An ancient sword, said to be indestructible and the sharpest in the world, has disappeared from a French town, where it was lodged in a rock for over 1,300 years.
The Durandal sword is popularly known as the French Excalibur, referring to the sword King Arthur pulled from stone as "the true king" of Britain. According to legend, an angel gave the sword to Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne in the eighth century, reports The Telegraph.
While it is not known what led to the mysterious vanishing of the weapon, locals believe it was stolen by a thief who likely pulled it out of the rock wall it was wedged into, some 100 feet above the ground.
An 11th-century poem, that talks of the 'magic capabilities' of the sword, is the oldest surviving work of French literature. The only surviving copy of “The Song of Roland" is now housed at the Bodleian Library in Oxford.
The sword and the legend surrounding it were one of the town's main attractions. If the town stories are to be believed, the indestructible sword could cut through stone with a single blow.
Legend says King Charlemagne gifted the magic sword to his best soldier, Roland, an elite knight. Before he died in battle, Roland attempted to destroy the sword so his enemies could not use it but was unable to break it.
In desperation, he threw the sword into the air and it travelled hundreds of kilometres before landing on a cliff in Rocamadour, a French town.
The sword's sudden vanishing has upset locals who believe their destinies are entwined with the legendary weapon. ”We're going to miss Durandal. It's been part of Rocamadour for centuries, and there's not a guide who doesn't point it out when he visits,” Mayor Dominique Lenfant told a French newspaper.
An investigation has now been launched to track down the ancient relic but police are baffled at how someone was able to climb 100 feet on the rock face and pull out the sword.
