Long before phasers and photon torpedos, real warriors used swords. In the realms of the fantasy genre' there are tales and stories, histories and legends of these weapons associated with some of the greatest heroes of myth and truth. One of the most famous and recognized throughout the ages is the sword (swords) associated with Arthur, King of Britian, son of Uther Pendragon and apprentice (could we say Padawan?) of Merlin the Magician. So, here is a little lesson in history - what we know, think we know and what is supposed. After all, no one has ever found the sword that was returned to the Lady of the Lake all those years ago.

Excalibur - a definition: "meaning 'Cut Steel'. Aka 'Excalibor', 'Caledfwlch', 'Caledvwlch', 'Caliburnus', 'Caliburn'" The Story: Although many believe that Excalibur was the sword that Merlin put into the stone so that Arthur could prove himself rightful heir to the throne by pulling it out, that is not exactly the real story. The sword from the stone (some say it was an anvil) was Arthur's first sword, and was called Caliburn. That sword, and a little help from his mentor, the Druid Merlin, did seal Arthur's rightful claim on the throne. According to the story, he did carry Caliburn into battle where he immediately had great success. Unfortunately, Caliburn was broken in two in a close fight with a knight and Arthur found himself weaponless.

Now then, here's the twist. According to some historians, Geoffrey of Monmouth presents Arthur with a sword called Caliburn and a spear called "Ron". And Geoffrey said that Caliburn was made on the Isle of Avalon. Arthur is not only King, but also a "defender of Christianity", giving him one more task, one more goal on top of all the other trials and problems he has uniting the tribes and realms and regions of medevial Britian. It is also said that Arthur's great heroic success in battle is not because of the sword, but hes "great skiil, strength and faith in God" and that he "slayed four hundred and seventy men in one battle with the Saxons with just his sword."

Here the stories diverge again: When Caliburn is broken, Merlin takes Arthur off to a magical lake where a mysterious hand comes out of the water with a magic unbreakable blade, fashioned by an Avalonian elf smith (they say his name was Wayland). THAT was Excalibur. It was believed to possess the power to protect Arthur from wounding so long as he wore it together with its silver scabbard. When Arthur received Excalibur from the "Lady of the lake" he is warned that the two must never be parted. It is also said that this sword was revered for being of the Otherworld, and for being able to completely burst into flames, but it was also said that it could only be used by someone of noble birth.

Towards the end of his reign, during the troubled times of Modred's rebellion, Excalibur was stolen by Arthur's wicked half-sister, Morgan le Fay. Though the sword was recovered, the scabbard was lost forever. And so it came to pass that Arthur was mortally wounded at the Battle of Camlann. Arthur instructed Bedwyr to return Excalibur to the lake and passed the sword to him. But when Bedwyr returned from his assigned task, Arthur questioned him and asked for the circumstances of its return. Bedwyr claimed to have seen nothing unusual and Arthur realized that Bedwyr had kept Excalibur for himself. Once more Arthur sent Bedwyr back to the lake. Hurling the sword into the misty waters this time, Bedwyr saw the mystic hand appear to catch Excalibur and draw it beneath the rippling waters for the last time. And Arthur died.

Not necessarily - according to Geoffrey who says that Arthur was defeated by the treachery of Morgan le Fay (she managed to seduce Merlin and disable him), the treason of Mordred, and the deception of his wife Guinevere (who was spending entirely too much time with Lancelot). In the last battle, Arthur does defeat Mordred, but is mortally wounded. He is carries back to the Isle of Avalon and the sword is returned to the lake.

We can go back and forth between the old legends, the historians and the old wives tales. Caliburn and Excalibur are essentially two different swords in both name, description and function. According to the Welsh tales, Caliburn gives Arthur the throne and is a great sword to fight with. Excalibutr gives him the magical powers he uses to try and turn away the machinations of Morgan le Fay. He unfortunately depends too heavily on Merlin and the sword, and inthe end, he is undone. No matter who we believe, it is a heck of a good story, is definitely the "stuff of legend" and makes for some good movies and books too.

The Name: The earliest Arthurian stories give the name of King Arthur's sword as Caladfwlch, a Welsh word derived from Calad-Bolg meaning "Hard Lightning". Later it developed to become the Caliburn of Geoffrey and Monmouth and finally the Frenchified Excalibur that we know today. So, we can definitely see where the confusion came from - and who is to say who is right and who is wrong.

Ancient Origins: Legendary figures throughout the World are associated with magical swords, often the symbol of their Kingship. It is interesting to note that Curtana, a 17th century successor of the original sword of Ogier the Dane, is still used at the British Coronation to this day. King Arthur's tale has particular similarities to the Norse Legend of Sigurd, but even closer parallels can be drawn with the Irish hero, Cú Chulainn who also bore a sword named Caladbolg. Such swords were usually said to have been forged by an elfan smith. In Saxon mythology his name is Wayland, but to the Celts he was Gofannon. He is also to be identified with the Roman Vulcan and Greek Hephaestus who made magical weapons for the Muses to give to Perseus, and for Thetis to give to Achilles. The later surrender of the sword is well known as a universal symbol of defeat. Here it is emblematic of death itself.

The deposition of swords, weaponry and other valuables in sacred lakes and rivers was a popular practice amongst the Celtic peoples. Strabo records such rituals near Toulouse and notes that other sacred lakes existed throughout Europe. Gregory of Tours alludes to a three-day festival of deposition at Lake Gévaudan in the Cevennes. Some scholars believe that such rituals were part of Celtic funerary rites. Archaeolgical finds of exotic metalwork deposits at Llyn Fawr in Morgannwg include axes and sickles of around 600 bc. Further weaponry was discovered Llyn Cerrig Bach on Ynys Mon (Anglesey) dating from the 2nd century bc to the 1st century AD. Celtic Iron-Age deposits in rivers are too numerous to count. Especially well known are the superb Battersea Shield and Waterloo Helmet from the Thames. This major British River appears to have been particularly popular for swords like Arthur's.

We wish to thank Historian David Ford Nash for his information about the Ancient Origins of swords and weaponry, as well as Britannia.com and Georgetown University for their excellent database and Arthurian legends information on the net.