glastonbury as an important location as in The Mists of Avalon , A Glastonbury Romance , and The Bones of Avalon . Even the fact that Somerset has many apple orchards has been drawn in to support

4512-696: The Pope's bidding, as historically happened in the Siege of Pavia (773–74) , that is, there was no fighting with the Saracens (i.e. Muslims) as a prelude to this. The legend that Ogier fought valiantly with some Saracens in his youth is the chief material of the first branch (about 3,000 lines) of Raimbert's Chevalerie Ogier . This is also recounted in Enfances Ogier (c. 1270), a rhymed poem of 9,229 lines by Adenet le Roi . The story of Ogier's youth develops with close similarity in these two works starting at

4608-539: The Welsh Arthurian tradition figures as the ruler of Avalon-like Celtic Otherworld , Annwn . The German Diu Crône says the Queen of Avalon is the goddess ( göttin ) Enfeidas, Arthur's aunt (sister of Uther Pendragon ) and one of the guardians of the Grail. In Gottfried von Strassburg 's Tristan , Petitcrieu is a magical dog created by a goddess in Avalon. The Venician Les Prophéties de Merlin features

4704-555: The abbey in a mausoleum built for him. His remains were placed in a sarcophagus lidded with his recumbent tomb effigy lying next to that of Saint Benedictus, and the chamber was enshrined with erect statues of various figures from the Charlemagne Cycle . A stone head later found in Meaux was determined to be Ogier's head from comparisons with these incunabula etchings. This stone head can still be viewed today. This document

4800-430: The age of 100, he is shipwrecked by Morgan so he can be conveyed to Avalon. He returns after two hundred years to save France, and is given a firebrand which must not be allowed to be burnt down for him to remain alive. Ogier tries to forfeit his life after accomplishing his task but is saved by Morgan. In the further development of the legend, Ogier and Morgan have a son named Meurvin (or Marlyn). The latter himself became

4896-528: The alliance between Lombards and Franks, Stephen III grudgingly maintained positive diplomatic standing with both kings, but his death in February 772 and the elevation of Pope Hadrian, who wished to undermine this relationship, altered the political environment. Hadrian hedged his bets and took measures to provoke Desiderius; actions designed to make him take an aggressive stance against the Holy See so an appeal could be made for Frankish assistance. Upon hearing

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4992-408: The amiral's daughter. The amiral then decides his daughter should marry the brutish warrior Brunamont of Maiolgre (Mallorca), but she is unwilling, and appoints the captured Ogier as her champion to fight on her behalf. Ogier, armed with Karaheut's sword Cortain (or Corte, Cortana, etc.), vanquishes Brunamont and confiscates the horse Broiefort. In the second branch, Ogier's son Bauduinet (Baldwinet)

5088-518: The annual Glastonbury Festival . Medieval settings for the location of Avalon ranged far beyond Glastonbury. Besides the mentioned examples of Gwynedd and Brasil, they included paradisal underworld realms equated with the other side of the Earth at the antipodes . Italian romances and folklore explicitly link Morgan's and sometimes Arthur's eternal domain with Mount Etna (Mongibel) in Sicily, and

5184-572: The beginning, but they diverge at a certain point when Raimbert's version begins to be more economical with the details. In the 14th-century and subsequent versions of the romance, Ogier travels to the Avalon ruled by King Arthur and eventually becomes paramour of Morgan le Fay (the earliest known mention of her as his lover is in Brun de la Montaigne ). This is how the story culminates in Roman d'Ogier ,

5280-404: The bones of Arthur and his wife Guinevere. The discovery of the burial is described by chroniclers, notably Gerald, as being just after King Henry II 's reign when the new abbot of Glastonbury, Henry de Sully , commissioned a search of the abbey grounds. At a depth of 5 m (16 feet), the monks were said to have discovered an unmarked tomb with a massive treetrunk coffin and, also buried,

5376-429: The call for help, Charlemagne obliged the Holy See. Carloman's death also changed the situation. It seems the widow of Charlemagne’s brother (Carloman) and her children had taken refuge with Desiderius, who—so it was alleged in the Liber Pontificalis —intended to proclaim a Frankish successor. According to historian Roger Collins, the veracity of this claim can be questioned as a possible piece of disinformation from

