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Raymond A. Camacho
Prof. Helen Borello
Arthurian Literature
March 3, 2015
The Sword of Kings
Peasant: Howd you become king, then? Arthur replies: The lady of the lake
her arm clad in the purest shimmering samite, help aloft Excalibur from the bosom of
the water, signifying by Divine Providence that I Arthur was to carry Excalibur. That is
why I am your king! (Monty Python and the Holy Grail, 1975). All throughout history
there has been some elements that remain consistent to the Arthurian Traditions; one of
the most important of these elements is Arthurs magical sword. This artifact has many
different names through history, many of those names derive from the latin Caliburnus;
in Geoffreys History of the King of Britain the sword is called Caliburn, and the name
kept evolving through history until in Malorys Le Morte de Arthur the sword is finally
called Excalibur. As the swords name keeps changing chronologically through history,
so it may seem that the meaning and significance of it also changes through the same
course.
In the early birth of the Arthurian traditions Geoffrey of Monmouth introduces

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Caliburn in his book History of the Kings of Britain, Girt was he also with Caliburn,
best of swords, that was forged within the Isle of Avalon; (Geoffrey, p. 233). In this
book Geoffrey uses Caliburn as the physical representation of Arthurs power.
Later on in the tradition Sir Thomas Malory reintroduces Arthurs sword as
Excalibur in Le Morte DArthur, That is the Lady of the Lakethis damosel will come
to you anon, and then speak ye fair to her that she will give you that sword (Excalibur)
(Malory, Book 1, Chapter XXV). In his book, Malory utilizes Excalibur as a symbol for
Arthurs might and right to rule Britain.
Finally Alfred Tennyson once again in the XIX century revisits the Arthurian
tradition and introduces once again Excalibur, There likewise I beheld Excalibur before
him at his crowning borne, the sword that rose from out the bosom of the lake, And
Arthur rowed across and took itrich With jewels, elfin Urim, on the hilt, bewildering
heart and eye--the blade so bright that men are blinded by it (Tennyson, The Coming
of Arthur). In his book Tennyson evolves Excaliburs significance a step further, giving
emphasis in the responsibility that Excalibur represents rather than the power it grants
Arthur. With that in mind, Excalibur has not only change its name through the course of
time, but its significance also evolves through history; starting with Geoffrey of
Monmouth in his book The History of the Kings of Britain.

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In History of the Kings of Britain, Arthur comes into possession of Caliburn,

sword forged in Avalon and whose mystical origins add a deeper sense of awe to the
marvels this artifact can do. This early in the tradition Arthurs sword only symbolizes
one thing, power; Caliburn is the physical representation of Arthurs power. It can be
seen exemplify in the battle of Bath when Arthur: drawing forth Caliburn, his sword,
crieth aloud the name of Holy Mary, and trusteth him forward with a swift onset into
the thickest press of the enemys ranks. Whomsoever he touched, calling upon God, he
slew at a single blow (Geoffrey, p. 234)

Every

time Arthur draws forth Caliburn, his troops are encouraged and the tide of the battle
shifts, the battle of Baths is just one example of that; it all starts when the soldiers gaze
upon their king holding his mighty weapon, slaying every enemy he comes across with.
The act of Arthur possessing Caliburn is one of the symbols that dictates he is meant to
be king, and specifically what Caliburn represents is power. It gives Arthur the right to
rule through its power, which is one of the contributing factors to Arthurs kingship.
Another example can also
be seen in Arthurs one on one battle with Frollo: and raising Caliburn aloft, with all
his force he brought it down through the helmet on to the head of Frollo and clove it
sheer in twain. With this stroke Frollo fell, and beating the ground with his heels, gave
up his ghost to the winds. (Geoffrey, p. 244). Again and again it can be seen how

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Caliburn gives power to Arthur, and how with its help Arthur can conquer many
obstacles and win many battles, aiding Arthur in his quest of being king.
Some hundreds of
years later in history the Arthurian material gets reintroduced to the world by Sir
Thomas Malory. It is in Malorys work that Excalibur can be seen as a true symbol of
might, and as one of the basis for Arthurs right to rule his kingdom. Arthur gets
Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake in Malorys Le Morte D Arthur, the act of the Lady
of the Lake giving the magical sword to Arthur (Malory, Book 1, Chapter XXV)
represents his divine right to rule, because only the true king of England can wield the
sword.

