isn't literally of...

[IQU3838]

Hi,

Could anyone help me with this phrase (underlined part):

"Avalon isn't literally of this world, though it is a great place of power. Christians felt it and built an abbey dedicated to Mary there."

Thank you very much.

 

[Raymott]

Hi,

Could anyone help me with this phrase (underlined part):

"Avalon isn't literally of this world, though it is a great place of power. Christians felt it and built an abbey dedicated to Mary there."

Thank you very much.

It means it doesn't exist in physical reality. It's imaginary.
The Christians referred to might think of it as a spiritual place.

 

[bhaisahab]

Hi,

Could anyone help me with this phrase (underlined part):

"Avalon isn't literally of this world, though it is a great place of power. Christians felt it and built an abbey dedicated to Mary there."

Thank you very much.

(The Isle of) Avalon is or was a physical place, see here: "What is now known as Glastonbury was, in ancient times, called the Isle of Avalon. It is virtually an island, for it is completely surrounded by marshlands. In Welsh it is called 'Ynys Afallach', which means the Island of Apples and this fruit once grew in great abundance." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avalon#cite_note-10

 

[Raymott]

(The Isle of) Avalon is or was a physical place, see here: "What is now known as Glastonbury was, in ancient times, called the Isle of Avalon. It is virtually an island, for it is completely surrounded by marshlands. In Welsh it is called 'Ynys Afallach', which means the Island of Apples and this fruit once grew in great abundance."

That's interesting. The writer apparently didn't know this, because I'm pretty sure my reading of the text is right. Whether the writer was writing a true fact is another thing.

 

[Tdol]

Maybe the writer is using literally loosely, which is fairly common in BrE at least- there were literally millions of people there, etc.

 

[BobK]

Hi,

Could anyone help me with this phrase (underlined part):

"Avalon isn't literally of this world, though it is a great place of power. Christians felt it and built an abbey dedicated to Mary there."

Thank you very much.

Maybe you need some advice about what 'this world' means in this context, and who Mary is. 'This world' is life on Earth; anything else is 'other worldly'. 'Mary' is that particular woman who gave birth to Jesus (whose father is a matter for debate that doesn't belong here ;-)).

b

 

[Barb_D]

It literally makes me crazy when people misuse "literally."
;-)