The "Joyeuse" Sword



The "Joyeuse" Sword




This sword is probably the most famous and legendary sword that the world has ever seen. It is, indeed, the sword that Charlemagne used to conquer Europe in the 8th century. Legend says that the king got Joyeuse on his way back from Spain. The legend also tells us that the sword has magical powers because it was forged with the shards of the lance of Longinus, which supposedly was the lance that severely injured Jesus during the crucifixion. It is believed that whenever Charlemagne drew his sword, it could make his enemies blind. 


In 778 CE Charlemagne fought against the Moors in the battle of Roncevaux Pass. The battle is described in a poem called the “Song of Roland”. At some point the poem mentions the sword of Charlemagne: “by his side hung Joyeuse, and never was there a sword to match it; its color changed thirty times a day”. During this battle, the king lost his sword and offered a reward to whoever could find and bring Joyeuse back to him. The sword was found by a soldier and the king gave him a piece of land as a reward. He then planted the sword on the earth and screamed that there will be built a city in the honor of Joyeuse and will take its name.   

The sword is 41 inches height, 1.77 inches wide and 0.87 inches thick. Its weight is 3.59 pounds. It is kept in the Louvre Museum in Paris, France. The amazing thing is that scientific tests show that its part are dated from different times: the pommel to the 10th century, the cross guard to the 12 th, the grip to the 13 th and the blade from the 10 th.





References:

“Top 10 Most Famous Swords of the Middle Ages.” Medievalists.net, 6 Oct. 2017, http://www.medievalists.net/2014/10/top-10-famous-swords-middle-ages/.

Staff, Beyond Science. “Tales of Joyeuse: The Sword That Conquered Europe.” Beyond Science TV, 2 Feb. 2018, https://www.beyondsciencetv.com/2017/07/13/tales-of-joyeuse-the-sword-that-conquered-europedocx/.












4 comments:

  1. If anyone is particularly interested you can buy a replica for a cool 329 on MartoSwordsToledo.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. I wonder if the sword would have such powerful tales linked to it if someone other than Charlemagne wielded it?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can only speak for myself, but yes,yes indeed.

      Delete
  3. This is a beautiful sword and has such an amazing story behind it. I just love how showy and beautiful it is, although unnecessary, i do think it's so much prettier compared to the black colored weapons we use in todays world. I like how in class we talked about a man was represented in his sword... Charlemagne's sword was quite the representasion

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Medieval University

Medieval University

Italy, 1400

Italy, 1400

900s, Jewelled crown

900s, Jewelled crown