PURSUIT OF IGRAINE

 

The king's men regard the challenge of Tintagel.

Driven by his desire fo Igraine, the Duchess of Cornwall, Uther Pendragon led his army against the duke. The duke, in his wisdom, plced Igrained in teh Castle of Tintagel, while he and his men awaited Uther in a nearby encampment.

Though they were greatly outnumbered, teh duke's men put up a valiant fight, but they were not the only obstacle to face teh high King. The greater challenge came from Tintagel itself.

5th and 6th centuries, but the ruins seen today are of the 12th

Situated on the rugged coast of Cornwall, Tintagel is surrounded by the sea on three sides. Only a narrow ridge connects its island to the mainland. An added deterrent are its formidable cliffs, which drop up to a hundred meters to the sea. with such defenses the castle only need be guarded by a small garrison of men. Excavations of the site have revealed that it was inhabited in the 5th and 6th centuries, but the ruins seen today are of the 12th century.



A frustrated Uther was advised that it would not matter if the entire kingdom stood behind him, he still would not be able to take Tintagel. Uther realized that if he were to succeed he must abandon his old tactics and take a different approach. For this new approach, the implacable Uther turned to Merlin.





From Ferguson, Anna-Marie. Keeper of Words. 1995 Llewellyn Publications. St. Paul, Minnesota. (159)

 

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