In Robert de Boron's Merlin, later followed by Thomas Malory, Arthur obtained the throne by pulling a sword from a stone and anvil. In this account, this act could not be performed except by "the true king," meaning the divinely appointed king or true heir of Uther Pendragon. This sword was presumably the famous Excalibur and the identity is made explicit in the later so-called Vulgate Merlin Continuation. However, in what is sometimes called the Post-Vulgate Merlin, Excalibur was taken from a hand rising from a l ...

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King Arthur, King Arthur - The Arthur of history, King Arthur - Earliest traditions of Arthur, King Arthur - The Arthurian romance, King Arthur - Arthur's swords, King Arthur - Arthur in various media, King Arthur - Literature, King Arthur - Plays, King Arthur - Opera, King Arthur - Film, King Arthur - Television, King Arthur - Other media, King Arthur - Hidden Versions of the Arthur Legend in Other Works, King Arthur - Bibliography

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See also:

King Arthur, King Arthur - The Arthur of history, King Arthur - Earliest traditions of Arthur, King Arthur - The Arthurian romance, King Arthur - Arthur's swords, King Arthur - Arthur in various media, King Arthur - Literature, King Arthur - Plays, King Arthur - Opera, King Arthur - Film, King Arthur - Television, King Arthur - Other media, King Arthur - Bibliography

Read more here: » King Arthur: Encyclopedia II - King Arthur - Arthur's swords

King Arthur - Literature. John Steinbeck's The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights is a traditional take in modern language. T.H. White's The Once and Future King cycle Alfred, Lord Tennyson's Idylls of the King Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court Sidney Lanier's The Boy's King Arthur is a work based on Thomas Malory's, written in such a way to appeal to the boys of the 19th century. Marion Zimmer Brad ...

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King Arthur, King Arthur - The Arthur of history, King Arthur - Earliest traditions of Arthur, King Arthur - The Arthurian romance, King Arthur - Arthur's swords, King Arthur - Arthur in various media, King Arthur - Literature, King Arthur - Plays, King Arthur - Opera, King Arthur - Film, King Arthur - Television, King Arthur - Other media, King Arthur - Hidden Versions of the Arthur Legend in Other Works, King Arthur - Bibliography

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King Arthur is an important figure in the mythology of Great Britain, where he appears as the ideal of kingship in both war and peace. He is the central character in the cycle of legends known as the Matter of Britain. There is disagreement about whether Arthur, or a model for him, ever actually existed. In the earliest mentions and in Welsh texts, he is never given the title "King." Early texts refer to him as a dux bellorum ("war leader"), and High Medieval Welsh texts often call him an ameraudur ("emperor"; the ...

Including:

King Arthur - The Arthur of history King Arthur - Earliest traditions of Arthur King Arthur - The Arthurian romance King Arthur - Arthur's swords King Arthur - Arthur in various media
King Arthur - Literature King Arthur - Plays King Arthur - Opera King Arthur - Film King Arthur - Television King Arthur - Other media
King Arthur - Bibliography

Read more here: » King Arthur: Encyclopedia - King Arthur

King Arthur is an important figure in the mythology of Great Britain, where he appears as the ideal of kingship in both war and peace. He is the central character in the cycle of legends known as the Matter of Britain. There is disagreement about whether Arthur, or a model for him, ever actually existed. In the earliest mentions and in Welsh texts, he is never given the title "King." Early texts refer to him as a dux bellorum ("war leader"), and High Medieval Welsh texts often call him an ameraudur ("emperor"; the ...

Including:

King Arthur - The Arthur of history King Arthur - Earliest traditions of Arthur King Arthur - The Arthurian romance King Arthur - Arthur's swords King Arthur - Arthur in various media
King Arthur - Plays King Arthur - Opera King Arthur - Film King Arthur - Television King Arthur - Other media
King Arthur - Bibliography

Read more here: » King Arthur: Encyclopedia - King Arthur

Excalibur is the mythical sword of King Arthur, sometimes attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. Often Excalibur and the Sword in the Stone that proves Arthur's lineage are said to be the same weapon, but in other versions they are considered separate. The sword was associated with the Arthurian legend very early; in Welsh, the sword was called Caledfwlch. Excalibur - Excalibur and the Sword in the Stone. In surviving accounts of Arthur, there ar ...

Including:

Excalibur - Excalibur and the Sword in the Stone Excalibur - History
Excalibur - Caledfwlch Excalibur - Caliburn to Excalibur
Excalibur - Attributes

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Arthur, King of Time and Space is a "gag-a-day" webcomic by Paul Gadzikowski, based on Arthurian legend. The strip started on May 21, 2004, with Arthur pulling the sword Excalibur from the stone while Merlin looked on, and is projected to continue more or less in realtime, with the characters aging and the plot progressing one year for each year of the strip's run. The premise of the strip is that Arthur's destiny is too great to be contained within a single lifetime, and that Arthur and his associates exist at multiple ...

