Excalibur Legend

Excalibur is King Arthur's great sword. It sometimes gives off light and occasionally is wielded by Gawain. Excalibur is given to Arthur, and finally taken from him, by a hand in the lake. Merlin, who brings Arthur to the Lady of the Lake to receive Excalibur, informs the King that the scabbard is worth far more than the sword itself, for the former will protect its bearer from injury. Despite this fact, it is the sword rather than its scabbard that has captured the imagination of later writers and readers.