EXCALIBUR

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EXCALIBUR

Made by Luca Ferrari and Christian Pasini

INDEX

Introduction 01

A magic sword 02

Really important 03

Nowadays04

Thank you 05

ONCE UPON A TIME...

King Arthur is one of the most famous characters in medieval European literature. Its legend, born in England and spread thorought Europe, tells about the deeds of a noble sovereign who guided his kingdom towards peace and prosperity.

01

A MAGIC SWORD...

The history and legend of King Arthur are linked to the magical and mysterious sword: as the wizard Merlin had announced, only the man who is able to extract the sword from the stone would become king; when Arthur was in front of the rock he pulled it out, than he took it and carried the sword with him to the Cathedral and placed it on the altar. Arthur was consacrated with the holy oil and, in the presence of all barons and common people, solemnly swores to be a loyal ruler and to defend truth and justice all the days of his life. The appearance of Excalibur changes so much from story to story. Alfred Lord Tennyson described the Excalibur rich of precious stones, including topaz and jacinth. In many versions, the sword blade represents inscriptions like: “Take me up” and “Cast me away” on opposite sides. Some described it as being so bright that it blinded Arthur’s enemies.

02

REALLY IMPORTANT...

Excalibur, in Arthurian legend, King Arthur’s sword. As a boy, Arthur alone was able to draw the sword out of a stone in which it had been magically fixed. This account is contained in Sir Thomas Malory’s 15th-century prose rendering of the Arthurian legend, but another story in the same work suggests that it was given to Arthur by the Lady of the Lake and that, when the king lay mortally wounded after his last battle, he ordered the faithful Sir Bedivere to go to the water and throw the sword into it. An arm rose to catch it, brandished Excalibur three times, and then disappeared. There was a famous sword in Irish legend called Caladbolg, from which Excalibur is derived by way of Geoffrey of Monmouth, whose Historia regum Britanniae refers to Arthur’s sword as Caliburn.

03

NOWADAYS...

The tale of King Arthur and his Excalibur sword continues to inspire authors and filmmakers today. There are many variants of Arthurian legend, successfully reinvented and reimagined. In the film Excalibur, the legendary sword was in the hands of Uther Pendragon before finding its way to Arthur. In the Cursed drama series, the story played out a bit differently. A woman named Nimue is the wielder of the sword and is tasked to deliver the Excalibur to Merlin.

The Arthurian legend also influenced The Lord of the Rings film series

04

THANK YOU