The Sword in the Stone is a 1963 American animated fantasy comedy film produced by Walt Disney and originally released to theaters on December 25, 1963. The eighteenth animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics, it was the last Disney animated feature released while Walt Disney was alive.
It is part of the "English Cycle" of Disney animated films, which include Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, One Hundred and One Dalmatians, The Jungle Book, Robin Hood, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, The Great Mouse Detective, Pocahontas and Tarzan.
The film is based on the novel of the same name, at first published in 1938 as a single novel. It was then later republished in 1958 as the first book of T. H. White’s tetralogy The Once and Future King. From Merlin’s statement that The Times will not come out for another 1200 years, it may be extrapolated that the film is set circa A.D. 558. The narrator states the film is set in the Dark Ages.
To dream that you are watching a movie, suggests that you are watching life pass you by. Perhaps you are living vicariously through the actions of others. Consider also how the movie parallels to situations in your waking life. Observe how the characters relate to you and how they may represent an aspect of yourself.
To dream that you are playing a role in the movie, foretells that something from your unconscious is about to emerge or be revealed. It may also represent memories of images from your past. Alternatively, the dream may be pointing you toward a new role that you might be undertaking. Your unconscious is psychologically preparing you for this new role.
To dream that the movie screen is blank, suggests that you are feeling excluded in some situation. You feel lonely and sad.
Dreaming that you are watching a movie, suggests that you are watching life pass you by. Perhaps you are living vicariously through the actions of others. Consider also how the movie parallels to situations in your waking life. Observe how the characters relate to you and how they may represent an aspect of yourself. Dreaming that you are playing a role in the movie, foretells that something from your unconscious is about to emerge or be revealed. It may also represent memories of images or scenes from your past. Alternatively, the dream may be pointing you toward a new role that you might be undertaking. Your unconscious is psychologically preparing you for this new role.
To dream that you are watching a film, signifies that you are analyzing yourself and your own thoughts from an objective view. Alternatively, it represents old memories and the past. Perhaps there is something that you can learn from in the past.
To dream that you are developing or exposing film, refers to a "developing" relationship or situation. Alternatively, it signifies the completion of a project or task. You are ready to enjoy and reap the benefits of your work. Consider the image that is being developed. If the image on the film does not come out, then it means that you are not ready for the outcome of a situation.
Dreaming that you are watching a film means that you are analyzing yourself and your own thoughts without being emotionally attached.
Stone is a symbol of being, of cohesion and harmonious reconciliation
with self. The hardness and durability of stone have always impressed men,
suggesting to them the antithesis to biological things subject to the laws of change,
decay and death, as well as the antithesis to dust, sand and stone splinters, as
aspects of disintegration. The stone when whole symbolized unity and strength;
when shattered it signified dismemberment, psychic disintegration, infirmity,
death and annihilation. Stones fallen from heaven served to explain the origin of
life. In volcanic eruptions, air turned to fire, fire became ‘water’ and ‘water’
changed to stone; hence stone constitutes the first solid form of the creative
rhythm (51)—the sculpture of essential movement, and the petrified music of creation (50). The mythic and religious significance is only one step removed
from this basic symbolic sense, a step which was taken by the immense majority
of peoples during the animistic era. Meteorites, in particular, came in for worship; the most celebrated are the Kaaba meteorite in Mecca and the Black Stone
of Pessinus, an aniconic image of the Phrygian Great Mother taken to Rome
during the last of the Punic Wars (17). Here is a description of the Mohammedans’ stone, taken from Marques-Rivière: ‘Inside the Kaaba, which is nothing
more than a dark hall, there are three columns holding up the roof which has a
number of silver and gold lamps hanging down from it. The floor is of marble tiles.
In the eastern corner, some five feet above floor-level, not far from the door, is the
famous black stone (al hadjar alaswad) sealed off, composed of three great
sections. . . . In colour it is reddish black with red and yellow patches; in appearance it recalls lava or basalt’ (39). Among the stones venerated by the ancients, we
must not overlook the Greek omphaloi; Guénon maintains that they are really
bethels, a word derived from the Hebrew Beith-El (or the House of God), related
to the biblical ‘And this stone which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s House’
(Genesis xxviii, 22), even though its sense is magic and not architectonic (28).
