This sword was obtained by King Arthur with the assistance of the wizard Merlin - he was held over the waters by a mysterious hand (the hand of the Lady of the Lake), after he lost his sword in a duel with Sir Pelinor.
According to legend, Excalibur was forged by the blacksmith god Velund. According to another, it was forged on Avalon.
In some early texts, before falling into the hands of Arthur, it belonged to Gawain.

The sword Excalibur, along with the Holy Grail itself, is a symbol of the legends of King Arthur. Until recently, it was believed that this wonderful weapon was invented by medieval authors of novels about the round table, but recently it has been proven that the mention of the magic sword of the great king appeared in the earliest Arthurian legends, then, the sword was called Caliburn, and "ex" - just an amplifying particle added much later.
Two explanations were found for the original name of the sword. Firstly, it could come from the name of another legendary sword Caledfolch, stubbornly found in many ancient Celtic legends. In this case, it translates as "lightning, flash." The lightning sword of the pagan thunder god had a similar name.
The second version says that the word "Caliburn" comes from the Latin word "chalybs", meaning "steel".
But, one way or another, Excalibur, the great sword of King Arthur, is a symbol of courage and honor, a sword that cannot be broken even in the most terrible battle.
In some sources, Excalibur is called the Sword in the Stone, the one that, according to the prophecy of Merlin, the future king of England was to free from under the stone slab. But this version is considered to be erroneous. The sword with which Arthur proved his right to the throne was broken in one of the first battles of the knights of the round table and did not possess any magical properties.
Excalibur was forged by the hands of the immortals in the forges of the beautiful Avallon and handed over to Arthur by the mistress of the lake, who ordered the sword to be returned to where it came from on time. Arthur couldn't stop admiring the shining blade with its jeweled hilt, and didn't heed Merlin's warnings that the sword wasn't as important as its unsightly scabbard, for the wearer was invulnerable in battle.
The scabbard was soon lost, but the sword faithfully served its master until the end of its life. And it was his blade that mortally wounded Mordred, Arthur's last adversary. Weakened from his wounds and feeling close to death, the king called to him the only knight left alive. And, giving him Excalibur, he ordered to throw it into the enchanted lake. But, seeing how beautiful this sword was, the knight decided to keep it for himself, hid it, and returned to his dying master. The same, sensing something was wrong, asked what happened when the precious sword touched the surface of the water. The knight did not find what to answer, confessed to deceit and, ashamed, returned to the lake, for a long time he could not part with the beautiful blade, and when he finally threw it, he saw a woman's hand that caught the sword just above the water and immediately disappeared. The knight told Arthur about this, and he fearlessly left the world, having fulfilled his last duty, returning the magic sword to the lake, as he promised.
The strange fate of the sword, which emerged from the lake and returned there, most likely comes from the ancient Celtic custom of submerging weapons. An exact explanation for this custom has not yet been found, but weapons are still found in the reservoirs of Europe to this day. Moreover, it was proved that it did not get there by chance, not broken, not even damaged, it has only traces of ritual, staged battles. The lakes, in which especially richly decorated blades were found, are still surrounded by legends and beliefs. Scientists suggest that in the first centuries of our era they were considered sacred. It was also believed that the priestess, who was in charge of the lake, could get a sword from its bowels and give it to the most worthy one with only one condition: having served its owner, the blade must return to the sacred reservoir.

Answers to other Golden Fleece questions can be found

Sword Excalibur is one of the most mysterious myths associated with King Arthur. Today we will talk about King Arthur and his glorious sword Excalibur.

The greatest Western European Legend, the Historia Regum Britanniae, written in Latin around 1135 by Geoffroy de Monmouth and translated into Old French twenty years later by the Norman Robert Weiss, first mentions the magic sword of King Arthur under the name Caliburn.

