PR Web Discuses the Historic Elements of Terry Stanfill's New Novel Relams of Gold.
Was the Original Camelot Actually in France?
Art expert Terry Stanfill reveals surprising historic possibility for King Arthur legend.
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB)
Planning already is underway to mark the 50th anniversaryof the
assassination of President John F. Kennedy on Nov. 22, 2013.
Commemorative events in Dallas and in churches across the country are
being organized. TV host Bill O’Reilly is set to release a new book,
“Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot,” this fall, and a feature movie,
“The Kennedy Detail,” is planned for release next fall.
“As people ponder the legacy of President Kennedy and his ‘Camelot,’
it’s a good time to revisit the original Camelot of King Arthur legend,
and I have compelling new evidence about where it may have been
located,” says art expert Terry Stanfill, author of "Realms of Gold:
Ritual to Romance" (http://realmsofgoldthenovel.blogspot.com), a novel of ancient history and modern romance that posits her new theory about Camelot.
“The Arthurian legend is so ancient, and yet it has been one of the
most enduring interests in Western civilization,” she says. “It’s
exciting to think that after all of these centuries, we have a strong
case for a real Camelot.”
Educated in Medieval history, Stanfill has traveled extensively
through Asia and Europe, particularly France and Italy, and researched
the art and artifacts. She offers this primer on King Arthur, including
her own surprising theory about the true location of the original
Camelot:
The legend
Arthur as king was first mentioned in “The History of the Kings of
Britain” by Geoffrey of Monmouth, 1100-1155. A generation later,
Chrétien de Troyes, a French bard and poet, began to weave stories about
King Arthur's court, introducing the characters Lancelot, Guinevere and
Perceval. He was the first to mention Camelot, King Arthur’s home,
describing it as "a place by a river, surrounded by forests and plains
beyond."
The reality
Toward the end of the Roman Empire, circa 450 AD, Arthur Riothamus, King
of the Britons, was hired by the Romans to fight off invading Goths and
Visigoths. There is documentation from multiple sources that Arthur
spent a lot of time in Burgundy, France. He died after a battle near
Bourges and was taken by his men to Avallon in France, a town that had
existed for centuries. This is fact, not fiction.
Avalon
While many people believe the mystical Avalon of Arthurian legend was in
England, perhaps near Glastonbury, there is no record of a place called
Avalon in that country.The Avallon region of France, however, has long
existed. It was and still is known for its fruit trees and vines, much
like the lush island of legend.
Camelot
While many presume Camelot was in England, the extraordinary discovery
in 2007 of the remains of an ancient community on Mont Lassois in France
makes Stanfill wonder if this was actually the true Camelot. The
community is near Avallon, and among the buildings unearthed there
appear to be the remnants of a palace, including a great hall, where
there is evidence of feasting.
“When Chrétien de Troyes wrote of Camelot, this place may have been
held in the memory of the locals as a place where peace, prosperity and
the good life held a long reign,” Stanfill says. “His vision was a
nostalgic tribute to a distant, golden age of tranquility that was on
this hilltop.”
Stage director Manfred Flynn Kuhnert, an Arthurian legend aficionado
and teaching fellow at Harvard College, says Stanfill offers the most
compelling evidence he’s heard for the historical existence of Camelot
and its location in France.
“The citadel of Latisco on Mont Lassois -- a site of palatial
buildings unprecedented in the Celtic world – is not far from Avallon,”
Kuhnert says. “Arthur Riothamus’ time in Burgundy is documented, and we
know that the first person to write about Arthur was the bard Chrétien,
who lived in the area.
“This place is exactly as he described it: ‘on a hill, a place by a
river, surrounded by forests, with plains beyond.’ Terry Stanfill may
well have it right.”
About Terry Stanfill
Terry Stanfill holds a degree in English literature with a minor in
medieval history. She is an Overseer of the Huntington Library in San
Marino, Calif. An enthusiastic preservationist, she was decorated by the
president of Italy with the Ordine al Merito, Cavaliere della
Repubblica Italiana, and more recently as Commendatore, for her
fundraising efforts for the restoration of San Pietro di Castello, the
ancient cathedral of Venice. She is a former international
representative for Christie’s auction house and former director of
Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, Calif. “Realms of Gold: Ritual to
Romance” is her third novel. Her first two are “The Blood Remembers” and
“A Tale of the Fortuny Gown.” Stanfill is married to Dennis Stanfill,
former CEO of 20th Century Fox and MGM Studios.
