The legacy of Excalibur: neomedievalism and the resemiotization of the legend in film and television

Abstract

First mentioned in Geoffrey of Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britain, the legend of the sword Excalibur has been in continuous use by writers, including Robert de Boron and Sir Thomas Malory. Its fabled power of slicing through steel has been reimagined in various contemporary works, particularly in film and television, aiming to evoke in modern audiences the same awe that medieval readers once felt. Excalibur, the famous sword forged on the mythical island of Avalon, with supernatural qualities vested in it, has been given new meanings in various retellings such as the TV series Once Upon a Time (2011) and films like Transformers: The Last Knight (2017) and Hellboy (2019), where its magical qualities have grown. This reflects the changes that its mythological roots and nature have undergone with time. These new sets of retellings interact with the source myth by adding fresh ingredients to secure its continued relevance in contemporary popular culture and by mirroring influences of neomedievalism.