French police are on the hunt for Durandal, a sword wielded by the semi-legendary knight Roland, after it disappeared from the village of Rocamadour, multiple outlets reported.
Durandal has been said to be wedged into a rock wall some distance from the ground in the village for around 1,300 years prior to its mysterious vanishing, the outlet reported.
After 1,300 years wedged into a rock wall in a French village in the Pyrenees, the mythical Durandal sword linked to mythology akin to the fabled British King Arthur’s Excalibur, has mysteriously vanished. https://t.co/eGk7QKRuMH
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Roland was an officer of Emperor Charlemagne, according to French literature, The Telegraph reported. His sword was said to be magically indestructible and the sharpest blade in all the world, legends reportedly recounted. Durandal was said to be able to cut through boulders in one swing, the outlet noted. An angel initially presented Durandal to Charlemagne who in turn gifted it to his loyal servant Roland, The Telegraph reported. (RELATED: Archaeologists Discover 1,900-Year-Old Roman Swords In Excellent Condition)
Roland, just before his death in battle, threw the fabled blade into the air to save it from capture by the enemy, according to legend, the outlet reported. The sword miraculously transported itself and, according to local folklore, lodged itself into a rock wall in Rocamadour, The Telegraph noted.
The vaunted sword’s disappearance has created a great sense of loss in the French village.
“We will miss Durandal. It has been a part of Rocamadour for centuries, [and] there is not a single guide who does not show it during their visit. Rocamadour feels stripped of a part of itself, [but] even if it is a legend, the destinies of our village and this sword are linked,” Dominique Lenfant, Rocamadour’s mayor, told La Dépêche.
The police are investigating the matter as a suspected case of theft, The Telegraph reported.
