Ethnographic Arms & Armour - BBC video: Saint Galgano's Sword in the Stone

Reminds me of a tale a fellow officer on the icebreaker I served on told me of the patrol they had been on to the Antarctica just before I reported onboard.

They had gone there to resupply one of the stations there, and to bring a bunch of scientists to study a group rare seals on the endangered list. There were only 5 left. a male and 4 females. The scientists captured and sedated them so they could be weighed and measured, poked and prodded, blood & poop sampled, etc.

Seals are hard to sedate accurately, little difference between a anaesthetic and a lethal dose. They over-sedated two, the male and a female. Who died. The scientists happy they had done their job and that there were 3 left, went home, having done what they could to ensure they could to ensure the survival of the species.

The 'scientists' investigating the sword, were also proud of their results, after having destroyed it and messed up the surrounding material it was embedded in. :(

Never underestimate the stupidity of self declared 'Experts'.

Arthur connection? I've always thought it referred to the oral histories removing a bronze sword from a 'stone' (ceramic/lost wax) mould, and legends of throwing such a a sword 'killed' (sacrificed) by bending into a holy bog or lake where a goddess lived - the 'Lady of the lake' that predated the use of iron/steel and survived by oral tales into post Roman times. Many nation's experts have claimed to be the definitive 'source' of the Arthurian stories.

Me. I think