King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

The legend of King Arthur extends far and wide. Real or fictional, Arthur is attributed to be a Roman-affiliated military leader who defended against an invasion of the Saxons in the 5th or 6th century. His name was believed to be taken from a star, Arcturus. It is also thought to be in reference to a Celtic bear deity of the same name. Geoffrey of Monmouth was the man responsible for portraying Arthur as a king in A History of the Kings of Britain. In it, Merlin, the magician, and Mordred, Arthur’s nemesis, were first introduced. The famed magical sword also came to be known as Excalibur in Geoffrey’s writings. It was previously known as Caladfwlch, which in Welsh means Hard Lightning. The Sword in the Stone is believed to be Arthur himself. This is because the Latin word for stone is saxum, and Arthur was known as the “sword in the Saxons”, which could have been mistakenly translated to “sword in the saxum”. Arthur’s remains are supposedly said to be buried in Glastonbury Abbey.