Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Glastonbury Cross: Post-Celtic treasure, or hoax?

Did Mahoney really possess King Arthur's casket cross? Or had Mahoney simply a wee bit of the drink taken? (Wiki Commons)
Back in the 1980s, a man with an Irish surname, Mahoney, claimed to have located a cross once attached to the coffin of King Arthur. Supposedly this was unearthed by monks in 1161 as they disinterred Arthur to plant him elsewhere...and had lain at the bottom of a lake since. Or something.

Considering the uncertainty as to whether there really was an Arthur, it's all a little far-fetched. The British Museum, however, didn't reject it out of hand. So there is still a chance....

It's a convoluted tale, but one told quite clearly in History Today magazine.