Week 3 Story: Lifting the Sword from the Stone
A long long time ago, a great king ruled with an odd sort of ornament in his throne room. Just in front of the throne stood a great sword said to be imbued with magical power embedded deep in stone. It had become great entertainment for the king to watch person after person fail to lift the sword from the stone. The strongest knights would come from far and wide in hopes of pleasing the king. If one were to draw the sword, the rewards were rumored to be the greatest known to any man.
One day, the king's personal guardian knight decided he ought to give it a try. For years he had watched people fail, and he did not want to fail his king in any way shape or form. Crowds gathered to watch him try to draw the sword. If anyone were to finally overcome the challenge, it would be him. He took his place, grabbed the hilt and began to pull. The ground trembled under the force of his pull. Gradually he began to tire, but he would not give up. Stepping away for a brief moment, the crowd gasped. It looked like he had failed. In one final attempt, he looked his king in the eyes, using any strength left in him. The sword broke free along with shards of rock that thundered in all directions. Viewers had to duck for cover to not be hit. The king stood and applauded his knight who now wielded the greatest weapon known to man. After serving the royal family for so long, he was now invited to be a part of it as the king offered his daughter's hand in marriage. The knight graciously accepted, but promised to never leave his post as king's guard. And so he began his life as the greatest knight to ever live, and one day he could even become the greatest king.
Author's Note: Based on when Rama wins Sita in the PDE Ramayana. In the original story, Rama goes to wield the bow of the god Shiva. Many people had tried before him to no avail, but Rama does it so easily that the bow actually breaks. Because of his triumph, he is given Sita's hand in marriage. As they both turn out to be avatars of gods, it makes their love even more special and intense. In my story, I went with a blend between the original, and the story of Excalibur, the sword in the stone. In this case, Rama is replaced with the most loyal knight in all the lands.
Bibliography: Rama wins Sita in the PDE Ramayana by multiple authors.
One day, the king's personal guardian knight decided he ought to give it a try. For years he had watched people fail, and he did not want to fail his king in any way shape or form. Crowds gathered to watch him try to draw the sword. If anyone were to finally overcome the challenge, it would be him. He took his place, grabbed the hilt and began to pull. The ground trembled under the force of his pull. Gradually he began to tire, but he would not give up. Stepping away for a brief moment, the crowd gasped. It looked like he had failed. In one final attempt, he looked his king in the eyes, using any strength left in him. The sword broke free along with shards of rock that thundered in all directions. Viewers had to duck for cover to not be hit. The king stood and applauded his knight who now wielded the greatest weapon known to man. After serving the royal family for so long, he was now invited to be a part of it as the king offered his daughter's hand in marriage. The knight graciously accepted, but promised to never leave his post as king's guard. And so he began his life as the greatest knight to ever live, and one day he could even become the greatest king.
Author's Note: Based on when Rama wins Sita in the PDE Ramayana. In the original story, Rama goes to wield the bow of the god Shiva. Many people had tried before him to no avail, but Rama does it so easily that the bow actually breaks. Because of his triumph, he is given Sita's hand in marriage. As they both turn out to be avatars of gods, it makes their love even more special and intense. In my story, I went with a blend between the original, and the story of Excalibur, the sword in the stone. In this case, Rama is replaced with the most loyal knight in all the lands.
Bibliography: Rama wins Sita in the PDE Ramayana by multiple authors.
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| A modern representation of the sword in the stone in Disneyland China |
Hey Reid,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your story! It reminds me of the storybook that I did for the Mythology and Folklore class last year. I thought it was neat to connect the sword and the stone to a Rama story. You make an effortless connection about how they relate to each other and that is my favorite part. Incorporating two different stories can sometimes be hard but you did a great job! Keep up the good work and can’t wait to read more from you!
Hi Reid,
ReplyDeleteI love this story. This was one of the stories in the Ramayana that stuck out to me in a memorable way. I like how you changed the "task" from wielding a bow to lifting a sword from a stone, but also kept it along the theme of a physical task. The blend between the 2 stories is seamless while also creating its own plot.