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The connection with King Arthur to the well-known stories of Tristan
and Isolde is that of Sir Tristan was a Knight of the Round Table, a
nephew of King Mark of Cornwall and a prince of the Cornish Land of Lyonesse.
The romantic story surrounding Tristan and Isolde places Tristan as the
escort of Isolde, the daughter
of the King and Queen of Ireland, to Cornwall to be the bride of his uncle
King Mark. The couple are said to have drunk a magic potion and fallen
in love during the journey. Mark and Isolde were married but the liaison with Tristran continued
until all was discovered and Tristan had to flee from his enraged uncle.
The Tristan Stone at Manabilly East Lodge Gate near Fowey has been
moved from its original setting close to Castle Dore. The Latin inscription
reads "Drustanus lies here the son of Cunomorus". Drustanus is a version
of the name Tristan. Cunormorus is the name of a sixth century Cornish
king who probably lived at Castle Dore. The engraved Greek Tau cross on
the back of the stone is an early Christian symbol and points to the origins
of the stone being in the fifth or sixth century.
Castle Dore is also given as another possibility as the site of King
Mark's headquarters in Cornwall. Ninth century writings refer to Cunormorus
as also being known as Marcus, presumably, one and the same as King Mark
of Cornwall. Originally an Iron Age earthwork, thought to have subsequently
been occupied by the Cornish Celts in the fifth or sixth century.
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