Roland's Sword Durandal is Missing
July 28, 2024 8:56 PM Subscribe
Roland's fabled sword of Durandal has been stolen from its spot in a cliff above the French town of Rocamadour.
Durandal had been lodged high in the cliffs of Rocamadour. Scholars disagree on how and why it ended up there, though the obvious answer is simply that's where it landed after the dying Roland threw it hundreds of miles to keep it out of enemy hands.
The stolen sword contained various relics from which it derived its power, including a tooth of Saint Peter. It was either forged by the legendary Wayland the Smith, or given Roland by the Archangel Michael, and was definitely not (as some scholars say) "a copy of a copy."
Authorities are mystified what daring adventuring party could have stolen the sword from the cliff, as it would have required outlandish gear such as a "tall ladder."
Durandal had been lodged high in the cliffs of Rocamadour. Scholars disagree on how and why it ended up there, though the obvious answer is simply that's where it landed after the dying Roland threw it hundreds of miles to keep it out of enemy hands.
The stolen sword contained various relics from which it derived its power, including a tooth of Saint Peter. It was either forged by the legendary Wayland the Smith, or given Roland by the Archangel Michael, and was definitely not (as some scholars say) "a copy of a copy."
Authorities are mystified what daring adventuring party could have stolen the sword from the cliff, as it would have required outlandish gear such as a "tall ladder."
"The thief’s motive remains unclear..."
Oh, nonsense.
CLEARLY, the thief - having removed Durandal from the Stone - is now the Rightful King.
posted by AsYouKnow Bob at 9:45 PM on July 28 [18 favorites]
Oh, nonsense.
CLEARLY, the thief - having removed Durandal from the Stone - is now the Rightful King.
posted by AsYouKnow Bob at 9:45 PM on July 28 [18 favorites]
Well, it's a better way to pick a king than some watery tart distributing swords to whoever wanders by.
posted by kaibutsu at 10:45 PM on July 28 [31 favorites]
posted by kaibutsu at 10:45 PM on July 28 [31 favorites]
Clearly this was a cosplayer gone mad. What better way to make the totally unique Paladin costume than to bear Durendal itself to ComiCon?
posted by Stochastic Jack at 12:40 AM on July 29 [1 favorite]
posted by Stochastic Jack at 12:40 AM on July 29 [1 favorite]
AsYouKnowBob: CLEARLY, the thief - having removed Durandal from the Stone - is now the Rightful King.
On the one hand, the French penchant for executing kings is somewhat exaggerated in the popular imagination.
On the other, there are quite a few guillotines lying about the place in France, so they do keep them around for some reason.
posted by Kattullus at 4:15 AM on July 29 [4 favorites]
On the one hand, the French penchant for executing kings is somewhat exaggerated in the popular imagination.
On the other, there are quite a few guillotines lying about the place in France, so they do keep them around for some reason.
posted by Kattullus at 4:15 AM on July 29 [4 favorites]
It's changed its form and is achieving its destiny in another time, another place, another sort of rock.
posted by Halloween Jack at 5:38 AM on July 29 [4 favorites]
posted by Halloween Jack at 5:38 AM on July 29 [4 favorites]
Obviously, the S’pht are involved.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:13 AM on July 29 [6 favorites]
posted by Thorzdad at 6:13 AM on July 29 [6 favorites]
If you're in this thread, you would probably enjoy the bright sword which is a new novel by Lev Grossman about Arthurian times.
Many legendary or mysterious swords are present and/or missing.
posted by Acari at 6:24 AM on July 29 [4 favorites]
Many legendary or mysterious swords are present and/or missing.
posted by Acari at 6:24 AM on July 29 [4 favorites]
Roland was a total shitwit, if the Song of Roland is any indication.
I wouldn't touch that sword, personally. Shitwittery might be contagious.
posted by humbug at 7:18 AM on July 29 [1 favorite]
I wouldn't touch that sword, personally. Shitwittery might be contagious.
posted by humbug at 7:18 AM on July 29 [1 favorite]
Acari, much as I loved the books, it's the end of the show that left a bigger hole in my life. (I still maintain that S3E04 and S3E05 are two of the finest hours television has to offer, perhaps along with Fringe S2E18.)
Anyway, hopefully The bright sword can fill some of that yearning. Thank you for the recommendation!
posted by It is regrettable that at 7:55 AM on July 29 [1 favorite]
Anyway, hopefully The bright sword can fill some of that yearning. Thank you for the recommendation!
posted by It is regrettable that at 7:55 AM on July 29 [1 favorite]
I looked at TFA and was like "yeah, ok" but did wind up going on a Wikipedia tour of Wayland the Smith, his father Wade, and the tangentially-related Þiðreks saga. So it was good for some entertainment/edification after all.
posted by Aardvark Cheeselog at 8:09 AM on July 29 [4 favorites]
posted by Aardvark Cheeselog at 8:09 AM on July 29 [4 favorites]
Things haven't been the same since Roland upgraded to a Tommy gun anyway.
posted by edselford at 8:54 AM on July 29 [10 favorites]
posted by edselford at 8:54 AM on July 29 [10 favorites]
The authorities are questioning a strange woman lying in a pond as we speak.
posted by The Ardship of Cambry at 9:15 AM on July 29
posted by The Ardship of Cambry at 9:15 AM on July 29
Adventure hook
posted by librosegretti at 9:46 AM on July 29 [3 favorites]
posted by librosegretti at 9:46 AM on July 29 [3 favorites]
I am thinking that the “copy of a copy of a copy…” idea may be related to the fact that a few times over the last 1300 years corrosion would take its toll and the sword would eventually crumble and fall out on its own, necessitating replacement. I wonder if a new one will appear as mysteriously as the old one disappeared.
But I was thrilled to learn about Wayland the Smith, whose first name is my middle name; in fact after reading a little about him, I am thinking about going by that instead of the relatively prosaic “Ted”.
posted by TedW at 11:22 AM on July 29
But I was thrilled to learn about Wayland the Smith, whose first name is my middle name; in fact after reading a little about him, I am thinking about going by that instead of the relatively prosaic “Ted”.
posted by TedW at 11:22 AM on July 29
> Should we keep an eye out for any new French Monarchist political parties?
legitimist or orléanist?
posted by bombastic lowercase pronouncements at 3:29 PM on July 29 [1 favorite]
legitimist or orléanist?
posted by bombastic lowercase pronouncements at 3:29 PM on July 29 [1 favorite]
keep your ears open for the distinctive sounds of somebody blowing their oliphant.
posted by adekllny at 6:58 PM on July 29
posted by adekllny at 6:58 PM on July 29
Before the sword disappeared did anybody see a group of men in the area who were exhibiting silly, knees-bent, running about, advancing on the cliff behavior?
posted by house-goblin at 10:04 PM on July 29 [2 favorites]
posted by house-goblin at 10:04 PM on July 29 [2 favorites]
I am thinking that the “copy of a copy of a copy…” idea may be related to the fact that a few times over the last 1300 years corrosion would take its toll and the sword would eventually crumble and fall out on its own, necessitating replacement. I wonder if a new one will appear as mysteriously as the old one disappeared.
Or that it's always been a magnet for tourists/pilgrims over the centuries, becoming an important economic force to the village, so it's previously been stolen and surreptitiously replaced to keep that tap open.
posted by dg at 11:16 PM on July 29
Or that it's always been a magnet for tourists/pilgrims over the centuries, becoming an important economic force to the village, so it's previously been stolen and surreptitiously replaced to keep that tap open.
posted by dg at 11:16 PM on July 29
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