A shift

in Excaliburs significance can be seen from representing power in Geoffrey, to

signifying Arthurs right to rule through the swords might. In the first battle that
Excalibur was drawn to test Arthurs sovereignty: Thomas Malory writes: thenne he
drewe his swerd Excalibur, but it was so breyght in his enemyes eyen that it gaf light
lyke thirty torchys. (Rogers, 104). Excalibur gave Arthur the power to rule and he
demonstrated it in his first battle wielding the sword.

As

history passed through the course of time, so did the Arthurian tradition, being
forgotten for a couple hundred years until finally in the Victorian era Alfred Tennyson
revisited the stories embodying them with new meanings. It is finally in this period of

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time that Excalibur represents something else, something more than just power or
might. Excalibur in Tennyson represents the responsibility Arthur has to his people
because of his power.
When Arthur acquires Excalibur in Tennysons The Coming of Arthur, the
sword has an inscription engraved in the hilt: the blade (Excalibur) so bright that
men are blinded by it--on one side, graven in the oldest tongue of all this world, 'Take
me,' but turn the blade and ye shall see, and written in the speech ye speak yourself,
'Cast me away!' (Tennyson, Line 299). As others have noted the inscription in Excalibur
opens a new gateway for the interpretation of what this sword might symbolize
(Excalibur, n/a). In the late 1900s the core values of society shifted from medieval times,
and although it was still power centric, power was not the only quality that matted in a
society.

Virtues like

morality, family, and responsibility became important pillars of the civilization, and
some of this values are exemplified by Arthur in many ways. The inscription in
Excalibur signifies the responsibility that Arthur has for his people; he may use the
sword to claim kingship, but the time will come where he must cast it away and tend to
his knights, his people. Excalibur is literally a double edged blade, on one side it gives
you the power to rule, on the other it gives you the tremendous responsibility that
comes with it. By analyzing the historic background of Tennyson and the current time

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that he wrote his book Idylls of the King, it can be concluded that Excalibur by the 1900s
symbolizes something beyond power and might, it represents responsibility.

Through the course of time and history, the sword of kings, Excalibur has
enthralled millions of people with its fantastical stories of magic and courage. It has
been through that course that this sword has evolved from author to author, changing
its meaning through their stories.
In Geoffreys History of the Kings of Britain Calibur is introduced as a
symbol of power, whenever Arthur is seen with Calibur his troops are encouraged and
revitalize, its a symbol of might. The next time Arthurs sword is reintroduced is in Le
Morte DArthur by Thomas Malory and this time the sword is called Excalibur. In
Malory, Excalibur symbolizes Arthurs right to rule through its might, this can be seen
since the moment Arthur receives the sword from the Lady of the Lake until Bedevere
throws it back in the water when Arthur passes away (Malory, Book XXI, Chapter V).
The swords belongs to the king since the beginning of his reign until he dies. Finally in
Idylls of the King by Alfred Tennyson, Excalibur takes a different turning point by
giving emphasis to the sense of responsibility the sword gives Arthur rather than the
power it grants.

What does this sword symbolizes today? How its

interpretation does differs from the ones given several hundred of years ago? Why does
it matter so much? All this questions have been answered differently through time, the

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hidden meanings of Excalibur along with its magical attributes have capture the minds
of people for centuries. Now is up for the future generations to give a new meaning to
this sword, and unravel the many more secrets left to be discovered.

Bibliography
"CSIS." n.d. Excalibur. Document. 1 March 2015.
Malory, Sir Thomas. "Le Morte D'Arthur." 6 February 2013. Gutenberg. Document. 1
March 2015.
Monmouth, Geoffrey of. "History of the Kings of Britain." 1904. Sacred Texts. Document.
1 March 2015.
Rogers, Mark. "The Esoteric Codex Magic Objects I." 18 April 2014. Google Books.
Document. 1 March 2015.
Tennyson, Alfred Lord. "English." 1809-1892. "The Coming of Arthur" from Idylls Of The
King. Document. 1 March 2015.