Why "Avalon"?
Introduction
Behind every project lies a name. Sometimes chosen at random, sometimes carefully considered. For this citizen research project on the global history of artificial intelligence, the code name "Avalon" emerged as an obvious choice. But why?
This note explores the reasons—both poetic and political—that led to choosing this name rooted in Celtic mythology and Arthurian legend.
---
1. Avalon in Mythology: The Isle of Apples
Etymology
The word Avalon originates from ancient Celtic languages, derived from the Welsh term "aval" or "afal," meaning "apple." Avalon is therefore literally "the isle of apples" or "the apple orchard."
In Celtic tradition, the apple is not merely a fruit: it is a universal symbol of wisdom and knowledge. The apples of Avalon are said to confer immortality, or at least prolong life and heal even the gravest wounds.
The Mythical Island of Arthurian Legend
Avalon first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, written between 1135 and 1138. In this text and those that followed, Avalon is described as:
- A sacred island, shrouded in eternal mists, located in the West
- The resting place of King Arthur, transported there after his mortal wound at the Battle of Camlann
- The domain of the great priestesses: Morgan le Fay and Viviane, the Lady of the Lake
- The place where Excalibur was forged, Arthur's legendary sword
- The last refuge of Celtic tradition against the advance of Christianity
Essential Characteristics of Avalon
According to medieval texts and Celtic oral tradition, Avalon possesses several distinctive traits:
1. Access reserved for the initiated: One can only reach Avalon by summoning a magical boat and navigating through a labyrinthine marsh. Only those who possess the knowledge can pierce the mists.
2. The Celtic paradise: Avalon is a place of abundance, eternal youth, and omnipresent magic. Its magnificent apple trees yield two harvests per year.
3. The land of the dead and of waiting: Arthur does not truly die there; he awaits his future return. Avalon is a space outside time, between life and death, between present and future.
4. An island that disappears: As Celtic tradition fades in favor of Christianity, Avalon recedes further and disappears behind the mists. It disappears as humans forget their connection to the sacred.
5. A land of powerful women: Avalon is governed by women—Morgan and her eight priestess sisters—who hold ancient knowledge and magic.
---
2. Parallels Between Avalon and History-AI
The choice of "Avalon" as this project's name is no coincidence. There are profound resonances between the mythical island and the approach undertaken in this citizen research endeavor.
2.1 Memory Preserved Against Oblivion
| Avalon | History-AI |
|---|---|
| Preserves Celtic traditions threatened with oblivion by the advance of Christianity | Preserves historical contributions rendered invisible (non-Western cultures, women, ancient knowledge) in the dominant AI narrative |
| Last refuge of the "old religion" | Narrative refuge for stories erased from the grand Western narrative of AI |
Parallel: Just as Avalon protects ancient traditions from erasure, History-AI attempts to protect from oblivion the contributions of all cultures to the history of artificial intelligence.
2.2 Refuge of Lost Knowledge
| Avalon | History-AI |
|---|---|
| Island of healing where magical knowledge is preserved | Project that "heals" incomplete narratives by reintegrating forgotten contributions |
| Place where Excalibur was forged, symbol of power and legitimacy | Place where a new legitimacy is forged: that of marginalized knowledge |
Parallel: Avalon is a sanctuary of knowledge. History-AI is a narrative sanctuary for neglected historical knowledge.
2.3 The Awaited Return
| Avalon | History-AI |
|---|---|
| Arthur waits there to return and reign again one day (messianic dimension) | Forgotten knowledge awaits to return to the contemporary AI narrative |
| "The king will return" | "Invisible contributions can become visible again" |
Parallel: Just as Arthur is not dead but awaiting his hour, erased historical contributions are not lost—they await rediscovery and reintegration.
2.4 Veiled in Mists, Accessible to the Initiated
| Avalon | History-AI |
|---|---|
| Hidden behind mists, requires initiation to access | The complete history of AI is veiled by the dominant narrative; active research effort is needed to recover it |
| One must summon the boat to cross | One must actively seek out sources to cross toward complete knowledge |
Parallel: Avalon is not visible to the uninitiated. Similarly, the global history of AI is not obvious: it requires an effort of research, curiosity, and questioning of conventional narratives.
2.5 The Apple, Symbol of Knowledge
| Avalon | History-AI |
|---|---|
| Isle of the apple, symbol of wisdom in Celtic tradition | Project dedicated to knowledge dissemination, public education |
| Avalon's apples heal and confer immortality | Historical knowledge heals blind spots and enables transmission |
Parallel: Avalon's apple is not an ordinary fruit; it is a fruit of knowledge. History-AI aims to be an orchard of accessible knowledge.
2.6 Disappears If We Cease to Believe
| Avalon | History-AI |
|---|---|
| The more we forget the sacred, the further Avalon recedes and disappears | The more we forget ancient and diverse contributions, the more they fade from collective memory |
| Faith in tradition brings the island into existence | Attention to multiple narratives brings complete history into existence |
Parallel: Avalon exists as long as we believe in it. Likewise, invisible historical contributions exist as long as we seek them out, tell their stories, and pass them on.
