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Caliburn

Arthurian Legend
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

The legendary sword of King Arthur, also called Excalibur, symbolizing rightful sovereignty and divine authority.

Detailed Definition
Caliburn originates in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Latin chronicles as the sword Arthur draws from the stone. In poetry, it signifies rightful sovereignty, divine mandate, and the inseparable link between king and land in British myth.
Example
Example in poetry:
Caliburn is the Latin name for Excalibur in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia Regum Britanniae; Poets use “Caliburn” to evoke ancient, mythic power distinct from later Excalibur lore; In alliterative verse, Caliburn gleams “cold as winter stars” in battle scenes; The name appears in Victorian poetry to stress Arthur’s divine right; Caliburn may symbolize justice when drawn from stone or lake; Modern poets contrast Caliburn’s origin myths to explore destiny versus choice.
Additional Notes
Caliburn is the Latinized name for Excalibur in early texts like Geoffrey of Monmouth’s “Historia Regum Britanniae”; later traditions distinguish Caliburn as the sword in the stone and Excalibur as the gift from the Lady of the Lake—poets may use Caliburn to evoke older, more mythic layers of Arthur’s kingship.
Also Known As
Excalibur Caledfwlch Caliburnus
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