Sword in the Stone (object)



The Sword in the Stone is an object from the film of the same name. It is based on the mythical sword of King Arthur, which he pulled to prove that he was the rightful king.

Background
According to the opening narration narration, the sword first appeared after the death of King Uther Pendragon, the King of England. The king had died, but no one knew who the rightful heir to the throne was. War threatened to break out, and could only be stopped by a miracle. One day, in the town of London, a light shone from the sky, and in a churchyard there, a sword appeared. The sword was lodged in an anvil placed on a stone. An incription, written in gold letters stated: "Whoso pulleth out this sword of this stone and anvil is rightwise King born of England." Due to the setup, the sword became known as the sword in the stone. The narration continues to tell that many knights attempted to remove the sword, but all who tried failed. The miracle was considered a failure, and eventually, the sword was forgotten.

Present day
Many years later, Wart is in London with Sir Ector and Kay. He has been chosen to be squire to Kay during a tournament that will decide who is to be king. Unfortunately, Wart forgets Kay's sword, and so rushes off to find another, with the help of Archimedes, Merlin's owl. Wart spots a sword, lodged in a stone, in a churchyard. Archimedes warns Wart not to mess with the sword, but Wart knows that Kay must have a sword, and effortlessly removes it.

Wart returns to Kay with the sword, but Kay is able to tell that it is not his. Sir Ector notices the inscription, and another knight, Sir Bart, announces that the sword in the stone has been successfully pulled. Sir Ector asks where Wart got the sword, and Wart recounts the tale. No one believes him, and so everyone heads to the churchyard. Sir Ector places the sword back in the stone, and tells Wart to pull it. Before he can do so, Kay pushes Wart out of the way and tries to pull it himself. Other knights join Kay, but they all fail. Sir Bart and Pelinore both push for Wart to try. Wart does so, and is once again able to pull the sword effortlessly, showing that he is the rightful king of England. After Wart is crowned King Arthur, he is shown with the sword, which has been placed in a scabbard.