Enchanted Objects

Arthurian Legends

The magical objects found in Arthurian legends are actually too enormous to list here.

Since Arthur and some of his companions are found in Welsh (Celtic) literature, it is only right to list their possessions here.

Caliburn

Owner: King Arthur

Caliburn was the original Latin name of King Arthur's sword, Excalibur. According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, the sword was forged on the Isle of Avalon.

Calwdvwlch

Owner: Arthur

Sword of Arthur, forerunner of Excalibur.

Excalibur

Owners: Lady of the Lake, King Arthur, Gawain

Excalibur (cut steel) was the sword of King Arthur. In some tales, Gawain's sword was also called Excalibur. Whether this sword was the same one as that wielded by his uncle, is unclear. According to the Geoffrey of Monmouth, the sword was called Caliburn, and it was forged on the Isle of Avalon. However, the later legends said that Excalibur was given to Arthur by the Lady of the Lake. At Arthur's death, the king had the sword thrown into the lake, either by Girflet or by Bedivere. Excalibur came with a scabbard that had even more powerful magic; it could prevent the loss of blood from wounds. However, the scabbard was lost because Morgan le Fay stole the sheath and threw it into a lake. In the Welsh tradition, the sword was called Caledvwlch.

Carnwennan

Owner: Arthur

Knife or dagger of Arthur.

Rhongowennan

Owner: Arthur

Spear of Arthur in the Welsh legend. It was later called Ron.

Ron

Owner: King Arthur

The lance of King Arthur. It was originally called Rhongomynad in the Welsh tales.

Pridwen

Owner: King Arthur

The shield of King Arthur. According to Welsh tradition, the shield was called Wynebgwrthucher. In the Welsh poem, the Spoils of Annwfn, the Pridwen was actually the original name of Arthur's ship.

Pridwen, Prydwen

Owner: Arthur

Ship of King Arthur, according to the Welsh poem, the Spoils of Annwfn. This ship also appeared in Culhwch and Olwen, when Arthur travelled to Ireland to fetch the cauldron of Diwrnach and the boar Twrch Trwyth. In later Arthurian legends, Pridwen was the name of Arthur's shield.

Wynebgwrthucher

Owner: Arthur

Shield of Arthur.

Coreiseuse

Owner: King Ban

The sword of King Ban, the father of Lancelot of the Lake. Coreiseuse means "Wrathful".

Galatine

Owner: Gawain

Sword of Gawain that Malory mentioned in Arthur's war against Rome (Le Morte d'Arthur V: 6, 10).

Secace

Owner: Lancelot

According to pre-cycle Lancelot, the sword that Lancelot used against the Saxons at Saxon Rock. Also called Seure (Sequence) in Vulgate Lancelot.

Holy Grail

Owners: Joseph of Arimathea, Bron, Josephus, Fisher King, Maimed King, Perceval, Galahad

The Holy Grail or Sangreal had restorative powers, such as healing or an endless supply of divine food. Different authors described the grail as various objects such as a dish or platter, a cup or chalice, a cauldron, a crown or circlet, a rock from a falling star, or even a severed head on a platter.

Bleeding Lance

Owners: Joseph of Arimathea, Bron, Josephus, Fisher King, Maimed King, Perceval, Galahad

It was sometimes known as the Spear of Longinus, the Roman officer who pierced Jesus' side during the Crucifixion. The spear would continuously bleed.

Sword of the Strange Sheath

Owners: Perceval, Galahad, King David of Israel

The sword first appeared in Perceval's legend of the Grail, before it appeared in Galahad's tradition.

Sword with the Red Hilt

Owners: Balin, Galahad

This was the sword that Galahad drew from the floating stone. Merlin had sheathed the sword in the rock after the death of Balin, the Knight of Two Swords, who had inflicted the Dolorous Blow.

