Excalibur

mythology · king-arthur · magic · britain

A magical sword. Excalibur is a famous sword from old stories about King Arthur, a legendary British ruler. It was said to have magical powers that made Arthur the rightful king.

Sword in the stone. One version of the story says young Arthur pulled Excalibur from a stone to prove he was the true king. This became a super popular part of Arthur stories, showing everyone he had the power to rule.

Given by the Lady. In another version, a magical woman called the Lady of the Lake gave Excalibur to Arthur. This different story became popular later but kept the same sword's famous name.

Very old stories. The first written account of Excalibur appeared around 1136 in a book called Historia Regum Britanniae. Over the centuries, different authors added their own versions of how Arthur got the sword and what it could do.

Other magic weapons. Excalibur wasn't the only magical weapon in Arthurian legends. Many other swords and weapons appeared in these old stories, each with their own special powers and meanings.