[ZULU]

"If the sword really dates to 1180, decades before the first literary reference to the "sword in the stone," it would support the theory that the Celtic myth of King Arthur and his sword Excalibur developed in Italy after the death of Galgano. "

The "Sword in the Stone" theme in King Arthur comes from the Sarmatians.

A Sarmatian unit was stationed in western Britain when it was a Roman province. The Sarmatians, an Eastern European tribe, fought on horseback and worshipped an image of a sword in a a stone. This may have been adopted as a theme by the British tribes living in that area, just as they may have adopted a Dragon, one of the images on a legionary standard of a Legion which was stationed there, in their title "Pendragon".

[RightWhale]

The sword in a stone may refer to drawing iron or copper from ore. It was the iron age by then, and iron weapons ruled. The dragon image was widespread around the world, and may refer to chemical processes. Eastern metallurgists, especially in the eastern Mediterranean, protected knowledge of their craft in a guildlike manner. We're probably looking at signs of the latest hi-tech advances of the times.

[padfoot_lover]

Have you guys read the Jack Whyte historical "Camulod" fictional novels? They start with Arthur's great grandfathers, and end with Arthur's coronation. Great read.