Morgan Steals Arthur’s Scabbard

Morgan Steals Arthur’s Scabbard is the aftermath of Morgan le Fay’s failed attempt to defeat Arthur through Accolon. After learning that Accolon has died and Arthur has recovered Excalibur, Morgan conceals her grief and takes the scabbard while Arthur sleeps. Her flight turns a private theft into a pursuit, but the object is lost in the water and Morgan escapes by enchantment. The episode removes a protective object from Arthur while showing that his sister’s treachery can remain beyond his power to punish.

Cause and Circumstances

News reaches Morgan that Accolon is dead and that Arthur has his sword again. She is overcome with sorrow, but hides it, believing that if Arthur comes to her she will not survive. Her response is therefore shaped by both the failure of the earlier plot and the danger she expects from her brother.

Morgan tells Queen Guenever that she must ride away urgently. Guenever suggests that she wait until Arthur returns, but Morgan insists she cannot delay; Guenever allows her to leave. The request gives Morgan a plausible departure, while her concealed purpose is to reach Arthur and take the scabbard.

The Theft and Pursuit

Morgan rides from early morning through the day and much of the night, arriving at the abbey where Arthur is resting. He has had little rest for three nights, and Morgan orders the nuns not to wake him before she does. She goes directly to his chamber and finds him asleep, holding the naked Excalibur in his right hand.

Unable to take the sword without waking him, Morgan takes its scabbard instead and rides away. When Arthur wakes and discovers it missing, he learns that Morgan has taken it beneath her mantle. He rebukes those who kept watch for allowing the theft, but they explain that they did not dare disobey her command.

Arthur immediately orders the best horse brought and asks Sir Ontzlake to arm himself and accompany him. They follow Morgan’s route and question a cowherd, who reports that a lady has recently passed with forty horses, heading toward the forest. Arthur and Ontzlake ride after her and soon catch sight of Morgan.

Loss of the Scabbard and Escape

Morgan rides faster through the forest, but when she sees that she cannot escape, she reaches a nearby lake and throws the scabbard into its deepest water. It sinks because it is heavy with gold and precious stones. Arthur’s pursuit therefore recovers neither the stolen object nor the protection associated with it.

Morgan then rides into a valley filled with great stones. As Arthur and Ontzlake draw near, she uses enchantment to transform herself, her horse, and her men into a great marble stone. The disguise prevents Arthur from distinguishing Morgan and her followers from the surrounding stones. He interprets the misadventure as divine vengeance and regrets what has happened, but cannot find the scabbard. After he returns to the abbey, Morgan and her party resume their former shapes and leave freely.

Consequences and Narrative Significance

The episode ends with two separate losses: Arthur cannot recover the scabbard, and Morgan escapes without facing him. The story makes the contrast between the exposed sword in Arthur’s hand and the missing scabbard decisive: Morgan cannot take Excalibur while he sleeps, yet she succeeds in carrying off the other part of its equipment and destroying the possibility of its recovery.

The theft extends the conflict between siblings beyond the preceding contest involving Accolon. Arthur can pursue Morgan and recognize her deception, but his power does not undo the enchantment or restore the scabbard. Morgan’s disappearance among the stones turns flight into a spectacle of concealment, leaving Arthur with regret and a lasting loss rather than a captured adversary or a restored object.