Discover King Arthur's Excalibur

Travel into the heart of Arthurian legend country in Cornwall. Discover the mythical tale of King Arthur's sword Excalibur in Dozmary pool, the legendary resting place. Few legends have won the literary heart of the world as the tale of King Arthur. You will find him in a plethora of ancient and contemporary text from Disney's animated film adaptation "The Sword in the Stone" to Robert de Boron's "Merlin".

King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and his historical existence is debated and disputed by modern historians. The legendary Arthur developed as a figure of international interest largely through the popularity of Geoffrey of Monmouth's fanciful and imaginative 12th-century "History of the Kings of Britain". Some Welsh and Breton tales and poems relating the story of Arthur date from earlier than this work; in these works, Arthur appears either as a great warrior defending Britain from human and supernatural enemies, such as Morgan Le Faye, or as a magical figure of folklore.

Stories of King Arthur usually make reference to the mythical wizard Merlin, who was invented by Geoffrey of Monmouth, Guinevere, his legendary wife and Excalibur, his sword. Excalibur is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Great Britain. Sometimes Excalibur and the Sword in the Stone (the proof of Arthur's lineage) are said to be the same weapon, but in most versions they are considered separate. The name Excalibur apparently derives from the Welsh Caledfwlch which combines the elements caled ("battle, hard"), and bwlch ("breach, gap, notch").

In Arthurian romance, a number of explanations are given for Arthur's possession of Excalibur. One tale is that he was given the sword by the Lady of the Lake who occupied Dozmary Pool, a small lake in Bodmin Moor, Cornwall.

Travel into the heart of Arthurian legend country on your next tour of England with Celtic Tours World Vacations.

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