There are numerous legends dealing with stones: the so-called Abadir which
Saturn devoured, mistaking it for Jupiter; or the stones of Deucalion and Pyrrha;
or those in the myth of Medusa the Gorgon (6); or that which contained Mithras
until his birth (11). There are other stones in folktales, but these seem to be
invested with rather more modest powers: the Lapis lineus, for example, as it was
called by the Romans, which was supposed to be able to prophesy by changing
its colour; or the Irish stone Lia-Fail, associated with coronations (8). As for the
philosophers’ stone in alchemy, it represents the ‘conjunction’ of opposites, or
the integration of the conscious self with the feminine or unconscious side (or in
other words, the fixing of volatile elements); it is, then, a symbol of the All (33).
As Jung rightly says, the alchemists approached their task obliquely—they did
not seek the divine in matter but tried to ‘produce’ it by means of a lengthy
process of purification and transmutation (32). According to Evola, the touchstone is symbolic of the body, since it is ‘fixed’, as opposed to the ‘wandering’
characteristic of thought, the spirits and desires. But only the resuscitated body—
in which ‘two will be one’—can correspond to the philosophers’ stone. Evola
points out that, for the alchemist, ‘between eternal birth, reintegration, and the
discovery of the philosophers’ stone, there is no difference whatsoever’.
To see stones in your dreams, foretells numberless perplexities and failures.
To walk among rocks, or stones, omens that an uneven and rough pathway will be yours for at least a while.
To make deals in ore-bearing rock lands, you will be successful in business after many lines have been tried. If you fail to profit by the deal, you will have disappointments. If anxiety is greatly felt in closing the trade, you will succeed in buying or selling something that will prove profitable to you.
Small stones or pebbles, implies that little worries and vexations will irritate you.
If you throw a stone, you will have cause to admonish a person.
If you design to throw a pebble or stone at some belligerent person, it denotes that some evil feared by you will pass because of your untiring attention to right principles.
Seeing stones in your dream, symbolizes strength, unity, and unyielding beliefs. Consider the common phrase "etched in stone" which suggest permanence and unchanging attitudes. Some stones also carry sacred and magical meanings. Alternatively, stones may relate to issues of moral judgment and/or guilt. Dreaming that you are carrying a bag of stones, refers to your inner strength and fortitude that you have yet to unleash and reveal to others. Seeing rough stones in your dream, represents your quest in recognizing and developing your self-identity. Part of this quest is to become aware of your unconscious and suppressed thoughts. For various cultures, stones have spiritual significance. Consider the Black Stone of Mecca which is believed by Muslims to allow for direct communication with God. For the Irish, the Blarney Stone is seen as a gift of eloquence.
The sword is in essence composed of a blade and a guard; it is
therefore a symbol of ‘conjunction’, especially when, in the Middle Ages, it takes
on the form of a cross. Among many primitive peoples it was the object of much
veneration. The Scythians used to make an annual sacrifice of several horses to
the blade of a sword, which they conceived as a god of war. Similarly, the Romans
believed that iron, because of its association with Mars, was capable of warding
off evil spirits (8). The belief still persists in Scotland (21). Founders of cities, in
the ancient Che-King tales of China, wear swords (7). As a religious symbol, it is
still in use as part of the ceremonial dress of oriental bishops. Its primary symbolic meaning, however, is of a wound and the power to wound, and hence of
liberty and strength. Schneider has shown that, in megalithic culture, the sword is
the counterpart of the distaff, which is the feminine symbol of the continuity of
life. The sword and the distaff symbolize, respectively, death and fertility—the
two opposites which constitute the basic symbolism of the mountain (Schneider
suggests that in the animal world the equivalents are the phallic fish and the frog)
(50). Furthermore, given the cosmic sense of sacrifice (that is, the inversion of the
implied realities of the terrestrial and the celestial orders), the sword is then seen
as a symbol of physical extermination and psychic decision (60), as well as of the spirit and the word of God, the latter being a particularly common symbol during
the Middle Ages (4). In this connexion, Bayley draws attention to the interesting
relationship between the English words sword and word. There can be no doubt
that there is a sociological factor in sword-symbolism, since the sword is an
instrument proper to the knight, who is the defender of the forces of light against
the forces of darkness. But the fact is that in rites at the dawning of history and
in folklore even today, the sword plays a similar spiritual rôle, with the magic
power to fight off the dark powers personified in the ‘malevolent dead’, which is
why it always figures in apotropaic dances. When it appears in association with
fire and flames—which correspond to it in shape and resplendence—it symbolizes purification. Schneider bears this out with his comment that whereas purification goes with fire and the sword, punishment goes with the lash and the club
(51). In alchemy, the sword is a symbol for purifying fire. The golden sword—
Chrysaor in Greek mythology—is a symbol for supreme spiritualization (15).