Narrating the historical Battle of Badon, during which King Arthur successfully repulsed the Saxon invasion, the author tells how Arthur, having overshadowed himself with a precious sword made on the sacred island of the Celts of Avalon, rushed into the thick of the battle, hitting the enemies with the first blow. The legend testifies that the king killed four hundred and seventy warriors with his only weapon - the sword Caliburn. Magical properties are attributed to this sword to cut the blades of other swords, while remaining unharmed and preserving its owner, who must have a pure heart.

Sword Excalibur.

The origin of the sword has two versions, which somewhat contradict each other.

According to the first version, it was made by the wizard Merlin, who, by the power of magic, imprisoned it in a large stone and wrote on it that whoever could extract the sword from the stone would become the king of all Britain by right of his birth.

How did Arthur get this sword?

His father, Uther Pendragon, whose last name translates as "dragon slayer", was a just and wise king. Trying to get along with the gods and express their will on earth, the king kept his advisor Merlin, a wise man who became famous for his ability to communicate with the Spirits of nature. No one knew where this Merlin came from under the king. It was said that he was born on the mysterious island of Avalon, from where he once came, but no one knew where this island was located.

Merlin appeared unexpectedly in difficult times for the kingdom, and also unexpectedly disappeared when everything fell into place. On the night when King Uther's son Arthur was born, he suddenly came in flashes of lightning and asked to give him the boy. The king implicitly complied with Merlin's wish, especially since the sage said that it would be better for the kingdom. No one in the whole kingdom knew that the king had an heir. He disappeared with Merlin.

Various legends speak differently about the subsequent fate of young Arthur. One part of the legends claims that Arthur was brought up by the knight Ector under the constant supervision of Merlin, and the second part says that Arthur lived for seventeen years with the sage Merlin himself on the island of Avalon.

King Uther never saw his heir again, and before his death he decided to entrust the fate of Britain to Merlin, the only person he trusted. By virtue of his foresight, Merlin leaves the decision on the fate of the future kingdom to the will of the gods, because he believed that fair rule should be restored in the kingdom of Britain and not a single person can decide who is fair and who is not.

Merlin points to the stone in which the sword is hidden and waits for a sign from above, which will indicate who will get this sword. Many knights tried their strength, trying to extract from the stone. But Merlin understood perfectly well that it was not a matter of physical strength, but of the strength of the spirit, the ability to live not for himself, but for others.

A variety of knights tried to get the place of king for themselves. Arthur was also among them, but not as a knight, but as a page of his named brother Kay, who lost his sword through carelessness and asked Arthur to get him a new one. Without thinking twice, Arthur took out a magic stone and brought it to Kay instead of the lost one.

Kei immediately realized what an opportunity fate was giving him, because this sword was unrecognizable. Without hesitation, he went with him to Merlin. But Merlin could not be deceived, and he ordered Kay to insert the sword back into the stone and show all the people how he pulled it out of there. Kay had no choice but to tell the truth.

Thus, the unknowing and unaware page in an instant becomes the king of Britain, who ruled justly and wisely, taking care of the humiliated, poor, offended and continuing the traditions of his father Uther.

The second version of the origin of the Excalibur sword tells that King Arthur once received it from the fairy of the forest lake when he passed by it. He saw that from the middle of the lake rose a hand in a sleeve of luxurious silk, clutching a wonderful sword, shining like hundreds of torches in the night. The Lady of the Lake approached Arthur through the water and explained to King Arthur that it was magical, which was waiting for a worthy knight. Arthur expressed a very passionate desire to master this sword and the Lady of the Lake allowed Arthur to take the sword and ordered him to take it out of its scabbard only in the right fight. She also said that the sword and scabbard would always be with Arthur, for the sword and scabbard are magical and able to protect the king from wounds.

Various legends are associated with the sword Excalibur. According to some, this sword was stolen from the king and killed with it. According to others, the sword was always with Arthur and he returned it to the Lady of the Lake before his death, when he suffered his first and only defeat. And allegedly the Lady of the Lake took the dying king to the mythical island of Avalon, symbolizing the other world, where Arthur is still waiting for his return to Britain.

