Avalon is a legendary island in which the body of King Arthur is buried. He was supposedly brought there via boat by his half sister, Morgan le Fay. According to some legends Arthur merely sleeps there, to awaken at some future time.
The word is an anglicisation of the Celtic "Annwyn", the realm of fairies, or netherworld.
It is possible that Avalon, as Arthur's burial island, refers to the 'isle' of Ely, which at the time was an island amid the East Anglian fenland, which has since been drained. However Medieval monks claimed to have found Arthur's body in Glastonbury, also built on an island-like hill (Glastonbury Tor), and a nearby valley is named the Vale of Avalon.
Avalon is also the name of some places in North America:
- Avalon, Alberta
- Istmus of Avalon, Newfoundland and Labrador
- Avalon Park, Ontario
- Avalon, Saskatchewan
- Avalon, New Jersey
- Avalon, Pennsylvania
- the Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland
- the Avalon Electoral District (as of 2004), Newfoundland and Labrador
Avalon is also the title of a Hollywood feature film production from 1990. Directed by Barry Levinson, it is the autobiographically tinged story of a family of Jewish-Russian immigrants who come to the US at the beginning of the 20th century, to find a better life. It stars Leo Fuchs, Eve Gordon, Armin Mueller-Stahl and Elijah Wood in one of his earliest roles.
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Avalon is also the title of a Japanese movie directed by Mamoru Oshii.
Avalon is also the name of a web comic set in Canada by Josh Phillips. The comic launched on November 8, 1999, and updates daily at midnight (Eastern time). The strip focuses on a group of high school students, and while it originally started out as a mostly-storyless gag strip, it evolved into a coherent, long-term story with realistic characters.
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