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Excalibur
Excalibur [Celtic kaleto-, hard (?); W Caledfwlch; MedL Caliburnus; OFr. Escalibor]. King Arthur's magical sword, given him by the Lady of the Lake; not to be confused with the sword he earlier drew from a stone and broke in combat. As long as Arthur carried Excalibur, he could not be defeated; but its scabbard, which preserved him from wounds, was stolen by his sister Morgan le Fay. The Arthurian conception of Excalibur, first presented in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia (1136), has several parallels in Celtic traditions. The English spelling of the name is ultimately derived from the Welsh Caledfwlch, which is cited in Welsh Arthuriana, such as Culhwch ac Olwen. Caledfwlch is nearly identical with the Breton Kaledvoulc'h and is comparable with the Irish Caladbolg.
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JAMES MacKILLOP. "Excalibur." A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JAMES MacKILLOP. "Excalibur." A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O70-Excalibur.html JAMES MacKILLOP. "Excalibur." A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. 2004. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O70-Excalibur.html |
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Excalibur
ExcaliburIn Arthurian legends, Excalibur was King Arthur's magic sword. There are two accounts of how Arthur obtained Excalibur. According to one version, the sword had been plunged into a stone and remained firmly fixed there. It was said that whoever pulled the sword from the stone would be the next king of England. Some of the strongest men in the land attempted to pull the sword out, but none succeeded until the young Arthur pulled it out with ease. In the other story, Arthur received Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake, a mysterious figure who lived in an enchanted underwater realm. King Arthur kept Excalibur for many years, and it served him well. In time, however, Arthur was mortally wounded during a rebellion led by his nephew Mordred. As he lay dying, the king ordered a companion, Sir Bedivere, to cast Excalibur into a nearby lake. Reluctant to throw away such a valuable weapon, Sir Bedivere twice failed to follow Arthur's order and hid the sword instead. However, Arthur knew that his friend had disobeyed his wishes and ordered him again to cast away the sword. Sir Bedivere finally threw Excalibur far out over the water. An arm clothed in white rose from the water, grasped the sword, waved it in the air, and disappeared beneath the water. The Lady of the Lake had taken back Excalibur. See also Arthur, King; Arthurian Legends; Camelot; Celtic Mythology; Lady of the Lake. |
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"Excalibur." Myths and Legends of the World. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Excalibur." Myths and Legends of the World. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3490900184.html "Excalibur." Myths and Legends of the World. 2001. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3490900184.html |
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Excalibur
Excalibur in Arthurian legend, King Arthur's magic sword, which according to legend he drew from the stone in which it was embedded to prove that he was the true king; by another account, it was given him by the Lady of the Lake. In Malory's Morte D'Arthur, when the king is mortally wounded, he tells Sir Bedivere to throw the sword back into the lake; when he finally obeys, an arm in white samite emerges from the water to catch and take the sword.
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Excalibur." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Excalibur." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Excalibur.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Excalibur." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Excalibur.html |
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Excalibur
Excalibur, a corrupt form of ‘Caliburn’ (the name used in Geoffrey of Monmouth), was King Arthur's sword, which he drew out of a stone when no one else could move it or which was given to him by the Lady of the Lake (Malory, Bk I). When Arthur was mortally wounded in the last battle, he ordered Sir Bedevere to throw Excalibur into the lake. A hand rose from the water, took the sword, and vanished.
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MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Excalibur." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Excalibur." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O54-Excalibur.html MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Excalibur." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O54-Excalibur.html |
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Excalibur
Excalibur , in Arthurian legend , sword given to King Arthur by the Lady of the Lake . At Arthur's death Sir Bedivere threw Excalibur into the lake; a hand rose from the water, caught the sword, and disappeared. Another sword, sometimes mistakenly identified with Excalibur, was drawn from a stone by Arthur to prove his royalty. |
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"Excalibur." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Excalibur." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Excalibu.html "Excalibur." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Excalibu.html |
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Excalibur
Excalibur
•abba, blabber, dabber, grabber, jabber, stabber, yabber
•Alba, Galba
•amber, camber, caramba, clamber, Cochabamba, gamba, mamba, Maramba, samba, timbre
•Annaba, arbor, arbour, barber, Barbour, harbour (US harbor), indaba, Kaaba, Lualaba, Pearl Harbor, Saba, Sabah, Shaba
•sambar, sambhar
•rebbe, Weber
•Elba
•Bemba, December, ember, member, November, Pemba, September
•belabour (US belabor), caber, labour (US labor), neighbour (US neighbor), sabre (US saber), tabor
•chamber • bedchamber
•antechamber
•amoeba (US ameba), Bathsheba, Bourguiba, Geber, Sheba, zariba
•cribber, dibber, fibber, gibber, jibba, jibber, libber, ribber
•Wilbur
•limber, marimba, timber
•winebibber
•calibre (US caliber), Excalibur
•briber, fibre (US fiber), scriber, subscriber, Tiber, transcriber
•clobber, cobber, jobber, mobber, robber, slobber
•ombre, sombre (US somber)
•carnauba, catawba, dauber, Micawber
•jojoba, Manitoba, October, sober
•Aruba, Cuba, Nuba, scuba, tuba, tuber
•Drouzhba • Toowoomba • Yoruba
•Hecuba
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Cite this article
"Excalibur." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Excalibur." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-Excalibur.html "Excalibur." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-Excalibur.html |
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