Scotland's Sword (WWE, 6/27/12, Excalibur)

Sword rose among the stones far in the west
by Lady’s hand, and magic in dark midnight
graven with mystic images for Arthur’s quest
across seas to Stirling hills came, led by light
and story, Arthur’s and older still, tests
of time foretelling, and love , and the sight

Legend and sight of the future from the west
Arthur had it, the Lady too, the sight
of fire, and water, poetry and quest
gifts of holy time, courage, roundtable knights
when Arthur’s stories all were done, by right
back to Callanais, sword then came to rest


Times change. safe the sword now glints in dark light
where it in Loch Lomond’s deeper waters rests:

***

aside:
Some think that King Arthur and Merlin were Scottish. there is a site in Scotland by the Antonine Wall which has been suggested as Camelot, and another site, at Stirling, which archeological finds suggest for the round table -- or at least, a round table. there’s also a faint flicker of legend that says the resting place for Excalibur is in one of Scotland’s lochs -- several have been suggested.

Callanais is a ring of standing stones on Lewis, in the Western Isles off the northwestern coast of Scotland. it is of a much more human scale than Stonehenge, very ancient, and nobody knows its purpose. it is, to this day, a mystical place, far on the western edge of Europe's and Scotland’s world. as far as I know, there is no connection with Arthurian legend -- but there could have been.

As to the Lady: it’s been my thought that Arthur’s stories, true or imaginary, took place at that edge of time when the older religions and Christianity both were practiced, often alongside each other. I’ll leave you to decide how that might fit. also, there’s a legend which says that after Arthur’s death, Guinevere lived out her life in Scotland. yet another way for the sword to travel.

Challenge:

Write in any form you desire about who, when and why Excalibur was forged and what happened to it after King Arthur gave it back to the Lady of the Lake.