Excalibur- the legendary sword of King Arthur, which is often attributed to mystical and magical properties. Sometimes Excalibur is identified with the sword in the stone, but in most texts they are different swords. The sword was first mentioned in Geoffrey of Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britain.

Story
This sword King Arthur obtained with the assistance of the wizard Merlin - he was held above the waters by the hand of the Lady of the Lake - after he lost his sword in a duel with Sir Pelinor. One day, Arthur's sister, the fairy Morgana, persuaded her lover Sir Accolon to kill the king. To make it easier for him, she stole Excalibur, as well as his sheath, which was magical and promoted healing of wounds. But Arthur was able to defeat the enemy with conventional weapons. After Arthur's last battle, when the king felt that he was dying, he asked the last of the surviving knights of the Round Table, Sir Bedivere, to throw the sword into the nearest body of water - to return it to the Lady of the Lake. Only after making sure that this was done, Arthur died peacefully. According to one legend, Excalibur was forged by the blacksmith god Velund. According to another, it was forged on Avalon. In some early texts, before falling into the hands of Arthur, it belonged to Gawain. Archaeological finds of a large number of swords of the Dark Ages in European waters suggest the existence of a custom of flooding weapons after the death of a warrior.

Etymology
The name of King Arthur's sword comes from the Welsh Caledwulch, which combines the elements caled ("battle") and bwlch ("break the integrity", "break"). Geoffrey of Monmouth Latinized the sword name in his 12th century History of the Kings of Britain as Caliburn or Caliburnus. In French medieval literature, the sword was called Excalibor, Excalibor and Excalibur.
The first references to Caledwulch are in the Celtic tales The Spoils of Annun and Keeluch and Olwen, a work included in the Mabinogion and dating from around 1100. In some chivalric romances, Excalibur is also referred to as Mirandoisa and Chastefol.

