The Durandal, the legendary sword believed to be the French version of Excalibur associated with King Arthur, simply disappeared from the rock overnight. The weapon had been standing in the rock wall for 1,300 years.
The French version of King Arthur's legendary sword Excalibur has disappeared from a rock that legend says was carved into it 1,300 years ago. The Durandal sword from Rocamadour in southern France is believed to have been stolen, despite being chained to a stone almost 10 meters off the ground. In French epic literature, the Durandal was the sword of Roland, the legendary paladin, or knight, officer of Charlemagne, which was said to be indestructible.
“Rocamadour has been stripped of a part, but even if only a legend, the fate of our village and this sword are intertwined”
- said local mayor Dominique Lenfant.
Durandal is also mentioned in the 11th-century poem Roland's Song.
The epic tells about the magical power of the sword, according to which the weapon contained a tooth of St. Peter, the blood of St. Basil and the hair of St. Denis, and even before it was given to Roland, Charlemagne received it from an angel.
Before his death at the Battle of Roncevaux, Roland is said to have tried to break the sword on a rock to prevent it from falling into the hands of the Saracen army. Before his death in battle, Roland is said to have finally thrown him into the air,
after that, the sword miraculously traveled hundreds of kilometers and became embedded in the rock face of Rocamadour.
The town considered the weapon so valuable that when the Cluny Museum wanted to display it in 2011, it was accompanied by a town councilor and a security guard, Rocamadour was voted France's favorite village in 2016, reports the Independent .
Featured image: MSN
