be almost negligible. The statement that "hardly any ancient
traditions" of the Arthurian legend exist in Brittany is an
extraordinary one. In view of the circumstances that in extended
passages of Arthurian story the scene is laid in Brittany (as in the
Merlin and Vivien incident and the episode of Yseult of the White Hand
in the story of Tristrem), that Geoffrey of Monmouth speaks of "the
Breton book" from which he took his matter, and that Marie de France
states that her tales are drawn from old Breton sources, not to admit
the possible existence of a body of Arthurian tradition in Brittany
appears capricious. Thomas's _Sir Tristrem_ is professedly based on
the poem of the Breton Breri, and there is no reason why Brittany,
drawing sap and fibre as it did from Britain, should not have produced
Arthurian stories of its own.

On the whole, however, that seems to represent the sum of its
pretensions as a main source of Arthurian romance. The Arthurian story
seems to be indigenous to British soil, and if we trace the origin of
certain episodes to Brittany we may safely connect these with the
early British immigrants to the peninsula. This is not to say,
however, that Brittany did not influence Norman appreciation of the
Arthurian saga. But that it did so more than did Wales is unlikely, in
view of documentary evidence. Both Wales and Brittany, then, supplied
matter which the Norman and French poets shaped into verse, and if
Brittany was not the birthplace of the legend it was, in truth, one of
its cradle-domains.

_The Sword of Arthur_

Let us collect, then, Arthurian incidents which take place in
Brittany. First, Arthur's finding of the marvellous sword Excalibur
would seem to happen there, as Vivien, or Nimue, the Lady of the Lake,
was undoubtedly a fairy of Breton origin who does not appear in
British myth.

For the manner in which Arthur acquired the renowned Excalibur, or
Caliburn, the _Morte d'Arthur_ is the authority. The King had broken
his sword in two pieces in a combat with Sir Pellinore of Wales, and
had been saved by Merlin, who threw Sir Pellinore into an enchanted
sleep.

"And so Merlin and Arthur departed, and as they rode along King Arthur
said, 'I have no sword.' 'No force,'[55] said Merlin; 'here is a sword
that shall be yours, an I may.' So they rode till they came to a lake,
which was a fair water and a broad; and in the midst of the lake King
Arthur was aware of an arm clothed in white sam