Where was the sword and the stone?
Swords found in (or under or next to) stones are one common attribute of a mythical hero. Just a couple of examples: Theseus took his sword (which had been his father’s) from under a boulder which he had to raise unaided. Joan of Arc found her sword behind the altar of her parish church. Altars of course are built of stone, or if wooden, at least contain a stone. Other common attributes also shared by Arthur are dubious or illegitimate birth (compare Jesus and almost all the Greek heroes, who were frequently begotten by gods or else by their human fathers: Arthur and Moses were of dubious birth) and an unknown tomb coupled with a resurrection myth, set in the past or the future (King Arthur is not dead, Christ is risen, Theseus returned to lead the Athenians at Marathon). More modern examples of such a myth exist: for a long time, some sailors believed that Francis Drake would rise from the dead to lead the Navy at a time of crisis. When Charlie Parker and Elvis Presley died, there wer
