French ‘Excalibur’ sword disappears after 1,300 years wedged in stone

While King Arthur’s magical sword in the stone may be the stuff of legend, France has its very own mythical sword, Durandal. However, despite local lore proclaiming it immovable, the sword has vanished from its rocky perch in the village of Rocamadour.

For over 1,300 years, legend has it that this ‘French Excalibur’ was lodged impossibly high in a cliff wall, secured not by magic but by good old-fashioned chains. But even those weren’t enough to deter determined thieves, The Telegraph reports.

“We’re going to miss Durandal,” Mayor Dominique Lenfant told La Dépªche newspaper. “It’s been part of Rocamadour for centuries, and there’s not a guide who doesn’t point it out when he visits.”

Locals say the loss of this legendary blade, which disappeared on the intervening night of June 21-22, has left the village feeling incomplete.

“Rocamadour feels it’s been stripped of a part of itself,” Lenfant said. “But even if it’s a legend, the destinies of our village and this sword are entwined.”

THE LORE OF DURANDAL

Durandal, according to local lore, was the mightiest sword ever forged. This legendary weapon, said to be sharper than any and capable of cleaving stone, once belonged to Roland, a brave knight who fought for Emperor Charlemagne in the eighth century.

The epic poem ‘The Song of Roland’ recounts the sword’s magical properties. Legend has it that Charlemagne received Durandal from an angel before gifting it to his most valiant warrior.

Facing his demise at the Battle of Roncevaux Pass, Roland attempted to shatter the sword to prevent it from falling into enemy hands. Unable to destroy the indestructible blade, he threw it skyward, and it miraculously landed hundreds of miles away, lodged in the Rocamadour cliff.

While the truth behind Durandal’s origins may forever remain a mystery, its disappearance has certainly left a hole in Rocamadour’s heart. Locals are holding out hope that the cherished relic finds its way back to its rightful rocky home.