Editing Excalibur (section)

==Connections and analogues==
=== Similar weapons ===
[[File:326 The Romance of King Arthur.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|left|"How Galahad drew out the sword from the floating stone at Camelot." [[Arthur Rackham]]'s illustration for [[Alfred W. Pollard]]'s ''The Romance of King Arthur'' (1917)]]

The challenge of drawing a sword from a stone (placed on the river just outside [[Camelot]]) also appears in the later Arthurian story of [[Galahad]], whose achievement of the task indicates that he is destined to find the [[Holy Grail]], as also foretold in Merlin's prophecies. This powerful yet cursed weapon, known as the Adventurous Sword among other names, has also come from Avalon; it is first stolen and wielded by Balin until his death while killing his own brother, then is briefly taken up by Galahad, and eventually is used by [[Lancelot]] to give his former friend Gawain a mortal wound in their long final duel. In the [[Old French]] ''[[Perlesvaus]]'', Lancelot pulls other weapons from stone on two occasions. In the Post-Vulgate ''Merlin'', Morgan creates the  copies of Excalibur itself as well as of its scabbard.

In [[Welsh mythology]], the Dyrnwyn ("White-Hilt"), one of the [[Thirteen Treasures of the Island of Britain]], is said to be a powerful sword belonging to [[Rhydderch Hael]],<ref>Tri Thlws ar Ddeg, ed. and tr. Bromwich (1978): pp. 240–1.</ref> one of the Three Generous Men of Britain mentioned in the [[Welsh Triads]]. When drawn by a worthy or well-born man, the entire blade would blaze with fire. Rhydderch was never reluctant to hand the weapon to anyone, hence his nickname Hael "the Generous", but the recipients, as soon as they had learned of its peculiar properties, always rejected the sword. There are other similar weapons described in other mythologies as well. Irish mythology features Caladbolg, the sword of [[Fergus mac Róich]], which was also known for its incredible power and was carried by some of Ireland's greatest heroes. The name, which can also mean "hard cleft" in Irish, appears in the plural, ''caladbuilc'', as a generic term for "great swords" in ''Togail Troi'' ("The Destruction of [[Troy]]"), a 10th-century Irish translation of the classical tale.<ref>Thurneysen, R. "Zur Keltischen Literatur und Grammatik", ''Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie'', Volume 12, p. 281ff.</ref><ref>O'Rahilly, T.  F. ''Early Irish history and mythology'', Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1957, p. 68.</ref> A sword named [[Claíomh Solais]], which is an Irish term meaning "sword of light", or "shining sword", appears in a number of orally transmitted Irish folk-tales. The Sword in the Stone has an analogue in some versions of the story of [[Sigurd]], whose father, [[Sigmund]], draws the sword [[Gram (mythology)|Gram]] out of the tree [[Barnstokkr]] where it is embedded by the Norse god [[Odin]]. Apart from legendary swords, the only real ancient Sword in the Stone which still exists nowadays is kept since the medieval ages in the Chapel of  [[Galgano Guidotti|Saint Galgano]] at Montesiepi in Tuscany, Italy; it is associated with the 12th-century Italian legend of that saint in the tale of "Tuscany's Excalibur".<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/sep/16/rorycarroll.theobserver "Tuscany's Excalibur is the real thing, say scientists"]. ''The Guardian''. Retrieved 1 August 2021.</ref>

=== Arthur's other weapons ===
A number of different swords and other weapons have been also associated with Arthur. In the Alliterative ''Morte Arthure'', Clarent is the royal sword of peace meant for knighting and ceremonies as opposed to battle, which Mordred stole and then used to kill Arthur at Camlann.<ref>[http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/teams/alstint.htm ''Alliterative Morte Arthure''], TEAMS, retrieved 26-02-2007.</ref> The Prose ''Lancelot'' of the Vulgate Cycle mentions a sword called Sequence (also ''Secace'' or ''Seure'') as borrowed from Arthur by Lancelot.<ref>Warren, Michelle. ''History On The Edge: Excalibur and the Borders of Britain, 1100–1300'' (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press) p. 212.</ref> In the Vulgate ''Merlin'', Arthur captures Marmiadoise (Marmydoyse), the marvellous sword of [[Hercules]], from the latter's descendant [[King Rience|King Rions]].  Marmiadoise's powers (such as causing wounds that would never heal) are so superior to those of Excalibur that Arthur gives Excalibur to Gawain.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QAnoDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA108|title=Encyclopedia of Mythological Objects|first=Theresa|last=Bane|date=29 May 2020|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9781476639208 |via=Google Books}}</ref>

Early-Arthurian Welsh tradition knew of a dagger named [[Carnwennan]] and a spear named [[Rhongomyniad]] that belonged to him. Carnwennan ("little white-hilt") first appears in ''Culhwch and Olwen'', where Arthur uses it to slice the witch Orddu in half.{{sfn|Bromwich|Simon Evans|1992|pp=64–65}}{{sfn|Jones|Jones|1949|p=136}} Rhongomyniad ("spear" + "striker, slayer") is also mentioned in ''Culhwch'', although only in passing; it appears as simply Ron ("spear") in Geoffrey's ''Historia''. Geoffrey also names Arthur's shield as [[Pridwen]]; in ''Culhwch'', however, [[Prydwen]] ("fair face") is the name of Arthur's ship while his shield is named Wynebgwrthucher ("face of evening").{{sfn|Bromwich|Simon Evans|1992|pp=64–65}}{{sfn|Ford|1983|p=271}}