Thursday, June 19, 2025

Mythical or Real? Part 2

This week, we have a cave and a castle to explore.

2. Gorham’s Cave (Medusa’s Cave), Gibraltar – 600 BCE

As far as ancient mariners knew, Gorham’s Cave, a natural cavern at the base of the Pillars of Hercules in the Strait of Gibraltar, was the edge of the known world. But a study published in 2021 suggests that the cave may have played an even greater role in Greek mythology. Deep inside the cave, archaeologists found fragments from the head of a large, ceramic Gorgon dating to about the sixth century BCE. According to legends, the Gorgons were three monstrous sisters who terrorized Greek sailors by turning them to stone with a single look. Their lair was supposed to be near the Rock of Gibraltar. It was in their lair that Perseus beheaded the snake-haired Medusa—the most evil of the siblings—while she slept.

Other Medusa figures have been found in the region, but this was the first to be discovered inside a cave. By combining archaeological evidence, historical accounts, geography, and myth, researchers have concluded that Gorham’s Cave was likely the site that early seafarers believed to have been the home of the Gorgons, and the site of Medusa’s defeat. Visitors can examine the cave’s entrance on biweekly summer tours offered at the British territory of Gibraltar’s Gorham’s Cave Complex World Heritage Site, a limestone ridge off the southern tip of Spain.

Now, it’s my understanding that a cave in Gibraltar—possibly Gorham’s Cave—was inhabited by Neanderthals during the last ice age, and that stone tools, human and animal remains had been found in the cave.

 

3. Tintagel Castle (King Arthur’s Castle), England – 1203 CE

Writer Geoffrey of Monmouth described Tintagel Castle as the place of King Arthur’s conception. Since then, the 13th-century fortress on the rocky coast of Cornwall, England, has been associated with Arthur’s legend. But until recently, no one knew that beneath the ruins of Tintagel Castle lay an even older settlement with features that could correspond to the legendary leader. It appears that the older settlement was an exceptional place, with goods and luxury commodities arriving from the Mediterranean world in great numbers. Although archaeologists can’t say for sure who ruled the earlier site, King Arthur fits the profile.

Whether he was actually there or not, King Arthur has very much become a part of the story that’s been handed down over generations. Tintagel Castle was built around 1203 CE by Richard, the Earl of Cornwall. It had no military value, but was constructed, in part, at least, to draw a connection between his authority and the legendary King Arthur.

Arthur’s myth is not the only one that haunts Tintagel Castle. There’s also a Celtic legend retold in the 12th century as a story of forbidden love in which the knight Tristan fell in love with Princess Isolde even though she was set to marry King Mark of Cornwall. There are several places around Cornwall that are associated with King Mark, Tristan, and Isolde. Their story was circulating around Europe at the same time as King Arthur’s. But somehow, the ruins of Tintagel Castle became known at King Arthur’s home.

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