SWORD SWIPED

Durandel, the “French Excalibur” said to be the fabled sword of French hero Roland, has been stolen from its rocky resting place

For 1250 years, allegedly, the village of Rocamadour in the south of France has had Durandal, the sword of the legendary hero Roland, embedded in a cliff 32ft (10m) off the ground in the centre of the village. No longer, though; sometime during the night of 21 June, it was stolen, with police being baffled as to how someone could make off with a sword firmly secured in such a position without being seen, particularly as it was chained down. Durandal, often described as “The French Excalibur”, has a fabled history. It is supposed to have been given to the Emperor Charlemagne by an angel and wielded in battle by his nephew Roland. Legend tells that the sword could not be broken and was the sharpest blade ever created, able…

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Fortean Times (Digital) - 1 Issue, 449

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