https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0817-4852
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ABSTRACT
Previous research (Orange & Laviolette [2010] A disgruntled tourist in King Arthur’s court: Archaeology and identity at Tintagel, Cornwall. Public Archaeology, 9(2), 85–107; Robb [1998] Tourism and legends: Archaeology of heritage. Annals of Tourism Research, 25(3), 579–596) has described the interpretative tension at Tintagel Castle between history and Arthurian legend; since these articles were written, a sculpture that English Heritage says is ‘inspired by the legend of King Arthur, by the historic kings and royal figures associated with Tintagel,’ and a carving of Merlin’s face have been added to the site. Using discourse analysis of TripAdvisor reviews, this article explores how legend and history are experienced by visitors. Despite an ‘inextricable’ link with Arthur, his actual absence here in both physical and narrative realms equals an absence of imaginative stimulus, for which the statue, while enabling superficial physical interaction, cannot compensate. Likewise, many reviewers see the mediaeval remains not as a presence of ruins but an absence of castle, and are similarly uninspired to transport themselves into a historical narrative. It is only reviewers inspired by history who engage the ruins as a ‘thing’ whose imaginations immerse them in their visit.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Notes on contributor
Dr Laura Hodsdon is a researcher and policy advisor, with interests centring on bias and inclusion in heritage and narrative, and across equality and diversity including BME and female representation in the workplace, and intergenerational ageism. She undertook a PhD in Classics at the University of Leeds, focusing on narrative theory and reader response. She subsequently spent several years as a researcher and policy advisor at the University of Oxford, where projects included Diversifying Portraits, an innovative initiative to catalyse reflection within the university on its heritage and the way it is presented in portraiture. Since 2018 she has been Research Fellow at Falmouth University, where current research projects include applying the concepts of implicit bias and institutional bias to heritage storytelling to diversify and personalise visitor experiences and heritage interpretation practices.
Notes
1 English Heritage is a registered charity that cares for over 400 historic buildings, monuments and sites across the UK.
3 TripAdvisor allows a rating of 1–5 stars: this is not considered here due to the small sample. Each reviewer must provide a ‘title’, used here to designate each review instead of username or star rating. Reviewer’s country of location is indicated; ‘np’ indicates that no place is provided.
4 Whilst legend and myth are distinct – the former based more on realism and the latter more on the supernatural – the terms are often used interchangeably.
5 There is not space in this article to consider Tintagel explicitly in the context of authenticity per se, although there would be much to be said in the light of accusations of its ‘Disneyfication’, particularly from the local community (Fenton, Citation2016; Cohen, Citation1988; Knudsen & Rickly-Boyd, Citation2012; Rickly-Boyd, Citation2010).
6 The vast majority refer to the steps and steep hill; at the time of writing a new footbridge has recently been opened and it will be interesting to see how and whether the thematic emphasis shifts in the discourse overall.