Excalibur is asteroid #9499 and also known as 1269 T-2. Excalibur was discovered during the course of the Palomar-Leiden Survey at the Palomar Observatory. Excalibur is a member of the Hirayama-family Koronis.

Excalibur is named after the famous sword of king Arthur. He had other weapons with names and other names for his sword are also known. There is an ongoing dispute on whether the other names of Arthur’s sword are only due to names spelled differently in the different languages, in which tales around king Arthur were translated, or are names of different swords. One tale says that king Arthur fought early in his reign versus another king, who was named Pellinore, and Arthur’s sword broke in this battle. King Arthur then got a new sword from the Lady of the Lake, but in this tale, which doesn’t belong to the oldest tales around king Arthur, both swords are named Excalibur. Other sources name the sword, which Arthur drew from a stone in order to become king, Caledfwlch, Caliburnus (always in Latin sources!), Calabrun, Calabrum, Calibourne, or Calliborc. Richard the Lionheart had a sword, which he claimed to be king Arthur’s Excalibur. Some tales make other knights borrow Excalibur from Arthur or use it after his death. But the most common tales agree that Excalibur was given back to the Lady of the Lake or simply thrown into her lake after king Arthur’s death. This would make most sense if Excalibur originally came from that lake. Most people, who discuss the name of Excalibur, agree that the name indicates from where the sword came. But they don’t agree on any place, from where the sword could have come. Most “researchers” seem to try to locate the sword-smith among their own ancestors. Some people think that the name of the sword is derived from an expression meaning “cutting steel” or “cuts through steel and wood”, while other people think that the name of the sword indicates that it was made from the material of a meteorite. Although meteorite metal is precious and prestigious, it isn’t suitable material for a sword. Such a sword would mean the certain death on the battlefield of everybody, who tries to wield this sword.

The Magi Astrology Society meanwhile “discovered” Excalibur. According to them would Excalibur mean that something or also somebody is conquered. They make a kind of plot twist at this point and sort Excalibur into the love asteroids.

I instead think that sorting an asteroid, that is named after a sword, into a category for indicating love is a funny if not ridiculous idea. Excalibur is the only asteroid, that I know to be named after a sword or after a piece of weaponry. Hence I prefer to count Excalibur to those asteroids, that represent items. Excalibur should represent swords and maybe also all kinds of weaponry.