Week 12 Story



The True Origin of King Arthur

Story source: King Arthur: Tales of the Round Table by Andrew Lang and illustrated by H. J. Ford (1902).


Long ago, after the death of Uther Pendragon, there was no king in Britain. All who valued power wanted nothing more than to claim this vacant throne and it was no secret that many were willing to commit heinous acts to do just that.

It was for this reason that the magician Merlin arrived to design a test of heart for he who would claim the crown. He sat for many days converging with the primordial powers until he arrived at a solution. In his power, he created a great sword infused with magical properties. This sword stood with a hilt of gold decorated with the most precious gems fit only for a king to wield. This sword was then placed inside a stone with only the hilt revealed. Merlin then issued a proclamation.

“Any man who wishes to claim the throne need only pull this sword from the stone and the crown will be his!” declared the magician. This proclamation was carved into the base of the stone and there it sat. For many days’ weary travelers with dreams of glory arrived to try their luck with the stone. Unfortunately, none were able to remove it. Men tried any way they could to cheat the sword from the stone. Some tried to explode the stone, some tried to break off the handle, many even tried to replicate the sword. However, the magic within the sword was powerful and it was apparent that no ploy could fool the magician.

One day a knight by the name of Sir Ector arrived with his son Sir kay and foster son Arthur. Sir Ector and his sons had travelled a long time and were quite weary. Once they arrived Arthur immedialty fell into a deep and his foster father and brother went to try their hand at the sword in the stone. They tried many tricks yet were ultimately unsuccessful in their attempts. All night they two wrestled with the stone to no avail.

The next morning Arthur awoke early and decided to go for a walk. On this walk he stumbled upon a beautiful sword! It stood sticking out of a stone, yet the hilt was remarkable in its beauty. Immediate,ately Arthur went to the sword planning to present it to his father as a gift. The sword judged Arthurs heart pure and worthy of the throne and allowed itself to be removed from the stone with ease.

When Arthur returned to present the sword to his father, he was amazed. He immediately fell on his face and praised Arthur, the new king of Britain!

Authors Note:
So I wanted to take the story of the Sword in the Stone and tweak it a little. I wanted to play up the idea that the rest of those who tried were really corrupt and more clearly unfit to rule. That then emphasized the purity of Arthurs's heart when he didn't even want to keep the sword for himself. I also wanted the magic to be a little more prevalent because I just love that stuff. 

Comments

  1. RileyOctober 12, 2020 at 1:44 AM

    Hi Kev!
    I enjoyed reading this piece about a story that I've known since I was young. Despite my knowledge, however, it would be helpful if you would include more background on the story in your author's note so that readers aren't totally lost if they've never heard of it before. I love your inclusion of the more magical elements as well! Good job!

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  2. Snail Mail RiotOctober 16, 2020 at 7:50 PM

    I really like this story! It's so fun, and the way you've written the story makes it easy to want to keep reading. I like how you made Merlin's magic more prevalent in the story. A lot of newer versions I've read like to take the magic out completely, and I think that's a whack decision to do. I'm so glad you did the opposite! You're story made me want another one from the sword's viewpoint where it's kind of laughing at all the unworthy bozos trying to draw it from the stone!
    Anyway, keep up the good work :)

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