When did the legend of the Excalibur sword originate?
9717#2
Geoffrey of Monmouth, in his "Historia Regum Britanniae" ("The History of the Kings of Britain", c. 1136), Latinised the name of Arthur's sword as "Caliburnus" (potentially influenced by the Medieval Latin spelling "calibs" of Classical Latin "chalybs", from Greek "chályps" ["χάλυψ"] "steel"). Most Celticists consider Geoffrey's "Caliburnus" to be derivative of a lost Old Welsh text in which "bwlch" (Old Welsh "bulc[h]") had not yet been lenited to "fwlch" (Middle Welsh "vwlch" or "uwlch"). In the late 15th/early 16th-century Middle Cornish play "Beunans Ke", Arthur's sword is called "Calesvol", which is etymologically an exact Middle Cornish cognate of the Welsh "Caledfwlch". It is unclear if the name was borrowed from the Welsh (if so, it must have been an early loan, for phonological reasons), or represents an early, pan-Brittonic traditional name for Arthur's sword.
Excalibur
9717#9
Geoffrey's "Historia" is the first non-Welsh source to speak of the sword. Geoffrey says the sword was forged in Avalon and Latinises the name "Caledfwlch" as "Caliburnus". When his influential pseudo-history made it to Continental Europe, writers altered the name further until it finally took on the popular form "Excalibur" (various spellings in the medieval Arthurian romance and chronicle tradition include: "Calabrun", "Calabrum", "Calibourne", "Callibourc", "Calliborc", "Calibourch", "Escaliborc", and "Escalibor"). The legend was expanded upon in the Vulgate Cycle, also known as the Lancelot-Grail Cycle, and in the Post-Vulgate Cycle which emerged in its wake. Both included the work known as the "Prose Merlin", but the Post-Vulgate authors left out the "Merlin" continuation from the earlier cycle, choosing to add an original account of Arthur's early days including a new origin for Excalibur.
Excalibur
9717#6
However, in what is called the Post-Vulgate Cycle, Excalibur was given to Arthur by the Lady of the Lake sometime after he began to reign. In the Vulgate "Mort Artu", Arthur is at the brink of death and so orders Griflet to throw the sword into the enchanted lake; after two failed attempts (as he felt such a great sword should not be thrown away), Griflet finally complies with the wounded king's request and a hand emerges from the lake to catch it. This tale becomes attached to Bedivere instead of Griflet in Malory and the English tradition. Malory records both versions of the legend in his "Le Morte d'Arthur", naming both swords as Excalibur.
Excalibur
39554868#0
Excalibur is a formation on the north rim of the Grand Canyon in Coconino County, Arizona. It was named by cartographer and geologist François E. Matthes in 1908 for Excalibur, the legendary sword of King Arthur which was given to him by the Lady of the Lake. Other features in the area include the Holy Grail, Guinevere Castle, Elaine Castle, and Galahad Point whose names refer to the Arthurian legend. The name probably refers to a spire near the summit of the promontory which might resemble the handle of Excalibur.
Excalibur (Arizona)
47416483#0
Artus - Excalibur is a musical loosely based on the legends of the 5th/6th-century British monarch, King Arthur and his fabled sword, Excalibur. The score is by Frank Wildhorn, with lyrics by Robin Lerner and book by Ivan Menchell. Arrangements and orchestrations by Koen Schoots. The musical had its world premiere at the Theater St. Gallen in St. Gallen, Switzerland on March 15, 2014
Artus-Excalibur
46218115#1
"Legion: The Legend of Excalibur" begins with the dark sorceress Queen Morgan le Fay attacking and slaying her father Uther Pendragon to take over the Kingdom of Camelot. Her good young half-brother King Arthur claims the right to the throne by pulling the magic sword Excalibur out of the stone and sets off to gather the forces of good (including the warrior Lady Gwenevere, the wizard Merlin, the sorceress Nimue, and the knights Sir Lancelot, Sir Percival and Sir Galahad), defeat Morgan's supernatural armies (led by the Red Knight, the Green Knight, and the Black Knight, and King Lot), and eventually to avenge his father.
Legion: The Legend of Excalibur
250699#0
Excalibur is a 1981 American epic fantasy film directed, produced, and co-written by John Boorman that retells the legend of King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table, based on the 15th-century Arthurian romance "Le Morte d'Arthur" by Thomas Malory. It stars Nigel Terry as Arthur, Nicol Williamson as Merlin, Nicholas Clay as Lancelot, Cherie Lunghi as Guenevere, Helen Mirren as Morgana, Liam Neeson as Gawain, Gabriel Byrne as Uther Pendragon, Corin Redgrave as Cornwall, and Patrick Stewart as Leondegrance. The film is named after the legendary sword of King Arthur that features prominently in Arthurian literature. The film's soundtrack features the music of Richard Wagner and Carl Orff, along with an original score by Trevor Jones.
Excalibur (film)
250699#13
Boorman had planned a film adaptation of the Merlin legend as early as 1969, but when submitting the three-hour script written with Rospo Pallenberg to United Artists, they rejected it deeming it too costly and offered him J. R. R. Tolkien's "The Lord Of The Rings" instead. Boorman was allowed to shop the script elsewhere, but no studio would commit to it. Returning to his original idea of the Merlin legend, Boorman was eventually able to secure deals that would help him do "Excalibur". Much of the imagery and set designs were created with his original vision of "The Lord Of The Rings" in mind, and it has been noted that certain scenes are reminiscent of Monty Python's 1975 comedy film, "Monty Python And The Holy Grail".
Excalibur (film)
2955190#2
On October 20, 1991, the animated television series "The Legend of Prince Valiant" offered its own telling of the Singing Sword's origins. In an episode entitled "The Singing Sword," Valiant follows his best friends Arn and Rowanne to Bridgeford, where he learns they have been captured by the ruthless Baron Duncan Draconarius. They are sentenced to death as part of the Baron's plot to keep Camelot a secret from his subjects. Rowanne's father Cedric lends Valiant the Singing Sword to aid him in overthrowing the Baron. According to Cedric, the sword was forged from the same metal as Excalibur and will be safeguarded by his family until its true owner appears. The sword "sings" during Valiant's duel with Draconarius, indicating that Valiant is a just, pure-hearted man and the sword's destined owner. It sings a second time when Arn wields it while liberating a monastery. Valiant sees this as a sign that Arn is ready for knighthood and uses the sword to dub his friend Sir Arn of Camelot.
Singing Sword
9717#0
Excalibur (), or Caliburn, is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes also attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. Excalibur and the Sword in the Stone (the proof of Arthur's lineage) are sometimes said to be the same weapon, but in most versions they are considered separate. Excalibur was associated with the Arthurian legend very early on. In Welsh, it is called "Caledfwlch"; in Cornish, "Calesvol"; in Breton, "Kaledvoulc'h"; and in Latin, "Caliburnus".
Excalibur
58865766#0
The sacred sword "Excalibur". A sword that was created to judge a person's ability to be king of England. Those whom the sword accepts will be called "Arthur" and will obtain great power. However, there was not a single Arthur, but many more. Due to this massive creation of legendary humans, the world and its history began to be distorted. Now, with the aim of restoring the history of the world to its original course, six Arthur, a master of the sword, a fighter, a sniper, a puncher, an alchemist and a shooter, will go to this place, England. Their mission is to defeat all those who have managed to obtain a power from the sacred sword Excalibur and who are distorting the world, which are around a million people.
Operation Han-Gyaku-Sei Million Arthur