5472-435: The character of an enchantress known only as the Lady of Avalon ( Dame d'Avalon ), a Merlin's apprentice who is a fierce rival of Morgan as well as of Sebile , another of Merlin's female students. In the late Italian Tavola Ritonda , the lady of the island of Avalon ( dama dell'isola di Vallone , likely the same as the Lady of Avalon from the Propheties ) is a fairy mother of the evil sorceress Elergia . An unnamed Lady of

5568-433: The connection. Glastonbury's reputation as the real Avalon has made it a popular site of tourism. Having become one of the major New Age communities in Europe, the area has great religious significance for neo-Pagans and modern Druids , as well as some Christians. Identification of Glastonbury with Avalon within hippie subculture, as seen in the work of Michell and in the Gandalf's Garden community, also helped inspire

5664-427: The fact that it produces all things of itself; the fields there have no need of the ploughs of the farmers and all cultivation is lacking except what nature provides. Of its own accord it produces grain and grapes, and apple trees grow in its woods from the close-clipped grass. The ground of its own accord produces everything instead of merely grass, and people live there a hundred years or more. There nine sisters rule by

5760-442: The feud by writing a satirical version entitled Holger Tyske ("Holger the German") ridiculing Baggesen's lyrics. Ogier is also regarded as the symbol of national identity in Bernhard Severin Ingemann 's 1837 epic poem Holger Danske . Vernon Lee 's short story "A Wicked Voice" posits an opera called Ogier the Dane which the lead character Magnus attempts to finish under duress. During the 1940-1945 German occupation of Denmark ,

5856-470: The fight between the hero and Burmand. The ballad also exists in Swedish ( SMB 216) and tells the story of how Holger Dansk is released from prison to fight against a troll by the name of Burman. The hero's popularity led to him being depicted on 15th- and 16th-century paintings in two churches in Denmark and Sweden. The Holger Danske and Burman painted on the ceiling of Floda Church in Sweden are attributed to Albertus Pictor around 1480. It also includes

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5952-417: The floor. He will sleep there until the day when the country of Denmark is in the greatest peril, at which time he will awaken and save the nation. This is a common folklore motif, classed as Type 1960.2, " The King Asleep in the Mountain ". According to the tour guides of Kronborg Castle, legend has it that Holger sat down in his present location after walking all the way from his completed battles in France. It

6048-452: The historical Adalgis (or Adelgis, Algisus), son of Desiderius, who played a similar role. The chanson de geste does parallel this, and Ogier does seek refuge with the Lombardian king Didier or Désier (as Desiderius is styled in French). An unrelated Othgerius (Otgerius), a benefactor buried at the Abbey of Saint Faro in Meaux in France, became connected with Ogier by a work called Conversio Othgeri militis (ca. 1070–1080) written by

6144-400: The island's ruler by Geoffrey and many later authors. Certain Briton traditions have maintained that Arthur is an eternal king who had never truly died but would return as the "once and future" king. The particular motif of his rest in Morgan's care in Avalon has become especially popular. It can be found in various versions in many French and other medieval Arthurian and other works written in

6240-407: The ladies who know all the magic in the world are" ( ou les dames sont qui seiuent tous les enchantemens del monde [ sic ]) not long before his final battle. Its Welsh version was also claimed, within its text, to be a translation of old Latin books from Avalon, as was the French Perlesvaus . In Lope Garcia de Salazar's Spanish version of the Post-Vulgate Roman du Graal , Avalon

6336-429: The later Arthurian prose romance tradition that expanded on Merlin's association with Arthur, as well on the subject of Avalon itself. In many later versions of Arthurian legend, including Le Morte d'Arthur by Thomas Malory , Morgan the Fairy and several other magical queens (either three, four or "many" ) arrive after the battle to take the mortally wounded Arthur from the battlefield of Camlann ( Salisbury Plain in

6432-502: The legends of the Holy Grail and Joseph of Arimathea interconnected these legends with Glastonbury and with Avalon, an identification which also seems to be made in Perlesvaus . The popularity of Arthurian romances has meant this area of the Somerset Levels has today become popularly described as the Vale of Avalon. Modern writers such as Dion Fortune , John Michell , Nicholas Mann and Geoffrey Ashe have formed theories based on perceived links between Glastonbury and Celtic legends of