What is the legend? An old legend about the Knights of the Round Table.
Many years ago, heroes lived and died for the honor of the king, for their land and beautiful ladies. Many, many years ago, the formidable King Uther Pendragon lived on the land of Britain, and he was in love with the beautiful Igraine, Duchess of Cornwall. For the happiness of connecting with her, the king promised the magician Merlin his future son. And when the child was born, Uther, keeping his word, gave the boy to a wise druid to raise him according to his own understanding. So little Arthur lost his parents and became the adopted son of Sir Ector. Soon Uther died, and chaos reigned in the country. Fearing internecine wars, on the night before Christmas, Merlin gathered the English barons in the largest church in London. Coming out of the doors of the temple after the service, they saw a miraculously appearing stone in the square, into which a sword was stuck to the middle of the blade. “Whoever can draw this sword from the stone,” the inscription read, “he will become the king of England.” Many wished to test their strength, but the sword did not even swing, and the English throne did not find the long-awaited ruler. Many years later, when few people remembered the sword in the stone, valiant knights from all over Britain came to London to participate in the tournament. Among the guests was Sir Ector with his son Kay, as well as the unknown Arthur, who served as a friend and squire with his foster brother. On the way, it turned out that Kay had forgotten the sword at home, and Arthur had the honor of returning for it. But the servants left for the tournament, and the house was locked. Arthur was ashamed to appear empty-handed before his master, but, fortunately, he saw a sword sticking out of a stone in the square, easily pulled it out and, happy with the find, went to Kay. He immediately recognized Merlin's magic sword and, showing it to his father, declared that he intended to become king. But under the stern gaze of Sir Ector, he immediately confessed everything. When Arthur, in front of the astonished knights, again pulled the sword out of the stone, it became clear who the real king was. Arthur ruled as befits a just king. He did many glorious deeds for the benefit of his subjects. Rumors about him filled the earth. Dreaming of exploits, the noblest knights of Britain reached out to his court. They were strong and courageous people, but there was no agreement among them. Frequent quarrels and strife overshadowed the life of the state. And then one day everything changed. On the wedding day, along with the dowry of his wife, the beautiful Lady Guinevere, Arthur received an unusual table - 150 knights could gather at it at the same time. no, and thanks to its round shape, they all turned out to be equal before God and the king. Thus was born the Brotherhood of the Knights of the Round Table. Once a year, on Pentecost, they gathered in Camelot to confirm their right to a seat at the Round Table with stories of exploits. There was no shortage of noble men in Camelot, only one seat at the Round Table was always empty. It was called "disastrous", because only the most noble and pure-hearted knight could take it without harming himself or others. And one day such a knight appeared. On the next feast of Pentecost, when, having renewed their vows of loyalty to Arthur and Camelot, the knights took their places at the Round Table, a beautiful young man in white robes appeared in the hall. On the back of a vacant chair, the inscription “Galahad” immediately appeared. When Galahad took his place, thunder boomed, the shutters rattled in alarm, and darkness fell on Camelot. Suddenly, a bowl appeared on the table, covered with a white veil, and the voice of heaven announced that this bowl is the Grail and that as long as it lives in the world, the brotherhood of the Knights of the Round Table will also live. No one could see her, only the hall was filled with wonderful aromas, and dishes and drinks that were most to his taste appeared in front of each knight. "And the Holy Grail was carried across the entire hall and disappeared no one knows how and where." The audience was breathless, and when they regained the gift of speech, then, without leaving the spot, they swore an oath without any delay to go in search of the Holy Grail. From now on, life among feasts and feats of arms remained for the knights in the past.
For some reason, troubadours and minnesingers were sure that the search for the Grail was the only important thing in life, that the Grail unites in itself that without which the life of each of us loses its meaning: the most beautiful dreams, the greatest love, the highest aspirations, to which only a person can grow and reach, the Grail is revealed only to those who aspire to it with all the strength of their soul. Many trials brought the search for the Grail to Arthur's knights. Only three of them: the invincible Perceval, the pure-hearted Bors and the perfect knight Galahad reached their goal. The Grail was revealed to them as a reward for spiritual search, for purity and courage, it was revealed because they saw it in dreams day and night, in dreams and in reality. Galahad, having completed his mission, turned his eyes to heaven, and his soul went up, towards the angels. Parzival and Bors vowed to return to Camelot and tell everyone about the Holy Grail. “And the two knights also saw how a hand was stretched out from heaven, but they did not see the body, and that hand reached the sacred vessel and lifted it and carried it to heaven. Since then, there has not been a person on earth who could say that he saw the Holy Grail. Not all knights returned to Camelot. And the last battle awaited those who returned. In it, the eternal enemy, the embodiment of evil and vice, Mordred mortally wounded King Arthur. It's time for the Knights of the Round Table to leave this world. The ship approached silently and took the great king to a magical island, where there is no place for evil, suffering and death. The best knights followed him, and there, on the unknown Avallon, they sleep soundly, sharing the fate of their master.

Excalibur is the sword of King Arthur in Sir Thomas Malory's landmark work Le Morte d'Arthur, published in 1485 CE. The sword was originally introduced in Geoffrey of Monmouth's (1136 CE) History of the Kings of Britain as Caliburnus (or Caliburn) and further developed by later writers before Malory immortalized it in his work. The sword, at first glance, is a powerful weapon in the hands of a skilled warrior and maintains that reputation in every story that characterizes it.

As with many other magical or powerful swords in legend or mythology, it is identified with a single hero and should not be allowed to fall into enemy hands due to its inherent power. In the case of Excalibur, when Arthur dies from his wounds after fighting Mordred, he must be returned to his source, the Lady of the Lake, instead of being entrusted to any knight - no matter how noble - Arthur, the king, may succeed.

However, this rule is not always true for every version of the legend. In the poem Comté du Grail, the Provençal poet Chrétien de Troyes (c. 1130 - 1190 AD) makes Excalibur (called Escalibor) Sir Gawain's weapon. In the Vulgate Cycle (1215-1235 CE) and the Post-Vulgate Cycle (c. 1230-1245 CE), Arthur presents Gawain with Excalibur, who then hands him over to Lancelot for his protection of Guinevere. Gawain then returns the sword to Arthur for his final battle with Mordred and then it must be returned to the Lady of the Lake.

