E X T E N S I O N TINTAGEL Tintagel Castle, in North Cornwall, was first mentioned1 as the palace where King Arthur was conceived2 by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his Historia Regum Britanniae (1138). Geoffrey of Monmouth also wrote that Queen Igerne stayed at Tintagel Castle for the birth. What happened next? Geoffrey doesn t say; he skips ahead3 to Arthur the King at the age of 15. Other traditions say that Merlin came to Tintagel to get the baby and hide4 him from his enemies until the time was right. Actually the castle, as described by Geoffrey of Monmouth, did not exist. A medieval castle was built in that place, but it was completed only three years after Geoffrey published the Historia Regum Britanniae. Probably Geoffrey of Monmouth placed Arthur s birthplace in North Cornwall because the legend of Arthur was already known there at his time. So the idea of an Arthurian connection to Tintagel didn t appear strange. So Geoffrey of Monmouth probably invented Arthur s birthplace; but archaeological excavations suggest that Tintagel may have an Arthurian connection. Nowadays the ruins of Tintagel Castle still stand in North Cornwall. The wild and romantic landscape surrounding the castle seems a perfect setting for the birthplace of a great British legend. 1. mentioned: named. 2. conceive: when a woman becomes pregnant. 3. skips ahead: doesn t talk about what happens (here between Arthur s birth and Arthur at 15). 4. hide: keep him where nobody could find him. 15