6528-418: The location was at one point seen as an island. At the end of the 12th century, Gerald of Wales wrote in De instructione principis : What is now known as Glastonbury was, in ancient times, called the Isle of Avalon. It is virtually an island, for it is completely surrounded by marshlands. In Welsh it is called Ynys Afallach , which means the Island of Apples and this fruit once grew in great abundance. After

6624-438: The male body's bones were described as gigantic. The account of the burial by the chronicle of Margam Abbey says three bodies were found, the other being that of Mordred ; Richard Barber argues that Mordred's name was airbrushed out of the story once his reputation as a traitor was appreciated. The story is today seen as an example of pseudoarchaeology . Historians generally dismiss the find's authenticity, attributing it to

6720-452: The monks there. This tradition is reflected in the chanson of Ogier, which states that the hero was buried at Meaux. There is no Ogier of consequence in Danish history; at least, no Ogier as such appears in Saxo Grammaticus 's Gesta Danorum . However, the Danish work Holger Danskes Krønike (1534) made Ogier into the son of King Gøtrek of Denmark (namely Olaf son of Gøtrek, mentioned by Saxo). "Olgerus, dux Daniæ" ("Olger, War-Leader of

6816-406: The name Escavalon from that of Avalon (with Roger Sherman Loomis noting the similarity of the evolution of Geoffrey's Caliburn into the Chrétien's Escalibur in the case of Excalibur ), perhaps in connection with the Old French words for either Slav or Saracen . Chretien's Escavalon was renamed as Askalon in Parzival by Wolfram von Eschenbach , who might have been either confused or inspired by

6912-511: The papacy "intended to ensure the Frankish king’s help against the Lombards." During the spring of 773, Charlemagne sent two Frankish armies against the Lombards and after an eight month siege, captured the capital of Pavia and Desiderius himself. Charlemagne subsequently exiled the Lombard king to the abbey of Corbie in northern France, and as “king of the Franks”, added the title “and of

7008-473: The papacy and vied for the southern duchies. In the August of 759, Desiderius made his son Adelchis associate King of Lombardy. Shortly after visiting Rome, where he prayed at the tomb of St. Peter, Desiderius "returned to the aggressive expansive policy of his predecessors." He even negotiated with Byzantium in an arrangement that would have eroded papal authority and resulted in further territorial loss for

7104-491: The papal cities, Hadrian immediately appealed to Charlemagne for help against the Lombards. Since the Lombards had blocked the passage through the Alps, Pope Hadrian had to send his embassy by sea; they were commissioned to remind Charlemagne that he was the protector of the papacy. Originally, Charlemagne had remained on amicable terms with the Lombards, having been married to Desiderius’ daughter, Desiderata. Despite not liking

7200-620: The place in Sicily , and European folklore connected it with the phenomenon of Fata Morgana . Geoffrey of Monmouth in his pseudo-chronicle Historia Regum Britanniae ("The History of the Kings of Britain", c. 1136) calls the place Insula Avallonis , meaning the "Isle of Avallon" in Latin . In his later Vita Merlini ("The Life of Merlin", c. 1150), he calls it Insula Pomorum , the "Isle of Fruit Trees" (from Latin pōmus "fruit tree"). The name

7296-519: The protection of Pepin the Short , Desiderius obtained naval assistance from Byzantium and put an end to Luitprand's defiant actions. The Lombard king then granted Luitprand's former duchy to his foe's son, Arechis . In that same year, Desiderius deposed Alboin of Spoleto and exercised the ducal powers there himself. Seeking, like his predecessors, to extend Lombard power in Italy , Desiderius challenged

7392-629: The real-life Middle Eastern coastal city of Ascalon . It is possible that the Chrétien-era Escavalon has turned or split into the Grail realm of Escalot in later prose romances. Nevertheless, the kingdoms of Escalot and Escavalon both appear concurrently in the Vulgate Cycle. There, Escavalon is ruled by King Alain, whose daughter Florée is rescued by Gawain and later gives birth to his son Guinglain (and possibly two others). The character of Alain may have been derived from Afallach (Avallach) of Avalon. Though no longer an island in

