Legendary 'Excalibur' sword embedded in rock for 1,300 years vanishes mysteriously in France

The Durandal, often likened to France’s version of King Arthur’s Excalibur, was reported missing from the clifftop village of Rocamadour on Monday.

This legendary sword belonged to Roland, a famed knight in French literature, known for wielding the ‘indestructible’ weapon, which had become a symbol of the area.

Authorities are investigating the incident as a theft and are puzzled by how the sword could have been stolen, given its challenging location near a sanctuary with restricted access. The small medieval sword, believed to be capable of cutting through giant boulders with a single strike, was embedded in a wall and secured with a metal chain.

The disappearance has left the village in shock over the loss of such a historic landmark, which was a major tourist attraction, according to the village mayor, Dominique Lenfant. "Rocamadour feels like it has lost a part of its identity," he told La Depeche. "Even if it is a legend, our village's fate is intertwined with this sword."

Due to the sword's historical significance, it was accompanied by a local councilor and a security guard when it was displayed at the Cluny Museum in Paris, which specializes in medieval artifacts. Mr. Lenfant added, "Durandal is a public property that belongs to the state. The sword was embedded at a shallow depth near the chapel of the Black Virgin."

Legend has it that Emperor Charlemagne received the sword from an angel and gave it to Roland. Before his death in the Battle of Roncevaux Pass, Roland tried to destroy Durandal on a rock to prevent it from falling into enemy hands. The myth claims that when Roland threw it to save it, the sword miraculously traveled hundreds of kilometers before lodging itself in the rock face of Rocamadour.