DREAMS IN MYTHOLOGY
The concept of "sword of power" was not associated with the Arthurian legend. Greek mythology mentions a number of magical swords and, especially, the gappa used by the titan Kronos to overthrow his father Uranus. Julius Caesar's sword, Croce Mors was supposed to have supernatural powers, like the Sword of Mars owned by Attila the Hun. The Janjiang and Moye swords of the Chinese spring and autumn period must also be imbued with great power by their creators.

In the biblical Book of Genesis, after the Fall of Man, God places his cherubim to stand east of the Garden of Eden, along with a flaming sword "which has turned in every way" to prevent the return of Adam and Eve. The Shinto storm god Susanuo finds a magic sword in the dragon's tail and it eventually became part of the Japanese imperial regalia. Magical swords are often used in Norse mythology, such as Gram, the weapon of Sigmund and his son Sigurd, and the Celts introduced a number of magical swords into their tales, including the Kleeve Sollish, the Sword of Light that triumphs over darkness. In the 11th century AD. the Spanish hero El Cid had two magic swords, and the 8th century French champion of Europe, Roland, possessed his famous Durendal blade and fell with it, protecting the Ronchevo Pass in the epic Song of Roland.

While there are precedents for earlier magical or supernatural power swords, Excalibur is perhaps the most famous. It is often associated with another Arthurian motif, the Sword in the Stone, but they are actually two different swords. In some versions of the legend, the Sword in the Stone is destroyed in Arthur's first battle and replaced by Excalibur, while in others the Sword in the Stone establishes Arthur's right to rule (as only he can draw the blade from the rock) as the son and successor of Uther Pendragon, while Excalibur serves as a symbol of his authority as king.

FAMOUS NAME AND ORIGIN
The name Excalibur may appear in the work of Culhwch and Olwen from the Mabinogion, a collection of Welsh legends, if the composition date is taken as c. 1100 CE. However, the Mabinogion only exists in manuscripts from the 13th and 14th centuries, with some scholars noting it as early as 1200 CE. In this tale, Arthur's sword is called Kaledviwich, which comes from the Latin chalibs ("steel" or "iron") and means "hard cleft". Caledwiwich, as the name of the sword of power, is most likely derived from the mythological Irish blade Caladbolg (meaning "gluttonous"), carried over by King Fergus Mac Roich into the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology.

Geoffrey of Monmouth calls Arthur's sword Caliburnus in Medieval Latin, which uses the Latin chalybs more directly as "steel", but designates a particularly heavy or efficient blade. As such, by that time, Geoffrey wrote, the name of Arthur's blade could be understood to mean "famous sword" or "great sword" due to Chalib's earlier associations with mythological weapons.

The French poet Wace (c. 1110-1174 CE) translated Geoffrey's work into Old Russian vernacular literature and renamed the sword Chaliburne. Chrétien de Troyes changed his name to Escalibor. When the Arthurian legend was translated into English, Haliborn/Excalibor became Excalibur. Malory, drawing on the Vulgate Cycle, calls Arthur's sword Excalibur shortly after Arthur found and drew the Sword in the Stone, linking the name to that weapon, and the association stuck. Later, however, once this first sword is shattered in combat, it becomes clear that Arthur must obtain the "true excalibur" from a mystical source, the Lady of the Lake, and Merlin (who seems to be the magical power behind both swords) guides him to where he will be proposed. No explanation matters, the strength or origin of the sword, and, in fact, Malory pays more attention to the scabbard.