7488-551: The remains were reburied with great ceremony, attended by King Edward I and Queen Eleanor of Castile , before the High Altar at Glastonbury Abbey. They were moved again in 1368 when the choir was extended. The site became the focus of pilgrimages until the dissolution of the abbey in 1539. The fact that the search for the body is connected to Henry II and Edward I, both kings who fought major Anglo-Welsh wars , has had scholars suggest that propaganda may have played

7584-403: The renowned king Arthur in the island of Avalon." Accounts of the exact inscription vary, with five different versions existing. One popular today, made famous by Malory, claims "Here lies Arthur, the king that was and the king that shall be" ( Hic iacet Arthurus, rex quondam rexque futurus ), also known in the now-popular variant "the once and future king" ( rex quondam et futurus ). The earliest

7680-643: The romances) to Avalon in a black boat. Besides Morgan, who by this time had already become Arthur's supernatural sibling in the popular romance tradition, they sometimes come with the Lady of the Lake among them; the others may include the Queen of Northgales (North Wales) and the Queen of the Wasteland . In the Vulgate Queste , conversely, Morgan only tells Arthur of her intention to relocate to Avalon, "where

7776-461: The scene of Arthur's final voyage, oddly despite Malory's adoption of the boat travel motif). Notably, the vale of Avalon ( vaus d'Avaron ) is mentioned twice in Robert de Boron 's Arthurian prequel Joseph d'Arimathie  [ fr ] as a place located in western Britannia , to where a fellowship of early Christians started by Joseph of Arimathea brought the Grail after its long journey from

7872-590: The subject of a lengthy Renaissance era romance, the Histoire du Preux et Vaillant Chevalier Meurvin (1540). Meurvin's story makes Ogier an ancestor of Godfrey of Bouillon , the historical crusader king of Jerusalem. The early form of the chanson de geste was translated in the 13th century into Old Norse as Oddgeirs þáttr danska ("Short story of Oddgeir danski"), Branch III of the Karlamagnús saga (c. 1240). An Old Danish version of it, Karl Magnus krønike ,

7968-636: The support of Pope Stephen II . At his coronation, Desiderius promised to restore many lost papal towns to the Holy See and even enlarge the Papal State. By 757, Desiderius began securing his power, taking what historian Walter Goffart terms, "vigorous steps to suppress resistance to himself in the powerful duchies of Spoleto , in central Italy, and Benevento, to the south." When the upstart Liutprand ( Duke of Benevento )—who despised Desiderius—challenged his kingship and threatened to place himself under

8064-749: The tales of Huon of Bordeaux , where the faery king Oberon is a son of either Morgan by name or "the Lady of the Secret Isle", and the legend of Ogier the Dane , where Avalon can be described as an enchanted fairy castle ( chasteu d'Auallon ), as it is also in Floriant et Florete . In his La Faula , Guillem de Torroella claims to have visited the Enchanted Island ( Illa Encantada ) and met Arthur who has been brought back to life by Morgan and they both of them are now forever young, sustained by

8160-480: The telling from Alliterative Morte Arthure , relatively devoid of supernatural elements, it is not Morgan but the renowned physicians from Salerno who try, and fail, to save Arthur's life in Avalon. Conversely, the Gesta Regum Britanniae , an early rewrite of Geoffrey's Historia , states (in the present tense) that Morgan "keeps his healed body for her very own and they now live together." In

8256-525: The text Holger Dane won victory over Burman ; this is the burden of the Danish and Swedish ballad, but the painting predates other written texts for this ballad. On the slopes of Rönneberga outside Landskrona in south Sweden (formerly a part of Denmark), there is a burial mound named after Höljer (Holger) Danske. Ogier in Danish legend is said to dwell in Kronborg Castle , his beard grown down to

8352-405: The tragedy Adelchi , written by renowned Italian novelist and Poet Alessandro Manzoni in 1822, Desiderius is portrayed as vain man, destroying his kingdom and legacy over his desire for power. His son Adelchi (also called Adalgis ) is torn over his father's will and his desire for peace, and dies of starvation. In the play, the author expresses regret that Desiderius and Lombards failed to unite