The Western type of sword, with its straight blade, is, by virtue of its shape, a
solar and masculine symbol. The Oriental sword, being curved, is lunar and
feminine. Here one must recall the general meaning of weapons, which is the
antithesis of the monster. The sword, because of its implication of ‘physical
extermination’, must be a symbol of spiritual evolution, just as the tree is of
involution; that is, the tree stands for the development of life within matter and
activity. This dualism between the spirit on the one hand and life on the other was
resolved by Ludwig Klages, for his part, by opting for life, but Novalis has well
expressed the contrary opinion with his observation that ‘life is an infirmity of
the spirit’. It is a duality which is well illustrated by the opposing characteristics
of wood (which is feminine) and metal. If the tree corresponds to the process of
proliferation, then the sword represents the inverse. At least Conrad Dinckmut’s
Seelen Wurzgarten (Ulm, 1483), like many other similar works, has a 15thcentury illustration of Christ with a branch or a tree on the left side of his face,
whereas symmetrically opposite there is a sword. This association of the sword
with the tree is of great antiquity: we ourselves have seen a prehistoric Germanic
relief depicting two figures, one being feminine and bearing a branch, the other
masculine, with a sword. One may also see here an allegory of War and Peace;
certainly the mediaeval illustration may allude to the olive branch, but there is
nothing of this in the Germanic relief. Evola maintains that the sword is related to
Mars, but with additional vertical—and horizontal—symbolisms, alluding, that
is, to life and death. It is also linked with steel as a symbol of the transcendent
toughness of the all-conquering spirit. To quote from Emilio Sobejano, Swords of
Spain, in Arte Español, XXI (1956): ‘Among the Germanic races, as Livy observed, the sword was at no time very common; on the contrary, it served as a
symbol befitting high command and the loftiest rank; one only has to think of the
dignity and pomp which characterized the institution of the Comes Spatharius,
created by the Emperor Gordian the Younger around the year 247. . . . The sword
is almost exclusively the prerogative of high dignitaries. There is an Arabic tradition to the effect that it was the Hebrews who invented the sword, and that the
place where it was first made—a tragic sign of how the idea first came into the
world—was mount Casium, on the outskirts of Damascus, which was to become
famous throughout Islam on account of its steel, and where, according to the
ancient belief, Cain slew his brother. There, by an accident of fate, settled the first
artificers of the newly invented weapon.’ The sword of fire bears testimony to
the intrinsic relationship between the symbols of the sword, steel (or iron), Mars
and fire, all of which have a ‘common rhythm’. On the other hand, it emphasizes
the heat of the flame and the coldness of the bare metal; hence, the sword of fire
is a symbol implying an ambivalent synthesis, like the volcano (gelat et ardet),
and also a symbol of the weapon which severs Paradise (the realm of the fire of
love) from earth (the world of affliction).
To dream that you wear a sword, indicates that you will fill some public position with honor.
To have your sword taken from you, denotes your vanquishment in rivalry.
To see others bearing swords, foretells that altercations will be attended with danger.
A broken sword, foretells despair.
To dream that you are wielding a sword, represents your strength, ambition, competitive nature decisiveness and willpower. You are looking to hold a position of prestige, authority, and distinction. Alternatively, the sword may be seen as a phallic symbol and thus represent masculine power.
Dreaming that you are wielding a sword, represents your ambition, competitive nature decisiveness and will power.. You seek to hold a position of prestige, authority, and distinction. Alternatively, the sword can be seen as a phallic symbol and thus represent masculine power.
Dreaming of books indicates calmness. You will advance toward your goals at a slow and steady pace. Books also symbolize knowledge, intellect, information and wisdom. Consider the type of book. It may represent a significant calling into a specific field of work. Dreaming of dusty books indicates forgotten knowledge or previous "chapters" of your life. Dreaming of children's books, memories and a collection of personal memories from your own childhood. It may also suggest your desire to escape from reality and retreat into some fantasy world. Dreaming of a satanic book, symbolizes your one-sided way of thinking and looking at things. You are trying to denounce any responsibility in your actions and are putting forth a little effort as possible.