Whether it is presented as the Sword in the Stone or given to the Lady of the Lake, it is clear that Excalibur comes from another realm. This motif follows from an established paradigm in Celtic lore of magical weapons such as Cuchulainn's spear or Fergus mac Roych's sword being forged in the mystic realm. However, the same device is used in the legends of many cultures around the world. For example, the great swords of Jangjiang and Moye also have mystical origins. In the case of Excalibur, the sword is transformed from a powerful weapon into a symbol of divine inspiration and redemption. When weapons are first mentioned in the work of Geoffrey of Monmouth, magical attributes are not attributed to them.

sword power
In Book IX of The History of the Kings of Britain, Caliburn is first mentioned as "the finest of swords that was forged in the Isle of Avallon" and listed by Geoffrey, along with Arthur's other equipment, as being of particular importance. As Arthur prepares to face the Saxons at the Battle of Bath, Geoffrey writes:

He placed on his head a roll of golden tomb with the likeness of a dragon. Moreover, on his shoulders he carried a shield, which was called the Prydwen, where on the inside was painted the image of St. Mary, the Mother of God, who many times and always called her back to his memory. Girth was he also with Caliburn, the best of swords, which was forged on the island of Avallon; and the spear that adorned his right hand was called by the name of Ron, a high spear and a thick, full collection, to make the slaughter. (188)

The Saxons broke trust with Arthur after they swore to negotiate peace, and so the battle is a matter of personal honor as well as a necessary defense of his realm. Geoffrey describes a hard battle in which the Saxons hold the high ground and inflict heavy casualties on the British under Arthur. The Saxons continue to hold their position until the day is all but gone, and then Arthur has finally had enough and leads the final charge in his position. Geoffrey writes:

Arthur winced at the stubbornness of his resistance, and the slowness of his own advance, and thrusting out his sword, shouts aloud in the name of Saint Mary and quickly advances him forward into the thickest press of the enemy's ranks. Whomever he touched while invoking God, he struck with one blow, and one day he did not weaken in his onslaught until he killed four hundred and seventy people alone with his sword Caliburn. This, when the British saw them, they followed him in close rank, going in for the kill from all sides. (189)

Excalibur is described more or less the same every time it appears in the story. In Malory's work, when Arthur is attacked by King Lot, he is first beaten until he unleashes the power of his sword:

At the same time, King Lot struck down King Arthur. In doing so, his four knights rescued him and put him on horseback; then he drew the sword of Excalibur, and it was so bright in the eyes of his enemies that it gave light like thirty torches. In doing so, he set them aside and killed many people. (thirteen)

Arthur confronts Lot at the beginning of Malory's legendary version, and it seems that Excalibur is the same sword as Arthur, previously drawn from the stone. This has caused confusion between the two weapons, which are often labeled as the same but are not.

SWORD IN STONE
The concept of "The Sword in the Stone" was added to the Arthurian legend by the French poet Robert de Boron (12th century CE) in his "Merlin". Robert de Boron presents the sword as fixed on an anvil, which writers later turned into stone. The Vulgate Cycle of legend is distinguished by the sword Arthur drew from the stone and Excalibur, and this tradition continues in the Post-Vulgate Cycle and is repeated in Malory's work.

Although Arthur's sword is identified as Excalibur at the beginning of Malory's version, it becomes clear that this is not the true Excalibur, as this sword is destroyed in Arthur's fight with King Pellinore. Pellinore gets the best of Arthur after his sword breaks and tells him to give in, but the young king won't. To save his life, Merlin puts Pellinore to sleep and then takes Arthur to retrieve the true Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake. Arthurian scholar Norris J. Lacey writes:

In some texts (and in popular Arthurian lore) Excalibur is also the Sword in the Stone, but such an identification is inconsistent with the tradition found, for example, in the Cycle after the Vulgate and Malory, whereby the sword was Arthur (and finally taken from him) by hand in the lake. (176)

Since Excalibur is defined by its power and strength, it cannot be the same weapon that is violated in Arthur's clash with Pellinore. However, according to Merlin, it's not Excalibur, which is so unusual, but its scabbard. Merlin asks Arthur, "Which do you like better, the sword or the scabbard?" and Arthur replies, "The sword pleases me." Merlin then rebukes him:

“You are more foolish,” said Merlin, “because the scabbard is worth the tenth of a sword. As long as you have the sheath on you, you will never lose blood, you will be so badly injured, so always keep the sheath with you." (37)

