Emily Chan
The sword traveled hundreds of miles through the air and landed in the southern French village of Rocamadour, where it lodged itself in a cliff face. There, it rested for 1,250 years. Roland died a heroic death in 778 A.D. while fighting Muslim forces.
“The Song of Roland” contains the first known reference to the sword. It is also the oldest surviving significant work of French literature.
Today, the manuscript is housed in the University of Oxford’s Bodleian Library in England. The town of Rocamadour, also known for its goat cheese, is grieving the loss of such a meaningful artifact.
“We’re going to miss Durandal,” said Dominique Lenfant, the town’s mayor. “It’s been part of Rocamadour for centuries, and there’s not a guide who doesn’t point it out when he visits.
Rocamadour feels it’s been robbed of a part of itself, but even if it’s a legend, the destinies of our village and this sword are entwined.”
Police have not yet been able to figure out the identity of the thief or how the sword was extracted from the cliff wall.
The motives behind the theft are also unclear. Luckily, it seems that Rocamadour won’t have to go for very long without its most prized possession.
If the stolen blade is not recovered soon, Lenfant noted that four local blacksmiths have graciously offered to create a new Durandal to replace the sword in the stone.
