Excalibur

Excalibur is the legendary sword of King Arthur, often portrayed as having magical powers or being connected to the rightful sovereignty of Britain. The first reliably dated mention of it appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae.

The iconic image of Excalibur as the "sword in the stone" that proves Arthur's lineage has featured in most works about Arthur's early life since its introduction in Robert de Boron's Merlin. In the tradition that began soon afterward with the Post-Vulgate Cycle, the sword given to young Arthur by the Lady of the Lake is a different weapon. However, in Le Morte d'Arthur, both swords share the name Excalibur.

Throughout Arthurian texts and other legends, several similar swords and weapons also make appearances.