Excaliber: The Sword of Roland



This is the sword is believed to be Durandal itself

When I picture a Knight, I picture shining armor, a huge shield, and of course a shining sword. To me, swords are an ideal weapon for a Medieval Knight, as it was ideal for close range combat. In The Song of Roland, the hero Roland is described as having cut down thousands of Muslims on the field of Roncevaux with his sword "Durandal," before finally dying on the battlefield. Although I have a hard time believing he cut down thousands of foot soldiers by himself, its still fun to visualize just how effective he was with his legendary sword.

According to Ancient Origins, not much is known about the origins of the sword. The Song of Roland says it was given to Charlemagne by an angel, with instructions to give it to one of his counts. The Italian epic Orlando Engaged, says the sword belonged to the Greek hero Hector, and was given to Roland by an enchantress. The story of the sword remains unclear.

What also remains unclear is what happened to the sword after Roland died. According to the same article, some say he hid it under his body when he died. Some also say that he flung it, and it landed in the crack of the rock pictured above. The rock is in Rocamadour, which is a pilgrimage site 160km away from the battlefield. The rock is above a door leading into a chapel, with the sword stuck in the  rock. To make sure no one steals it, it is chained to the rock.

Although this is only a legend, the sword in this rock has to be hundreds of years old, and is no doubt a Medieval European sword. Personally, I don't think it is the real sword, but you never know...

Source(Hyperlinked):

http://www.ancient-origins.net/artifacts-other-artifacts/durandal-legendary-sword-roland-002869