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Avalon

Arthurian Legend
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Mystical island where Arthur is taken to heal after his final battle

Detailed Definition
Avalon, often associated with Glastonbury, symbolizes otherworldly sanctuary and eternal rest. In poetry, it represents the liminal space between life and death, myth and history, and the enduring hope of Arthur’s eventual return to restore Britain.
Example
Example in poetry:
Avalon is “the isle of apples” where Arthur is taken to heal in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Vita Merlini; Tennyson writes in “The Passing of Arthur”: “the bold Sir Bedivere... bore him to a bark... that like a swan... glided to Avalon”; Avalon symbolizes mystery and eternal rest in modern verse; Poets evoke Avalon as a liminal space between life and legend; In Yeats’s poetry, Avalon merges with Celtic otherworlds; Avalon often represents hope for Arthur’s return in messianic poetic traditions.
Additional Notes
Avalon, the mystical island of apples, is where Arthur is taken after his final battle to heal; rooted in Celtic otherworld traditions, it symbolizes transcendence, mystery, and cyclical return—poets invoke Avalon as a liminal space between life and death, myth and history, often blending it with themes of eternal hope or unresolved legacy.
Other Meanings of “Avalon”
Also Known As
Isle of Avalon Insula Avallonis The Island of Avalon Isle Beyond the Sea Morgan’s Isle The Isle of Glass
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