8448-562: The wake of Geoffrey, some of them also linking Avalon with the legend of the Holy Grail . Avalon has often been identified as the former island of Glastonbury Tor . An early and long-standing belief involves the purported discovery of Arthur's remains and their later grand reburial in accordance with the medieval English tradition, in which Arthur did not survive the fatal injuries he suffered in his final battle. Besides Glastonbury, several other alternative locations of Avalon have also been claimed or proposed. Many medieval sources also localized

8544-752: The works of William F. Warren , Avalon was compared to Hyperborea along with the Garden of Eden and theorized to be located in the Arctic. Geoffrey Ashe championed an association of Avalon with the town of Avallon in Burgundy, as part of a theory connecting King Arthur to the Romano-British leader Riothamus who was last seen in that area. Robert Graves identified Avalon with the Spanish island of Majorca ( Mallorca ), while Laurence Gardner suggested

8640-512: Was first commented on by Jean Mabillon in his Acta Sanctorum Ordinis S. Benedicti , printed editions of which include a detailed illustration of the mausoleum at St. Faro. The statues at the mausoleum even included la belle Aude , affianced to Roland, with one of the inscriptions there (according to Mabillon) claiming that Aude was Ogier's sister. It underwent restoration in 1535 by the Italian Gabriele Simeoni. That mausoleum

8736-460: Was forged. Geoffrey dealt with the subject in more detail in the Vita Merlini , in which he describes for the first time in Arthurian legend the fairy or fae-like enchantress Morgan ( Morgen ) as the chief of nine sisters (including Moronoe, Mazoe, Gliten, Glitonea, Gliton, Tyronoe and Thiten) who rule Avalon. Geoffrey's telling (in the in-story narration by the bard Taliesin ) indicates

8832-610: Was given the pedigree of being Olaf son of King Gøtrik in a 16th-century Danish translation. Since then, Holger Danske has become a Danish folklore hero, with a sleeping hero motif attached to him, and eventually a symbol of Danish identity and patriotism as well as anti-German nationalism. The Ogier character is generally believed to be based on Autcharius/Otker , a Frankish knight who had served Carloman and escorted his widow and young children to Desiderius , King of Lombardy , but eventually surrendered to Charlemagne . The Ogier character could also have been partly constructed from

8928-592: Was later created (some copies date to 1480). The 16th-century Olger Danskes krønike was a Danish translation of the French prose romance Ogier le Danois by Kristiern Pedersen , started while in Paris in 1514–1515, probably completed during his second sojourn in 1527, and printed in 1534 in Malmö . Pedersen also fused the romance with Danish genealogy, thus making Ogier the son of Danish king Gøtrik ( Godfred ). "Holger Danske og Burmand" ( DgF 30, TSB E 133) recounts

9024-568: Was not recognized and failed to gain a significant following, so he left the same day and returned to his monastery, where he was never heard from or seen again. While Pepin’s previous military campaigns in Italy against Desiderius' Lombard predecessors had been successful, the subsequent relations between the papacy (aligned with the Carolingians ) and the Lombards were correspondingly strained and in 773, Pope Hadrian openly broke with king Desiderius. When Desiderius responded by moving against

9120-538: Was outside the hotel until 2013, when it was sold and moved to Skjern . The bronze statue was based on an original in plaster. The plaster statue was placed in the vaults at Kronborg Castle, also in Helsingør, where it became a popular attraction in its own right. The plaster statue was replaced by a concrete copy in 1985. In Rudyard Kipling 's poem "The Land" (1916), 'Ogier the Dane' is the archetypal name used to signify Danish invaders who have overrun Sussex . Ogier

9216-541: Was popularized by the short story "Holger Danske" written by Hans Christian Andersen in 1845. The 1789 opera Holger Danske , composed by F.L.Æ. Kunzen with a libretto by Jens Baggesen , had a considerable impact on Danish nationalism in the late 18th century. It spawned the literary "Holger feud", which revealed the increasing dissatisfaction among the native Danish population with the German influence on Danish society. Danish intellectual Peter Andreas Heiberg joined

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