Author Topic: Excalibur and Amoracchius  (Read 5526 times)

Offline ways and means

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Excalibur and Amoracchius
« on: June 05, 2011, 07:24:05 PM »
In the DF fiction it has been revealed that Amoracchius is Excalibur, this begs the question which Excalibur is the Amoracchius is it the Sword in the Stone which is also called Caliburn in some of the Athurian Legend. Or was it the sword given to Arthur by the lady of the Lake (who seems to me be most likly to be a fae) if it is the Ladies Sword then the legend about the Swords Scabard providing Physical Immunity (protection from mortal harms) doesn't seem to tie in with the powers of the other swords of the cross or the nature of most divine power.

Most of the way the DF talks about suggest Amoracchius was the sword in the stone rather than actually Excalibur because the sword in the stone was bestowed on Arthur by Merlin and didn't have any fae magic about it. I personally think this was left vague on purpose but do you people think that their might be another Athurian Sword floating about the Dresden Verse?
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Offline Team8Mum

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Re: Excalibur and Amoracchius
« Reply #1 on: June 05, 2011, 07:43:49 PM »
In the version I know they are one and the same.
The 'kings sword' being the one in the stone drawn to reveal Arthur is the True King (Left there by The Merlin on Uthers death) was broken when Arthur attacked Lancelot unjustly.
The broken parts of the sword were thrown into the lake and then reforged by the Lady (Faerie) into Excalibre.
In battled with Mordred Arthurs was mortal wound and left in great pain. Excalibre was returned to the lady by Bedovior (Or Girflet if you follow the vulgate) and only then was Arthur released from his kingship and allowed to die- or go to his reward on Avalon depending on you legend of preference.

Same sword- 2diferent phases of it's existence -so 2 names
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Offline Llayne

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Re: Excalibur and Amoracchius
« Reply #2 on: June 05, 2011, 07:48:55 PM »
It does open up some interesting ideas.

If the sword in the Stone was Amoracchius, perhaps he lost it at some point due to Arthur losing faith or otherwise becoming unworthing of being a Knight of the Cross. Then he made a deal with the Fae for a replacement sword, which is where the Lady of the Lake and the scabbard come into play. He could have even pretended his new sword was the old one, which could be why the two are so often confused, or thought of as one sword.

The attempted murder of his nephew-son Mordred as a baby... and all other new born male babies could very well have been that turning point. I think that was in Mallory's Le Morte d'Arthur. There was always a lot of dark stuff in the Arthurian Legend... it's a veritable playground of ideas.

@Team... most versions do depict them as one and the same, but that could also be the merging of the two different stories in later accounts.

Offline Haru

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Re: Excalibur and Amoracchius
« Reply #3 on: June 05, 2011, 07:49:02 PM »
Over time, the two stories might have been mixed together and there was no distinction between the two swords left. Arthur might have actually had 2 swords, Amorachius from the stone and the other one from one of the queens, though I am not sure about the order. In turn that would mean, that he was a Knight of the Cross and a Knight of one of the courts of the shide at one point or another.

I am not all that familiar with the whole saga, but didn't Arthur at one point lose Excalibur (Amorachius in this case)? If that is the case, the shide queen in question might have seen her opportunity to take a mortal hero for her own gain. I expect Mab, it seems pretty wintery to me. Though the lady in the lake would be more appropriate to be summer.
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Offline Team8Mum

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Re: Excalibur and Amoracchius
« Reply #4 on: June 05, 2011, 08:19:33 PM »
We know that the Mavra attempts to 'undo' amoracchius using the blood of an innocent- which fits in with the original sword being broken when it was used to attack some one who didn't deserve to die.
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Offline Llayne

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Re: Excalibur and Amoracchius
« Reply #5 on: June 05, 2011, 08:30:59 PM »
I thought it was mentioned somehwere that Amoracchius had never been reforged? Maybe that was just my interpretation though... I don't have any references for that.

I don't see a holy sword getting broken and then reforged by the Fae however. That would seem to imply that either A) the Lady of the Lake was a Christian figure as opposed to a Fae one or B) there were in fact two swords.

I do like Ways idea that there are two swords however... there's plenty of ambiguity in the old stories to support it and it'd make for good story flavor.

Offline Silverblaze

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Re: Excalibur and Amoracchius
« Reply #6 on: June 06, 2011, 12:58:02 AM »
That is quite similar to the concept of how my current character got a sword of the cross. I rather like the concept of the fae aiding the recreation of excalibur or the creation of another sword.

Offline CottbusFiles

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Re: Excalibur and Amoracchius
« Reply #7 on: June 06, 2011, 07:35:42 AM »
So Arthur lost his Sword of the Cross and became a Fey Knight ?
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Offline JustADude

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Re: Excalibur and Amoracchius
« Reply #8 on: June 06, 2011, 10:19:01 AM »
So Arthur lost his Sword of the Cross and became a Fey Knight ?

Sounds like it'd make an interesting bit of fluff for a story at the very least, eh?

If there are two, that also makes it possible that one could run into the "real" Excalibur (aka, the one that's not Caliburn/Amoracchius) in the hands of who-knows-what. Might even make an awesome IoP for a character if someone wants to take the game in that direction.

Offline Richard_Chilton

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Re: Excalibur and Amoracchius
« Reply #9 on: June 06, 2011, 01:13:35 PM »
Just a quick note: Merlin (the original one who founded the White Council) is believed to have been entrusted with handing out at least one sword.  That's mentioned in one of the books when Harry was whining "why do I have this job?".

And if Merlin handed out a sword, it would follow that it was given to Arthur... Or maybe to the only knight pure enough to catch sight of the holy grail (forget his name, but it wasn't "does his own sister" Arthur).

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Offline polkaneverdies

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Re: Excalibur and Amoracchius
« Reply #10 on: June 06, 2011, 02:07:00 PM »
iirc you are referring to Galahad

Offline Todjaeger

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Re: Excalibur and Amoracchius
« Reply #11 on: June 06, 2011, 03:02:07 PM »
I thought it was mentioned somehwere that Amoracchius had never been reforged? Maybe that was just my interpretation though... I don't have any references for that.

I don't see a holy sword getting broken and then reforged by the Fae however. That would seem to imply that either A) the Lady of the Lake was a Christian figure as opposed to a Fae one or B) there were in fact two swords.

I do like Ways idea that there are two swords however... there's plenty of ambiguity in the old stories to support it and it'd make for good story flavor.

That is correct, Amoracchius is the only Sword of the Cross which hasn't been reforged.  I would need to double check, but I believe this is mentioned at the end of Death Masks.  As for the Lady of the Lake re-forging it...  That wouldn't make sense as much of the Fae references are from myths of the British isles, and Fae and iron go together like people and cyanide.

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Offline Valarian

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Re: Excalibur and Amoracchius
« Reply #12 on: June 06, 2011, 04:19:33 PM »
iirc you are referring to Galahad
Wasn't Percival (the kitchen knight) the one who found the Fisher King and the Grail? Galahad was the perfect knight, the son of Lancelot.
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Offline ways and means

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Re: Excalibur and Amoracchius
« Reply #13 on: June 06, 2011, 04:22:50 PM »
Most of the stories that include the Grail it is Galahad who finds the Grail becuase he is  a perfect pretty boy.  
« Last Edit: June 06, 2011, 04:35:49 PM by ways and means »
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Offline Discipol

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Re: Excalibur and Amoracchius
« Reply #14 on: June 06, 2011, 04:51:40 PM »
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