In the broadest and most abstract sense, the king symbolizes universal
and archetypal Man. As such, according to animistic and astrobiological ways of
thought widespread from India to Ireland (21), he possesses magic and supernatural powers. He also expresses the ruling or governing principle, supreme
consciousness, and the virtues of sound judgement and self-control (56). At the
same time, a coronation is equivalent to achievement, victory and consummation
(33). Hence any man may properly be called a king when he achieves the culminating point in the unfolding of his individual life. Deriving from, and equated
with the king-symbolism are the symbols for gold, the sun and Jupiter. These
symbols imply in essence the idea that the king is Man transposed to the solar
plane, to the ideal or ‘golden’ situation—that is, ‘saved’ and made eternal. The
idea of immortality was passed from god to monarch, and only later was it
vouchsafed to the hero and later still to ordinary mortals in so far as they merited
the ‘crown’ of success, having overcome certain obstacles (usually of a moral
order). The king, quite apart from all this, may also symbolize the ‘royalty’—’or
grandeur—of Man. In this case, he may be subjected to a period of unfavourable
or painful circumstances; when this is so, the particular symbol becomes that of
the ‘sick king’ (like Amfortas in Parsifal), or of the ‘sea-king’ (signifying the
negative aspect of humanity) (32). Love also plays a highly important part in the
symbolism of royalty, since love is held to be one of the most obvious of culminating points in the life of Man. This is why the bride and bridegroom in the
Greek marriage-ceremony wear crowns made of some precious metal. The king
and queen together comprise the perfect image of the hieros gamos, of the union
of heaven and earth, sun and moon, gold and silver, sulphur and mercury; and—
according to Jung—they also signify the spiritual ‘conjunction’ that takes place
when the process of individuation is complete, with the harmonious union of the
unconscious and consciousness. The title of king is bestowed upon the most
outstanding specimen in every species or type: so, the lion is the king of beasts,
as is the eagle of birds or gold among the metals (57). To come back to the
symbolism of the ‘sick king’, he—like such afflicted heroes as Philoctetes—
signifies, on the one hand, the punishment which pursues sin as the shadow
follows the body (given the existence of the light of consciousness), and, on the
other, sterility of spirit. A particularly significant instance of the symbolic process is implied by the king’s projecting his spiritual state on to nature around him,
as happens with Amfortas in Parsifal, in the Waste Land of Eliot, and, to some
extent, the Fall of the House of Usher by Poe. As for the ‘sea-king’, he is symbolic
of the ocean (another version of Neptune) and therefore personifies the deeps of
the unconscious in their regressive and evil form as opposed to the waters of the
‘Upper Ocean’ (the clouds, rain or fresh water) which are fecund (32). The ‘aged
king’—such as Dhritarashtra, the aged monarch of Vedic epics, or king Lear, or all
those aged kings of legends and folktales—is symbolic of the world-memory, or
the collective unconscious in its widest and most all-embracing sense (38). The
king often exhibits, in concentrated form, the characteristics of the father and the
hero, and there is a touch of the Messianic about him; by inversion of the temporal order of things, what is past becomes ‘what is to pass’ and the dead king is
supposed by his subjects to be living a strange existence as a ghost, later to return
to his country when it is in great danger. This legend tends to accrue to the names
of historical monarchs,who have fallen in strange or unhappy circumstances, as in
the case of the Portuguese dom Sebastian or that of don Rodrigo, the last of the
Gothic kings. The supreme example is the mythic king Arthur, called by Malory
Arthurus, rex quondam, rexque futurus (q.v.) (16).
To see a king in your dream, indicates that success and prestige are within reach. You will rise above your problems and adversities. The king is symbolic of power and control. Alternatively, the king symbolizes your father or some father figure. You are looking for support.
To dream that you are the king, represents your masculine power. Alternatively, it indicates that you have attained a high level of authority and power. Perhaps you are becoming too domineering or overly confident.
To dream of a king, you are struggling with your might, and ambition is your master.
To dream that you are crowned king, you will rise above your comrades and co-workers.
If you are censured by a king, you will be reproved for a neglected duty.
For a young woman to be in the presence of a king, she will marry a man whom she will fear. To receive favors from a king, she will rise to exalted positions and be congenially wedded.
To appear before a friendly king is a sign of great success, and before a cruel king is
very unfavourable.
Seeing a king in your dream means much success and prestige to be headed your way. It is symbolic of power and control. Dreaming that you are the king, suggests that you will rise above your problems and adversities. Alternatively, it is an expression of your masculine power.
To dream that you are in the future, signifies your hopes or your fears of how things will turn out. You are feeling apprehensive about the future.
To dream of the future, is a prognostic of careful reckoning and avoiding of detrimental extravagance.
Dreaming that you are in the future means your hopes or your fears of how things will turn out depending on the scenario.