Isle of the Blessed

The Isle of the Blessed is thought to be the center of the Old Religion and the focus of its power, but,

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The Isle of the Blessed.

according to the sorcerer Taliesin, magic could be born in the Crystal Cave.

History

After Arthur Pendragon was bitten by a Questing Beast, Merlin went to Kilgharrah who told him to travel to the Isle of the Blessed and accept the heavy price that he would have to pay to the priestess of the Old Religion he would find there, in order to save Arthur's life. He did so andonce again encountered Nimueh. He was told that to save Arthur's life, he had to sacrifice another. Merlin chose to sacrifice his own, and Nimueh gave him a vial of water from the Cup of Life that would revive Arthur. But the

Nimueh, high priestess of the Old Religion, on the Isle of the Blessed.

life that was taken was not Merlin's, but his mother became ill with a terrible illness that would kill her. Merlin intended to once again visit Nimueh to bargain his own life for his mother's, but Gaius beat him to it, and sacrificed his life for Hunith, who later recovered from the illness. Merlin blamed Nimueh for Gaius' death, and attacked her. Nimueh easily overpowered him in a magical battle, and seemingly killed him. But as she turned her back to him, Merlin rose up and and used magical lightning to strike her down. He then used the power of life and death to revive Gaius, using Nimueh's death as payment. (Le Morte d'Arthur)

Around two years later, Morgause gave Morgana a staff carved from a rowan tree on the Isle of the Blessed, which she used to awaken the dead in the Great Battle for Camelot. (The Tears of Uther Pendragon)

Ancient Mythology

• The Isle of the Blessed or a similar concept is a recurring feature in many different religions across the

  

  world.
• In Greek mythology, it is the Elysian Fields, the final resting place for the souls of heroes and virtuous men.
• In Celtic belief, the Island of the Blessed is synonymous with Avalon, the Celtic Otherworld. However, historically, the centre of the "Old Religion", the seat of the Druids, was the Island of Anglesey.