We all know who was King Arthur. We've seen it in countless movies and many of us had our first contact with this character at the hands of Walt Disney . Who does not remember the scrawny teenager Arturo, disciple of Merlin, pulling the huge sword out of the stone? The film followed with enough fidelity the main lines of the legend of King Arthur. However, researchers have developed a new theory about the possible origin of the legend of Arthur and the sword of the stone.
The importance of King Arthur and his legend is not confined to taking that weapon from the place where it was inserted magically. It goes much further. Arturo embodies a chivalric code that is actually an ethical code. Honor, courage, loyalty, faith in God, defense of women and the weak, charisma, humility and continuous work to improve the world are part of the idiosyncrasy of the characters of the Arturic legend .
The origin of the legend of Arthur and the sword of stone
The Legend of the sword and the stone , according to some historians, it could be true since in the original story, written by Robert de Boron about the year 1200, based on an account of the Dark Ages, the sword was stuck in an anvil that rested on a stone and the scene happened in the cemetery of the main church in London. This stone on which was the anvil has been believed that it could be the so-called "Stone of London". This famous stone was removed from the cemetery of St. Paul's Cathedral during the Great Fire of London. Then it was forgotten for more than three centuries and is now in the Museum of London. By the analysis of the remains in the stone, it has been confirmed that he could have been in the cemetery at the time when King Arthur was believed to have lived, around the fifth century. However, there is a new theory about the origin of the legend of Arthur and the sword of stone.
The most recent theory is that the origin of the legend of Arthur and the sword of the stone it is due to a bad translation or a confusion of some words by others. Anglos and Saxons, of Germanic origin, were originally two different tribes and Arturo fought against them. In Latin, a stone of great dimensions receives the name of "saxum", that is very similar to "saxon" (sajon) and in English Yunque is "anvil" that sounds very similar to "Angle". Researchers believe that there must have been a chronicle that explained that Arthur "took the sword between Angles and Saxons." However, no written record was left and the story was transmitted orally. It is in this oral transmission that some investigators believe that confusion could have existed: from "he took the sword between Angles and Saxons" to "took or drew the sword from an anvil and a stone".
Whatever the real explanation, I'm sure that most of us will continue to enjoy movies about the King Arthur , the Merlin the Wizzard wave powerful Morgana . What do you think about the theory of confusion of words in the origin of the legend of Arthur and the sword of stone ? Share your opinion with us! If you want to know more about this legendary character, we invite you to read the post: Merlin and Arturo | 10 curiosities about their legendary relationship .