2.7 Land of Powerful Women
| Avalon | History-AI |
|---|---|
| Governed by Morgan and the great priestesses | Project led by a woman |
| Highlights the role of women as knowledge keepers | Highlights women's contributions often made invisible in the history of AI |
Parallel: Avalon is a feminine space of power and knowledge. History-AI aligns with an effort to make women visible in the history of science and technology.
---
3. The Poetic Dimension of the Choice
Beyond the rational parallels, the name "Avalon" carries a poetic charge that resonates with the project's spirit.
The Hidden Island to Discover
Choosing "Avalon" as a code name suggests that the complete history of artificial intelligence is like a hidden island, veiled by the mists of the dominant narrative. It exists, it is there, but it requires effort to reach.
This project is an attempt to summon the boat that allows crossing to this island. It is an invitation to pierce the mists and discover what lies hidden behind the usual narrative.
Mystery and Quest
Avalon evokes mystery, quest, buried memory. It is a name that carries within it the idea of an intellectual journey, a search, an insatiable curiosity.
Artificial intelligence itself is often presented as a mystery, a black box. Tracing back to its plural origins is to lift a veil, to clear the mists.
Waiting and Hope
Avalon is a place of waiting, but it is an active waiting, not resignation. Arthur awaits to return. Similarly, forgotten knowledge awaits its return to the collective narrative.
The name "Avalon" therefore carries a message of hope: what has been forgotten can be recovered. What has been made invisible can become visible again.
---
4. The Political Dimension of the Choice
The choice of "Avalon" is not merely a poetic metaphor. It also carries a political dimension, in the noble sense of the term: that of the narrative we collectively construct.
Resistance to the Dominant Narrative
Just as Avalon resists the erasure of Celtic tradition in the face of dominant Christianity, History-AI resists the dominant Western narrative of artificial intelligence.
Choosing this name is to affirm that:
- Other histories exist beyond Dartmouth and Turing
- These histories deserve to be told
- They are not anecdotes but foundations of what we experience today
Inclusion and Polyphony
Avalon welcomes marginalized traditions, knowledge that no longer has a place in the medieval Christian world. Similarly, History-AI welcomes absent voices from the usual AI narrative:
- Non-Western cultures (Arab, African, Asian, Indigenous American)
- Women scientists and inventors
- Ancient knowledge that laid the conceptual foundations of AI
The name "Avalon" is therefore a manifesto of inclusion.
Repair and Narrative Justice
Avalon is a place of healing. Arthur is cared for there. Similarly, History-AI attempts to "heal" incomplete narratives, to repair omissions, to do justice to forgotten contributions.
This is not an approach of delegitimizing existing narratives, but one of completeness, of narrative repair.
---
5. An Illuminating Quote
Sources consulted on Avalon mention this powerful phrase:
> "Avalon disappears as humans forget their connection to the sacred."
One could paraphrase for this project:
> "The complete history of artificial intelligence disappears as we forget the contributions of those who, across centuries and continents, built our relationship with the automation of thought."
Avalon exists as long as we believe in it, as long as we seek it, as long as we tell its story.
Likewise, invisible historical contributions exist as long as we research them, document them, and pass them on.
---
6. Avalon as Memory Keeper
There is one final dimension to the choice of "Avalon": the role of ferrywoman.
In legend, to reach Avalon, one needs a boat guided by a ferryman or ferrywoman. It is Morgan who guides wounded Arthur to the island. It is Viviane who offers Excalibur from the lake.
The author of this project sees herself as a ferrywoman: she does not claim to be Avalon itself (the island of complete knowledge), but she summons the boat, she invites the crossing, she shows the way toward a more complete history.
Avalon is not a destination; it is an invitation to journey.
---
Summary: A Name as Program
"Avalon" is not just a code name. It is a program, an intention, a living metaphor.
It is the name of a project that:
- Preserves what risks being forgotten
- Heals incomplete narratives
- Welcomes marginalized voices
- Resists the dominant narrative
- Hopes that what has been erased can return
- Invites each person to pierce the mists and discover a richer history
Like the mythical island, this project does not claim to hold all truth. It is humble, imperfect, citizen-driven. But it carries within it the idea that forgotten knowledge deserves to be recovered, that mists can be pierced, that the history of artificial intelligence is polyphonic rather than monotone.
Avalon is an island. History-AI is an archipelago of stories to (re)discover.
---
References
- Wikipedia. Avalon. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avalon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avalon)
- Futura Sciences. In Search of Avalon, the mythical island where King Arthur rests awaiting his return... July 2024.
- Histoire du Monde. Avalon. [https://www.histoiredumonde.net/Avalon.html](https://www.histoiredumonde.net/Avalon.html)
- Dol-Celeb. Avalon, island of mythology and King Arthur legends. October 2025.
- Arcana. Avalon: the mystery of the legendary island. April 2025.
- Inexploré Digital. Avalon, the mists of knowledge.
---
Note established January 2026 for Project Avalon / History-AI
License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0