Excalibur! The Great Sword in the Stone.

When someone hears the name Excalibur, most people will usually think of the historical, powerful, and magical sword in the stone. This legendary weapon is seen all throughout films, plays, shows, etc., and it is usually portrayed as a weapon of ultimate power that is to be wielded only by the most noble and pure. The tale of Excalibur dates back centuries, yet most do not realize that the sword in the stone and Excalibur are two different swords!

Young King Arthur removing the sword, declaring him king.

The Origin of Excalibur.

According to World History, the first reference to Caledvwich, or Excalibur, was in 1100 CE in a Welsh work titled Culhwch and Olwen (2) . Once the story was translated into English, Excalibur made its  appearance as the sword in the stone, which placed there by merlin (4). According to Simple Wikipedia, Merlin is Arthur's mentor, who happens to have magical and prophetic powers (5). Merlin's goal is to help guide Arthur through life with his powers, and he is the reason Arthur becomes king of Britain. Merlin places the sword in the stone with his powers; additionally, he knows that only Arthur will be able to pull it out and become king because Merlin created it that way. On the other hand, some may have heard of the story about Excalibur and the Lady in the Lake. In this section, Merlin is also involved in helping Arthur obtain the sword Excalibur through a Lady who can be found in the lake. This other sword is also Excalibur, which may be a bit confusing in the beginning. However, once you learn a little more as you read on, this two sword situation makes sense.

There are two swords?

Sir Bevidere and the Lady of the Lake (3)

Unbeknownst to several people who have heard of Excalibur, the sword in the stone is a sword separate of the the sword Excalibur, also known as Caliburn. According to Britannica, the sword in the stone, as seen above, is removed by King Arthur while he was still a child (1). This feat leads young Arthur to become king of Britain. This sword is thought to be the legendary sword Excalibur by both its wielder and its beholders. However, the sword pulled from the stone breaks during Arthurs fight with King Pellinore. This is the part that should reveal to the reader that this sword was not truly the legendary sword Excalibur. After sedating King Pellinore, Merlin gifts Arthur the real Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake (2). From here on out, Arthur is truly wielding the great sword known as Excalibur, and this is the sword with which future tales of King Arthurs are told. However, as said on Ancient-Origins.net, after Arthurs fatal  injury the sword is returned back to the Lake by Sir Bevidere, at which point the Lady of the Lake grabs a hold of the sword and drags it under the water (3). Afterwards, the sword is never seen again, and this is the last showing of the honorable and powerful Excalibur.

The True Power of Excalibur!

Arthur leading his group into battle.

In early tales of Excalibur, the sword held no magical attributes. The sword was simply known to be well built in the isle of Avallon and good in battle (2). However, later stories of Excalibur included a variety of magical properties, such a wound healing. Surprisingly, the healing powers do not come from the sword, but rather from the scabbard that shields the sword (3). Another notable power is its one-blow slaughter. Stated in WorldHistory.com, "he slew at a single blow, nor did he once slacken in his onslaught until that he had slain four hundred and seventy men [...]" (2). Unfortunately, the true and complete power of Excalibur is unmeasured, as it was returned to its location of origin during Arthur's passing. 

The Influence of Excalibur!

In current times you can find several different references to Excalibur. These references can be within

Excalibur from soul eater, enjoying a cup of tea.

films, anime, live-action shows, video games, etc. For example, according to TvTropes.com, the film Puss in Boots: The Last Wish quickly references to the sword Excalibur during his search for a worthy weapon (6). Jack Hornet unveils Excalibur from his bag, however, the sword wasn't removed from the stone at all and was instead ripped out of the ground with stone and all. Another example is from he anime Soul Eater. During the main characters' adventure, Kid and black Star find the legendary sword Excalibur. However, they realize that they can both easily pick up the sword and wield it. Once Kid picks up Excalibur, it is revealed that the sword Excalibur isn't a sword at all, but instead Excalibur is a little, old, wise, powerful, yet annoying little creature. Unsurprisingly, both are shocked at their discovery, as even they expected it to be the legendary sword Excalibur and nothing else. There are several other examples, both big and small, to be found throughout modern media!

Works Cited

(1) Britannica. "Excalibur: Arthurian Legend". Britannica.com.

(2) Mark, Joshua. "Excalibur". WorldHistory.org.

(3) Mingren, Wu. "Where did King Arthur acquire Excalibur, the Stone or the Lake." Ancient-Origins.net.

(4) Mark, Joshua. "Merlin". WorldHistory.org.

(5) "Excalibur". Simple-Wikipedia.org.

(6) "Excalibur". TvTropes.org.