Quest+for+Camelot

__**The Legend of Excalibur**__ Excalibur was the legendary sword that King Arthur used during his reign. The sword itself has a grand allure and a mysterious quality about it. It is associated with magical powers or the rightful rule of England. There are a few different accounts on how Arthur recieved the sword.


 * Arthur was the only man who was able to pull the sword from a stone, crowning him the "true king" of Camelot (Robert de Boron's //Merlin//)
 * In another legend the sword was given to Arthur by the Lady of the Lake (Post-Vulgate Cycle such as Thomas Malory's //Morte d'Arthur//)
 * The sword was stolen by the evil Morgan le Fay and later recovered, but the scabbard was lost. Arthur was mortally wounded in battle because he no longer was protected by the magical scabbard. Bedwyr tried to steal the sword, but Arthur instructed him once again to throw it into the lake, when he did a mystical hand rose from the water (see Lady of the Lake) and caught the sword. (//Mort Artu)//

__**Historical Basis:**__ The name "Excalibur" comes from the Welsh name // Caladfwlch, // derived from //Calad-Bolg,//meaning "hard lightning". The word was "latinized" and later appeared as // Caliburnus // or // Caliburn. //The French then then modified the word again to become the present day "Excalibur".

Throughout the evolution of the Excalibur tradition, there has been an addition of Christian morals in the legend. The "Holy Grail" tale is expanded and the stories explain more about the knight's tales. One of the most important changes is the increased ambiguity over Excalibur and the "sword in the stone". When the legend first surfaced, the "sword in the stone" and "Excalibur" were two different entities. As the story changed over time, Arthur became more and more reliant on Excalibur for controlling his kingdom and maintaining his rule. This aspect was added by the French who wanted to undermine Arthur's grasp on readers' hearts.
 * __Change through Tradition:__**


 * __Defining Characteristics:__**
 * Magical qualities
 * Object of great power
 * Sword owned by Arthur
 * Unattainable for the average person

Quest for Camelot (movie): In this movie, Excalibur is stolen by an evil knight and dropped somewhere in the Forbidden Forest. A group of heroes has to find the lost sword and save Camelot. The sword has magical powers, and when it is stolen, Camelot falls into ruin. When the sword is finally returned, the city's peace is re-established and all is well. The power of the sword is over-exaggerated and through it alone is the city of Camelot restored to it's former glory.
 * __Popular Revisions:__**

http://www.grahamphillips.net/Books/Arthur_Ch1.htm http://www.britannia.com/history/arthur/excalibur.html http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Dr-Fi/Excalibur.html
 * __Sources:__**