By: Maranda Wabik
Arthurian Legend, , , , ,

Excalibur

Excalibur by George Todorovski

Excalibur is the mystical sword of Arthur.    Gifted to him by the Lady of the Lake, the sword helped Arthur win many a battle.   The television show Once Upon a Time took a unique look at this sword.   In that series Excalibur was part of the blade of the dark one, the tip had broken off (and was set into a new handle, as a dagger).   Uniting both pieces gave even more power, and allowed for two dark ones to exist at the same time.

It is a common misconception that the sword in the stone and Excalibur are one in the same.   In some variations this is true, but that is rarely the case.   The sword in the stone merely gave Arthur proof of his right to rule, but Excalibur is a magically empowered weapon!

Excalibur was featured in Charmed where it was worked in as a sword that Wyatt was destined to wield as an adult, and Piper was its keeper until her came of age!   In this way Piper was given a role similar to the Lady of the Lake, protecting the sword for its rightful owner!

In my Lady of the Lake post I mentioned that the season three premiere of Legacies featured the Lady of the Lake and the Green Knight as Malivore monsters.   This episode also featured Excalibur as the thing that the Green Knight wanted so badly.   As usual the Lady of the Lake was protecting Excalibur for its rightful owner!

Finally I feel I cannot finish this post without mentioning the film which is entitled Excalibur.   This 1981 film is the gold standard of traditional Arthurian films!   It featured all the most important parts of the legends, and Helen Mirren as Morgan Le Fay!

I hope you enjoyed reading about the sword of King Arthur!   Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below!   

Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is Excalibur by George Todorovski.   I found the image on comicartfans.com.   

Further Reading/Watching

  • Le Morte D’Arthur by Thomas Malory
  • Once Upon a Time (2011-2018) Season 5 
  • Charmed (1998-2006) Season 6 Episode 8 “Sword in the City”
  • Legacies (2018) (this show is still on the air) Season 3 Episode 1 “We’re Not Worthy”