This detail becomes significant later in Malory's version when Arthur's sister, Morgan le Fay, steals the scabbard. She hoped to defeat Arthur with magic by turning her lover Sir Accolon against Arthur, giving Accolon a true Excalibur and Arthur a fake (a plot device taken almost directly from the Irish Ulster Cycle). When Arthur's sword breaks, he knows it's not Excalibur and manages to defeat and kill Accolon. Morgan takes the magical scabbard in revenge and throws it into the lake; thus dooming Arthur in his final battle with Mordred.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF EXCALIBURA
The sword became more famous than the powerful scabbard and continues to be a symbol of Arthur's virtue and strength. Later works, including El Cid and Roland's Song, draw on the Excalibur symbolism for their characters. J.R.R. Tolkien's famous Lord of the Rings trilogy draws on the symbolism of the sword of power, which is broken and must be made in its entirety to convey the concept of the return of the right king; a plot device similar to the Stone Motif Sword, where the earth suffers after the death of Uther Pendragon until the rightful king can draw a magical sword from stone.

However, more than just a literary device, Excalibur became the noblest aspect of the Arthurian legend. Although it is always described as a sword of power, this power is used in the interests of the people, justice, and not in the selfish interests of the king. Excalibur is given to Arthur by magical means, the Lady of the Lake; it is not a weapon forged in this world, but in another. The sword comes from this other realm, and once Arthur is defeated and dies, it must be returned there. This motif is not unique to the Arthurian legend, but is borrowed from the Celtic tradition in which magical weapons must be returned to their source.

In some versions of the story, the knight Sir Gearflet, who survived the final battle between Arthur and Mordred, was given the task of throwing Excalibur back into the lake; in Malory it refers to Sir Bedevere. If Girflet or Bedewee, Arthur's command that Excalibur be returned to where it came from, does not go unnoticed twice, as the knight he sends on an errand sees no point in throwing away such a noble and powerful weapon. This failure on the part of one of Arthur's most trusted companions resonates with the Christian story of Christ's betrayal by Judas, as intended, and points to the same meaning: the world's failure to understand or appreciate the efforts of the divine will help him rise higher than he believes.

King Arthur is one of the most famous legendary rulers of the past. His image is reflected in many literary works and cinema. Everything connected with this great ruler of the Britons is extremely interesting and shrouded in a veil of secrecy. The sword of King Arthur is another fascinating legend from Celtic tales. It is often confused with another famous weapon - a stone blade. The history of the sword Excalibur - we will find out how it appeared, got to and where it is now.

The legendary ruler of Britain - birth and upbringing

The legends of King Arthur have been around for a very long time. The first mention of it refers to the year 600. A Welsh poem from this period tells of a battle between the Britons and the Anglo-Saxons. The Arthurian tales were made popular by the 12th-century priest and writer Geoffrey of Monmouth, or Geoffrey of Monmouth. He was the first to combine fragmentary information about the famous ruler of the Britons into a coherent narrative.

Arthur is the son of the legendary king of the Britons, Uther Pendragon. Immediately after the birth, by agreement, he was given to the education of the great magician Merlin. He, in turn, later entrusted the upbringing of the boy to Sir Ector, because he did not want life at the royal court to leave an imprint on Arthur.

Arthur's rise to power

There are two versions of how Arthur took over the reins. According to ancient literary sources, he was proclaimed king of Britain at the age of 15 after the death of his father Uther by poisoning.

In the future, the story of King Arthur acquired the character of a legend. Here appears the famous sword in the stone. Initially, it was a stone slab with a weapon lying on it, pressed down by an anvil. Later, a stone appeared with a sword stuck in it and an inscription that whoever could pull out the weapon would become the king of the Britons. Arthur accidentally drew a sword while searching for a weapon for his sworn brother Kay. Merlin declared the young man king, but many rulers did not recognize him and went to war against Arthur. He had to defend the throne and his right to it.