Including:

Arthur King of Time and Space - Main arcs Arthur King of Time and Space - Other arcs Arthur King of Time and Space - Other characters

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In an Arthurian legend, the Lady of the Lake is the name of several related characters who play integral parts in the stories. These characters' roles include giving King Arthur his sword Excalibur, taking the king to Avalon after the Battle of Camlann, enchanting Merlin and raising Lancelot after the death of his father. Different writers and copyists give her name(s) variously as Nimue, Viviane, Niniane, Nyneve, and other variations. Lady of the Lake - Origins. The Lady of the Lake's origins are probably ...

Including:

Lady of the Lake - Origins Lady of the Lake - The character in medieval literature Lady of the Lake - Later uses
Lady of the Lake - The Walter Scott poem and its musical settings Lady of the Lake - Other appearances and popular references
Lady of the Lake - External link

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Excalibur - Caledfwlch. In Welsh legend, Arthur's sword is known as Caledfwlch. In Culhwch and Olwen, it is one of Arthur's most valuable possessions. It is used in that romance by Arthur's warrior Llenlleawg the Irishman to kill the Irish king Diwrnach while stealing his magical cauldron. Caledfwlch is thought to derive from the legendary Irish weapon Caladbolg, the lightning sword of Fergus mac Roich. Caladbolg was also known for its incredible power, and it was carried ...

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Excalibur, Excalibur - Excalibur and the Sword in the Stone, Excalibur - History, Excalibur - Caledfwlch, Excalibur - Caliburn to Excalibur, Excalibur - Attributes

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In surviving accounts of Arthur, there are two originally separate legends about his sword's origin. The first is the "Sword in the Stone" legend, first appearing in Robert de Boron's poem Merlin, in which Excalibur can only be drawn from the stone by Arthur, the rightful king. The second version is found in the later Post-Vulgate Suite du Merlin and was taken up by Sir Thomas Malory. Here, Arthur receives Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake after breaking his first sword in a fight with King Pellinore. At his death, he tells a reluctant Sir Bedive ...

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Excalibur, Excalibur - Excalibur and the Sword in the Stone, Excalibur - History, Excalibur - Caledfwlch, Excalibur - Caliburn to Excalibur, Excalibur - Attributes

Read more here: » Excalibur: Encyclopedia II - Excalibur - Excalibur and the Sword in the Stone

It was the thesis of French mediaevalist Joseph Bedier that all of the Tristan legends could be traced to a single original poem, translated by Thomas of Brittany into French from an original Cornish or Breton source. Tristam is not his name, his name was Drustanus in old Brittonic. The Welsh recorded his name as 'Trystan', and this became Tristam to English ears. A standing gravestone called the "Tristan Stone" near Fowey in Cornwall says simply enough in Latin 'Drustanus Hic Lacit Cunomori Filius' (Drustanus lies here, the son of Cunomorus). Interestingly, Cunomorus is the Latin name of King Mark of Cornwall, who in legen ...

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Tristan, Tristan - The Tristan legend cycle, Tristan - Brythonic roots, Tristan - A Pictish connection?

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There are very strange aspects to Tristan however. First of all, he has a Pictish name. Drust is a very common name of Pictish kings, and Drustanus is merely Drust rendered into Brittonic. It may come from an ancient legend regarding a Pictish king who slew a giant in the distant past, that had spread throughout the isles. Or perhaps an even more bizarre possibility. This could reflect a common linguistic heritage of Pictish and Cornish. Another strange aspect is his kingdom, Lyonesse. There was no such kingdom. However there were two ...

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Tristan, Tristan - The Tristan legend cycle, Tristan - Brythonic roots, Tristan - A Pictish connection?

Read more here: » Tristan: Encyclopedia II - Tristan - A Pictish connection?

Tristan makes his first appearance in 1120 in Celtic folklore that circulates in the North of France. Although the oldest stories concerning Tristan are lost, some of the derivatives still exist. The two most famous are the retellings of the Anglo-Norman poet Thomas of Britain, whose poem was followed by the German poet Gottfried von Strassburg, and of the French poet Beroul. Arthurian romancier Chretien de Troyes mentions in his poem Cligés that he wrote a version of ...

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Tristan, Tristan - The Tristan legend cycle, Tristan - Brythonic roots, Tristan - A Pictish connection?

Read more here: » Tristan: Encyclopedia II - Tristan - The Tristan legend cycle

Excalibur's scabbard was said to have powers of its own. The scabbard protects its bearer from harm (and to prevent the bearer from suffering further harm from wounds already received). The scabbard is stolen by Morgan le Fay and thrown into a lake, never to be found again. Several etymologies have been proposed for the origin of the name "Excalibur', like ex calibur, "cut-steel" (as mentioned above). Interestingly, in several early French works such as Chrétien de Troyes' Perceval, the Story of the Grail and the ...