Art expert Terry Stanfill reveals surprising historic possibility for King Arthur legend.
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB)
Planning already is underway to mark the 50th anniversaryof the
assassination of President John F. Kennedy on Nov. 22, 2013.
Commemorative events in Dallas and in churches across the country are
being organized. TV host Bill O’Reilly is set to release a new book,
“Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot,” this fall, and a feature movie,
“The Kennedy Detail,” is planned for release next fall.
“As people ponder the legacy of President Kennedy and his ‘Camelot,’
it’s a good time to revisit the original Camelot of King Arthur legend,
and I have compelling new evidence about where it may have been
located,” says art expert Terry Stanfill, author of "Realms of Gold:
Ritual to Romance" (http://realmsofgoldthenovel.blogspot.com), a novel of ancient history and modern romance that posits her new theory about Camelot.
“The Arthurian legend is so ancient, and yet it has been one of the
most enduring interests in Western civilization,” she says. “It’s
exciting to think that after all of these centuries, we have a strong
case for a real Camelot.”
Educated in Medieval history, Stanfill has traveled extensively
through Asia and Europe, particularly France and Italy, and researched
the art and artifacts. She offers this primer on King Arthur, including
her own surprising theory about the true location of the original
Camelot:
The legend
Arthur as king was first mentioned in “The History of the Kings of
Britain” by Geoffrey of Monmouth, 1100-1155. A generation later,
Chrétien de Troyes, a French bard and poet, began to weave stories about
King Arthur's court, introducing the characters Lancelot, Guinevere and
Perceval. He was the first to mention Camelot, King Arthur’s home,
describing it as "a place by a river, surrounded by forests and plains
beyond."
The reality
Toward the end of the Roman Empire, circa 450 AD, Arthur Riothamus, King
of the Britons, was hired by the Romans to fight off invading Goths and
Visigoths. There is documentation from multiple sources that Arthur
spent a lot of time in Burgundy, France. He died after a battle near
Bourges and was taken by his men to Avallon in France, a town that had
existed for centuries. This is fact, not fiction.
Avalon
While many people believe the mystical Avalon of Arthurian legend was in
England, perhaps near Glastonbury, there is no record of a place called
Avalon in that country.The Avallon region of France, however, has long
existed. It was and still is known for its fruit trees and vines, much
like the lush island of legend.
Camelot
While many presume Camelot was in England, the extraordinary discovery
in 2007 of the remains of an ancient community on Mont Lassois in France
makes Stanfill wonder if this was actually the true Camelot. The
community is near Avallon, and among the buildings unearthed there
appear to be the remnants of a palace, including a great hall, where
there is evidence of feasting.
“When Chrétien de Troyes wrote of Camelot, this place may have been
held in the memory of the locals as a place where peace, prosperity and
the good life held a long reign,” Stanfill says. “His vision was a
nostalgic tribute to a distant, golden age of tranquility that was on
this hilltop.”
Stage director Manfred Flynn Kuhnert, an Arthurian legend aficionado
and teaching fellow at Harvard College, says Stanfill offers the most
compelling evidence he’s heard for the historical existence of Camelot
and its location in France.
“The citadel of Latisco on Mont Lassois -- a site of palatial
buildings unprecedented in the Celtic world – is not far from Avallon,”
Kuhnert says. “Arthur Riothamus’ time in Burgundy is documented, and we
know that the first person to write about Arthur was the bard Chrétien,
who lived in the area.
“This place is exactly as he described it: ‘on a hill, a place by a
river, surrounded by forests, with plains beyond.’ Terry Stanfill may
well have it right.”
About Terry Stanfill
Terry Stanfill holds a degree in English literature with a minor in
medieval history. She is an Overseer of the Huntington Library in San
Marino, Calif. An enthusiastic preservationist, she was decorated by the
president of Italy with the Ordine al Merito, Cavaliere della
Repubblica Italiana, and more recently as Commendatore, for her
fundraising efforts for the restoration of San Pietro di Castello, the
ancient cathedral of Venice. She is a former international
representative for Christie’s auction house and former director of
Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, Calif. “Realms of Gold: Ritual to
Romance” is her third novel. Her first two are “The Blood Remembers” and
“A Tale of the Fortuny Gown.” Stanfill is married to Dennis Stanfill,
former CEO of 20th Century Fox and MGM Studios.
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