Arthur's reign and the first appearance of Excalibur

The young king made the city of Camelot his capital. According to another version, he ordered the construction of a city from which he was going to rule the country. It is difficult to say where the capital was located. According to the most common version, it is believed that Camelot is the amphitheater of the city of Chester in the west of England. Geoffrey Monmouth in his famous work "History of the Kings of Britain" believed that Camelot is the castle of Caerleon, located in Wales.

King Arthur in Camelot before the conquest of England by the Saxons ruled Britain, Brittany and Ireland. The young ruler had many enemies. For some time he fought with a sword made of stone, but in a duel with Pelinor the weapon was broken. Then Merlin came to the aid of the king. He promised him Excalibur - a sword with miraculous properties. He pointed out to Arthur the lake, in the waters of which a hand with a blade could be seen. The sword was held by the Lady of the Lake. She gave the weapon to the king on the condition that she expose it only for the sake of a just cause and return the wonderful relic to any lake in the event of the death of the ruler. Arthur promised to fulfill her request.

The appearance and properties of the sword

It was usually depicted as a straight blade with a simple cruciform hilt adorned with precious stones. The sheath of the sword had magical powers - they healed any wound. They had to be worn always next to Excalibur, otherwise they would lose their magical power. The sword gave its owner strength and dexterity in battle.

Excalibur - names of miraculous weapons

The sword of King Arthur in different eras was called differently: Caliburn, Kalad-kolg, Escalibor. The familiar name comes from the French

Origin of the sword

The legend of the sword "Excalibur" originates in the distant past. There are several versions of the appearance of this weapon. According to one of them, the Lady of the Lake created it especially for Arthur, and then took it away after the death of the king. According to another legend, it was created by the great Merlin.

There is a version that Excalibur, a sword with miraculous properties, was forged by Velund, the Scandinavian blacksmith god.

The death of Arthur and the disappearance of Excalibur

When the king went in search of Guinevere's runaway wife, his nephew (according to another version, an illegitimate son) Mordred usurped his throne, whom Arthur left as governor. Upon learning of the turmoil, the king returned and fought the traitor on the Kammlan field. In this battle, the whole army of Britain fell. Arthur was mortally wounded by Mordred. After returning the sword to the Lady of the Lake, he died.

But there are other versions of what happened to the king. According to one of them, he was taken away by four queens. According to legend, it was here that the portal to other worlds was located and sorceresses were brought up. It is said that the great ruler of Britain sleeps in anticipation of the day when his country will need his help.

The hill in Somerset is believed to be a site associated with King Arthur. At its foot is located Glastonbury - one of the oldest cities in Britain. Even before the coming of the Romans, there was a large settlement here. In the 12th century, during restoration work in the abbey, the sarcophagi of Arthur and Guinevere were discovered, as the monks said. This place is considered a portal to another world - Avalon.

Sword Excalibur - where is the legendary relic?

According to legends about the life of King Arthur, before his death, he asked to throw the famous sword into the waters of the nearest lake. This was done by the last of the survivors. Only after making sure that his request was fulfilled, Arthur died. After that, Excalibur, the sword of the great king of the Britons, was lost forever.

Italian researcher Mario Moiragi, in his book The Secret of San Galgano, seriously believes that the prototype of the famous weapon of King Arthur still rests in a rock in the abbey of San Galliano. It dates back to the 12th century, so there is no doubt about the authenticity of the ancient weapon. The researcher believes that the legend of Excalibur was inspired by the sword of Saint Galliano, who, as a sign of renunciation of violence, stuck his weapon into the rock.

Conclusion

Does the sword Excalibur really exist? History knows many examples when an ancient legend became a reality. The legends about King Arthur are amazingly plausible - we know the whole history of the great ruler of Britain during the Dark Ages, and this makes us believe that the legend about him has real ground.

Excalibur - the sword of the legendary king of the Britons Arthur, which has its own ancient and beautiful history, has long become an ancient relic, the discovery of which one can only dream of. For modern researchers, it is like the Holy Grail of the Knights of the Round Table - many dream of finding it and believe in the reality of the existence of a wonderful relic.