The Sword of Arthur
Let us collect, then, Arthurian incidents which take place in Brittany. First, Arthur’s finding of the marvellous sword Excalibur would seem to happen there, as Vivien, or Nimue, the Lady of the Lake, was undoubtedly a fairy of Breton origin who does not appear in British myth.
For the manner in which Arthur acquired the renowned Excalibur, or Caliburn, the Morte d’Arthur is the authority. The King had broken his sword in two pieces in a combat with Sir Pellinore of Wales, and had been saved by Merlin, who threw Sir Pellinore into an enchanted sleep.
“And so Merlin and Arthur departed, and as they rode along King Arthur said, ‘I have no sword.’ ‘No force,’[55] said Merlin; ‘here is a sword that shall be yours, an I may.’ So they rode till they came to a lake, which was a fair water and a broad; and in the midst of the lake King Arthur was aware of an arm clothed in white samite, that held a fair sword in the hand. ‘Lo,’ said Merlin unto the King, ‘yonder is the sword that I spoke of.’ With that they saw a damsel going upon the lake. ‘What damsel is that?’ said the King. ‘That is the Lady of the Lake,’ said Merlin; ‘and within that lake is a rock, and therein is as fair a place as any on earth, and richly beseen; and this damsel will come to you anon, and then speak fair to her that she will give you that sword.’ Therewith came the damsel to King Arthur and saluted him, and he her again. ‘Damsel,’ said the King, ‘what sword is that which the arm holdeth yonder above the water? I would it were 257 mine, for I have no sword.’ ‘Sir King,’ said the damsel of the lake, ‘that sword is mine, and if ye will give me a gift when I ask it you, ye shall have it.’ ‘By my faith,’ said King Arthur, ‘I will give you any gift that you will ask or desire.’ ‘Well,’ said the damsel, ‘go into yonder barge, and row yourself unto the sword, and take it and the scabbard with you; and I will ask my gift when I see my time.’ So King Arthur and Merlin alighted, tied their horses to two trees, and so they went into the barge. And when they came to the sword that the hand held, King Arthur took it up by the handles, and took it with him, and the arm and the hand went under the water; and so came to the land and rode forth. King Arthur looked upon the sword, and liked it passing well. ‘Whether liketh you better,’ said Merlin, ‘the sword or the scabbard?’ ‘Me liketh better the sword,’ said King Arthur. ‘Ye are more unwise,’ said Merlin, ‘for the scabbard is worth ten of the sword; for while ye have the scabbard upon you, ye shall lose no blood, be ye never so sore wounded; therefore keep well the scabbard alway with you.’”
KING ARTHUR AND MERLIN AT THE LAKE
Sir Lancelot du Lac, son of King Ban of Benwik, was stolen and brought up by the Lady of the Lake, from whose enchanted realm he took his name. But he does not appear at all in true Celtic legend, and is a mere Norman new-comer.
Tristrem and Ysonde
Following the Arthurian ‘chronology’ as set forth in the Morte d’Arthur, we reach the great episode of Sir Tristrem of Lyonesse, a legendary country off the coast of Cornwall. This most romantic yet most human tale must be accounted one of the world’s supreme love 258 stories. It has inspired some of our greatest poets, and moved Richard Wagner to the composition of a splendid opera.