The Quest for the Sword

As the son of Uther Pendragon, King of Britain, and Igraine, Duchess of Cornwall, young Arthur was conceived out of wedlock and while still in his cradle, the wizard Merlin appeared with prophecy concerning the newborn child. Merlin told Uther great sickness and destruction would befall the kingdom and if the King wanted to guard the child from harm, he should let the wizard raise the child in secret. Uther was skeptical, but he knew of Merlin's great powers, so he let the wizard protect and raise the child along with Arthur's most precious inheritance.

Eventually the realm did fall into disorder and many dark years had passed. Then Merlin was approached by an Archbishop who asked him to heal the country. Merlin said that he would help create a King of royal blood for Britain by "setting a great adventure which, if any man achieve it, all the world shall straightway know that he is the rightful king and overlord of this realm."

So Merlin caused his magic to create a huge marble stone with anvil and into that anvil he created a magic sword to be thrust in halfway deep. This magnificent blue steel sword shone brightly in the sun and around this great sword were the words inscribed, "Who pulleth out this sword from the anvil, that same is rightwise king - born of England."

The call went out across the land that a tournament would be held for the courts of the twelve kingdoms and the seven dukes that those victorious would have their chance to remove the sword and thus be King. During one battle Sir Kay, Arthur's surrogate brother, told him to retrieve another sword, but Arthur could find none until he spied the sword in the stone. Arthur pulled the sword from its' sacred resting place with great ease. When it was realized what Arthur had done, Sir Ector, his surrogate father confesses to the pact that he made many years ago with Uther Pendragon and Merlin. "I am not thy father, and now it is made manifest that thou art assuredly of very exalted race and that thy blood of kings flows in the veins," he said. Therefore, the king of England was reborn and the land began it's healing. Arthur created the kingdom of Camelot and a Round Table for twelve knights so that all were equal, as were the subjects of his great reign.

Historically, the legends of King Arthur were based upon Celtic folklore (c.516-570 CE). This war chieftain was a leader who was credited with many supernatural deeds and adventures that made him a cultural hero who helped redefine British civilization.

Let us now examine the meaning of the name Arthur Pendragon astronomically. In Celtic, Arthur means high and admirable. In Greek, a close candidate for Arthur is the word arktos which means "bear" and is also the source of the word "Arctic." In French Arthur means "He-bear." His surname, Pendragon, is Welsh in origin and literally means "leader in war." The word pen represents "war" and dragon represents "a war chief" as used in military standards. This would indicate that the name Arthur Pendragon means a "noble arctic he-bear who is a strong leader and war chieftain that sits on high and is to be admired." Where might we find such a legendary and inspirational figure? We need only look up and into the heavens to find the answer.

At the northern hub of the night sky dwells the pole star Polaris. One can find this star at the end of the tail of Ursa Minor the "Little Bear." This is the axis of the constellations that turn above the northern hemisphere of our planet. This is also the heavenly kingship of young Arthur as the "bridled bear," which is defined as a young nobleman under the control of a traveling tutor.That tutor was Merlin. He taught Arthur nobility, humility, and the ancient ways on which to build the foundation of Camelot. Corona Borealis the "Northern Crown" represents the fabled city of Camelot and other constellations in the story of King Arthur are Cephus the "King," Ursa Major, the "Great Bear" and Draco the "Dragon." And what of the twelve knights that sat at the Round Table that was designed so that all were equal? Arthur's knights represented the twelve signs of the zodiac and the circular table that represented the zodiac itself sat in a domed vault with an azure blue ceiling covered with stars to symbolize the sky.

The Knights of the Round Table
and their Constellations

Aries: Sir Gareth... The first knight to join Arthur, he was famous for his quick reactions, skill in combat, and bad temper.

Taurus: Sir Dinadan... He was a formidable and solid man at arms once roused.

Gemini: Sir Lionel and Sir Bors... These were twins or brothers; one loyal and good, one unreliable.

Cancer: Sir Kay... He was in charge of the kitchens, famous for culinary skill and crabby temperament.

Leo: Sir Gawain... This brave and flamboyant hero was a star in the popular tale involving the Green Knight.

Virgo: Sir Tristam... He became ill on his wedding night, was not happily married, and had trouble with his health when called on to serve.

Libra: Sir Balin... He hesitated in making important decisions. In the matter of passing the death sentence on evil King Royn, this vacillation led to his undoing.

Scorpio: Sir Lancelot... This most powerful knight brought back the dead and fought with strength and skill unmatched. His passion for Guinevere was his infamous fatal flaw.

Sagittarius: Sir Percival... This wanderer had a special gift in communicating with animals.

Capricorn: Sir Urry... He looked older than his years and was rejuvenated by Lancelot.

Aquarius:Sir Palomides... His popularity with kings of Ireland and Scotland was evident in the many gifts and invitations they sent him.

Pisces:Sir Galahad... He was the only knight heavenly and pure enough to complete the quest for lasting vision of the Holy Grail.

Home | Site Map