Reading Notes A: The Drawing of the Sword

• King of Britain - Uther Pendragon, died leaving no King to reign
• Caused uproar and many to battle for the crown - the town was not at its best
• Merlin the Magician met Archbishop of Canterbury & others at their home to request a meeting on Christmas Day in London @ the Great Church 
• Leaving the Church they saw a stone & left a sword within the stone engraved a spell in gold. 
• Many knights tried taking out the sword but failed so Archbishop had two of his best knights guard it at night
• It wasn't fair they wait for the 'King' to show & that every man had a right to try it out so a tourney was to be held New Years Day
• That day came and many people decided to prep for the drawing of the sword and arrived a brave knight - Sir Ector, his son Sir Kay and Arthur, Kay's foster-brother
• Sir Kay had left a sword back home & asked Arthur to get it for him so he went but no one was home (went to watch the tourney) so he went to the churchyard & decided to take the sword from the stone because he didn't want Sir Kay without a sword
• He pulled it out easily and brought it to them. Arthur had to explain his story and they realized he was to be King but they had to prove it and it was proven
• Arthur found out Sir Ector wasn't his father but who his real father was - Uther Pendragon and felt sad; the debt he paid was to make Sir Kay the seneschal of all his land and he did.
• Before becoming King, he had to leave the sword to prove to the Archbishop and he did thus he became King to all - a good and humble King

(Excalibur.  Pixabay.)

The overall story reminds me of Once Upon a Time which gave a different take to King Arthur, not a very good one at that.

I could change this story up as a way to create a noble man.  A man who was meant for great things but did not know this until he had to prove himself that he was.

A story still set in this era, keep a similar take but of a poor man who grew up not knowing a life of riches.

Sort of tough to consider what I can manipulate and change.

He comes across the stone, not knowing what it was - much like the original.  Rather than his foster-father knowing who his father is in the end, he has a different family.

He's traveling alone and something calls him to the sword - like a fairy or just hearing a voice?

He takes the sword out and keeps it with him while everyone else is looking for the sword he's playing with it as if it's a new found toy.

He still has to prove himself that he pulled it out and does.  He could go through trials? Of having to prove himself that he should be king.

This can be a flashback story told by his son??  That's a different way of doing things.

Bibliography:  King Arthur:  The Drawing of the Sword by Andrew Lang.