France’s famed ‘Excalibur’ sword has vanished from its ancient resting place after over a millennium wedged in a rock.

The mythical blade, just like the one reputedly pulled from a rock by King Arthur to claim the British throne, was stolen from its perch in the village of Rocamadour, where it had been chained 32 feet above ground for 1,300 years.

Known locally as the Durandal sword, it stood as a cherished tourist attraction in the remote region.

Local authorities have launched an investigation, with residents left feeling bereft. Mayor Dominique Lenfant expressed the community’s dismay, stating: “We’re going to miss Durandal. It’s been part of Rocamadour for centuries, a staple on every visitor’s tour.”

“Rocamadour feels it’s been robbed of a part of itself,” Lenfant added, “but even as a legend, the destinies of our village and this sword are intertwined.”

Legend surrounds Durandal, said to be unbreakable and capable of slicing through boulders with ease, believed to be the sharpest blade ever forged. According to myth, it was first bestowed upon Emperor Charlemagne by an angel, later wielded by his nephew Roland, a legendary knight.

In the 11th-century poem The Song of Roland, Durandal’s magical properties are extolled, said to contain a tooth of St Peter, the blood of St Basil, and the hair of St Denis. Roland, on his fateful last stand at the Battle of Roncevaux Pass, attempted to destroy the sword to prevent its capture by Saracen forces he valiantly fought against. Instead, he hurled it into a valley, where it miraculously lodged itself into the cliffs of Rocamadour, until its recent disappearance.

Police are baffled as to how the ancient French artifact, perched ten meters up a cliffside, could have been stolen. Rocamadour, renowned as France’s favourite village in 2016 and celebrated for its goat’s cheese, now mourns the loss of its iconic relic. 

Did you know that us Aussies have our own Excalibur? The ‘Excalibur’ sword at the Australian Standing Stones monument in Glen Innes, New South Wales, is a testament to the enduring fascination with Arthurian legend across continents.

Pictures: Cover and top: France’s Excalibur, the Durandal sword (in the centre of the image, in small size and enlarged in inset) embedded in a rock wall in Rocamadour, France. Credit: Patrick Clenet/Wikipedia Commons. And directly above: The Australian Excalibur glints in the sun at the Australian Standing Stones in Glen Innes. Picture: Facebook.com/AustralianStandingStones

*This story was first published in the August 2024 edition of Anglo&Celtic magazine