A legendary sword, reputed for its unmatched sharpness and indestructibility, has mysteriously vanished from a French town where it had been lodged in a rock for over 1,300 years, according to a report by the Telegraph. Known as Durandal, this sword is often likened to the French Excalibur, reminiscent of the mythical sword King Arthur extracted from a stone to become the true king of Britain.
Legend holds that an angel presented the sword to Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne in the eighth century.
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The circumstances behind the sword’s disappearance remain unclear, but locals suspect it was stolen by a thief who managed to extract it from its rocky resting place, perched about 100 feet above the ground.
An 11th-century poem, extolling the sword’s ‘magical properties,’ is considered the oldest extant piece of French literature. The sole surviving copy of “The Song of Roland” is preserved at the Bodleian Library in Oxford.
The sword and its accompanying legend have long been a major attraction for the town. According to local lore, the indestructible sword could cleave through stone with a single strike.
Legend has it that King Charlemagne bestowed the enchanted sword upon his finest warrior, Roland, an elite knight. As Roland lay dying in battle, he attempted to shatter the sword to prevent it from falling into enemy hands but found it unbreakable.
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In his final moments, Roland hurled the sword into the air, and it traveled hundreds of kilometers before embedding itself in a cliff in Rocamadour, a French town.
The sudden disappearance of Durandal has distressed the locals, who feel a deep connection to the fabled weapon. “We will miss Durandal. It’s been a part of Rocamadour for centuries, and every guide points it out during visits,” Mayor Dominique Lenfant told a French newspaper.
Authorities have launched an investigation to recover the ancient relic, but police are puzzled over how someone managed to scale the 100-foot rock face and extract the sword.