Broken Sword

Owners: Saracen seneschal Elyezer, Bors

This is the sword that broke when a Saracen seneschal wounded Joseph of Arimathea in the thighs. Elyezer, the son of Pelles (the Fisher King) carried the sword with him, in search of the true Grail Knight. Having met Gawain and other knights, these knights failed to restore the sword. Galahad mended the sword in the final stage of the Grail quest. Pelles awarded the sword to Sir Bors, uncle and Grail companion of Galahad.

Shield of Judas Maccabee

Owners: Judas Maccabee, Gawain

In the Perlesvaus, Gawain won the red shield that was once carried by the Jewish hero of the 2nd century BC, named Judas Maccabee. Gawain gained the shield when he defeated a knight. The shield bore the sign of a golden eagle.

Fail-not

Owner: Tristan

Bow of Tristan.

Shield of Joseph of Arimathea

Owners: Joseph of Arimathea, Maiden of the Cart, Perlesvaus (Perceval)

The Shield of Joseph of Arimathea appeared in the Grail romance titled Perlesvaus. Three maidens took the shield to Arthur's castle in Cardueil. It was left behind so that Perceval would later take the shield. Perceval used this shield to defeat the Knight of the Burning Dragon.

Shield of Evalach

Owners: Evalach (Mordrain), Galahad

The shield belonged to King Evalach (Mordrain) during the time of Joseph of Arimathea and his son Josephus. Josephus painted the red cross on the white shield with his own blood. Galahad would later win the shield from the shield's guardian (angel?).

Ring of dispell

Owners: Lady of the Lake, Lancelot

The Lady of the Lake gave a ring to Lancelot which could dispell enchantments. It was mentioned in the Post-Vulgate Merlin Continuation 23.57. In Chretien's Chevalier de la Charrete, it mentioned the ring being given by a fairy, not the Lady of the Lake. Lancelot used this ring at the Sword Bridge at Gorre.

Stone of Giramphiel

Owners: Giramphiel (goddess), Fimbeus, Gawain

In the Diu Krône (or "The Crown"), Gawain won a magical stone from another knight Fimbeus, whom he defeated. The stone protected Gawain from the flame of the dragon and from the magic of the wizard Laamorz of Janfrüege.

Skein of thread

Owners: Ilamert of Lanoier, Laamorz of Janfrüege, Gawain

In the Diu Krône (or "The Crown"), when Gawain defeated the wizard Laamorz of Janfrüege, he gained the skein of thread, in exchange for sparing Laamorz.

French Legends

Although the Charlemagne legends don't belong here, they are sometimes listed as part of Arthurian legends, comparing the objects between two different legends. The swords of Roland and Charlemagne are mentioned more frequently than other objects in Arthurian literature.

Joiuse

Owner: Charlemagne

The sword of Charlemagne.

Durendal

Owner: Roland

Durendal (Durandal, Durindana) was the sword of the Frankish hero Roland.

Oliphant

Owner: Roland

Oliphant or Olivant was the horn of Roland.

Halteclere

Owner: Oliver

The sword of Oliver, beloved companion of Roland.

Almace

Owner: Archbishop Turpin

The sword of the Archbishop Turpin.

Floberge, Flamberge

Owner: Renaud de Montauban

The sword of Renaud de Montauban.

Margleis

Owner: Ganelon

Sword of Ganelon, the traitor.

Preciuse

Owner: Baligant

Sword of Baligant, Emir of Babylon. A Saracen king.

Maltet

Owner: Baligant

Spear of Baligant.

Romaine (Oriflamme)

Owners: St Peter, Charlemagne, Geoffrey of Anjou

Charlemagne's oriflamme (or scarlet banner), when he rode into battle against Baligant. Geoffrey of Anjou was the banner bearer of Romaine. The banner had originally belonged to Saint Peter, according to the Chanson de Roland.

Colada

Owners: Ramon Berenguer, El Cid

A fine sword that El Cid took from Ramon, worth more than a thousand silver marks.

Tizón

Owner: El Cid

Another sword that El Cid won from Bucar, the king of Morocco.