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Excalibur, Excalibur - Excalibur and the Sword in the Stone, Excalibur - History, Excalibur - Caledfwlch, Excalibur - Caliburn to Excalibur, Excalibur - Attributes

Read more here: » Excalibur: Encyclopedia II - Excalibur - Attributes

Tristan makes his first appearance in 1120 in Celtic folklore that circulates in the North of France. Although the oldest stories concerning Tristan are lost, some of the derivatives still exist. The two most famous are the retellings of the Anglo-Norman poet Thomas of Britain, whose poem was followed by the German poet Gottfried von Strassburg, and of the French poet Beroul. Arthurian romancier Chretien de Troyes mentions in his poem Cligés that he wrote a version of ...

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Tristan, Tristan - The Tristan legend cycle, Tristan - Brythonic roots, Tristan - A Pictish connection?, Tristan - The enduring nature of Tristan and Iseult, Tristan - Modern adaptations

Read more here: » Tristan: Encyclopedia II - Tristan - The Tristan legend cycle

It was the thesis of French mediaevalist Joseph Bedier that all of the Tristan legends could be traced to a single original poem, translated by Thomas of Brittany into French from an original Cornish or Breton source. Tristam is not his name, his name was Drustanus in old Brittonic. The Welsh recorded his name as 'Trystan', and this became Tristam to English ears. A standing gravestone called the "Tristan Stone" near Fowey in Cornwall says simply enough in Latin 'Drustanus Hic Iacit Cunomori Filius' (Drustanus lies here, the son of Cunomorus). Interestingly, Cunomorus is the Latin name of King Mark of Cornwall, who in legen ...

See also:

Tristan, Tristan - The Tristan legend cycle, Tristan - Brythonic roots, Tristan - A Pictish connection?, Tristan - The enduring nature of Tristan and Iseult, Tristan - Modern adaptations

Read more here: » Tristan: Encyclopedia II - Tristan - Brythonic roots

There are very strange aspects to Tristan however, such as the fact that he has a Pictish name. Drust is a very common name of Pictish kings, and Drustanus is merely Drust rendered into Brittonic. It may come from an ancient legend regarding a Pictish king who slew a giant in the distant past, that had spread throughout the isles. Or perhaps an even more bizarre possibility. This could reflect a c ...

See also:

Tristan, Tristan - The Tristan legend cycle, Tristan - Brythonic roots, Tristan - A Pictish connection?, Tristan - The enduring nature of Tristan and Iseult, Tristan - Modern adaptations

Read more here: » Tristan: Encyclopedia II - Tristan - A Pictish connection?

Though love, intrigue, danger, and all of the common elements of an exciting story exist in this lover's tale, it is the moral dilemma posed to the characters and ultimately also the cruelty of how chance can unfold one's fate, that are the truly enduring traits of this story. I will discuss the version in which Tristan and Isolde fall in love without sorcery, in which Tristan returns to aid his King Mark even after banishment from his kingdom for adultery, so that it would not be said that his love for his lord and adopted-father's queen brought down the kingdom. (A perhaps more feasible spin on this ...

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Tristan, Tristan - The Tristan legend cycle, Tristan - Brythonic roots, Tristan - A Pictish connection?, Tristan - The enduring nature of Tristan and Iseult, Tristan - Modern adaptations

Read more here: » Tristan: Encyclopedia II - Tristan - The enduring nature of Tristan and Iseult

In the 19th century, Richard Wagner composed the opera Tristan and Isolde, now considered one of the most influential pieces of music from the century. In his work, Tristan is portrayed as a doomed romantic figure. The story has also been adapted into film many times. The most recent American film version was produced by Tony Scott and Ridley Scott, written by Dean Georgaris, directed by Kevin Reynolds, and stars James Franco and Sophia ...

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Tristan, Tristan - The Tristan legend cycle, Tristan - Brythonic roots, Tristan - A Pictish connection?, Tristan - The enduring nature of Tristan and Iseult, Tristan - Modern adaptations

Read more here: » Tristan: Encyclopedia II - Tristan - Modern adaptations

Excalibur was directed by John Boorman and stars Nigel Terry (King Arthur), Helen Mirren (Arthur's half-sister Morgana), Nicol Williamson (Merlin), Nicholas Clay (Lancelot) and Cherie Lunghi (Guinevere). The film features some noted actors in early screen roles. Liam Neeson plays Gawain, Patrick Stewart plays King Leondegrance, and Gabriel Byrne plays Uther Pendragon. Several members of the Boorman family also appeared in the picture. Igrayne (Arthur's mother), the Lady of the Lake, Mordred as a boy, and the infant Arthur were all played by Boorman's children. Because of the number of Boormans involved with the film, it i ...

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Excalibur film, Excalibur film - Cast and crew, Excalibur film - Plot, Excalibur film - Adaptation of the legends, Excalibur film - Quotations, Excalibur film - Reputation

Read more here: » Excalibur film: Encyclopedia II - Excalibur film - Cast and crew