Durendal
Sword of Roland, Paladin of Charlemagne
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Key Takeaways
- Durendal , also spelled Durandal , is the sword of Roland, a legendary paladin and partially historical officer of Charlemagne in French epic literature.
- Sources including La Chanson de Roland ( The Song of Roland ) state that it first belonged to the young Charlemagne.
- A replica sword that was embedded in a rock face there was reported stolen in June 2024.
- Rita Lejeune argues that the name may break down into durant + dail , which may be rendered in English as "strong scythe"/"hard scikle" or explained in more detail to mean "a scimitar or scythe that holds up, resists, endures".
- The Pseudo-Turpin explains that the name "'Durendal' is interpreted to mean [that] it gives a hard strike" ( Durenda interpretatur durum ictum cum ea dans ).
Durendal, also spelled Durandal, is the sword of Roland, a legendary paladin and partially historical officer of Charlemagne in French epic literature. The sword is famous for its hardness and sharpness. Sources including La Chanson de Roland (The Song of Roland) state that it first belonged to the young Charlemagne.
According to one legend, at the end of the Battle of Roncevaux Roland hurled the sword from him to prevent it being seized by the Saracens, and it came to rest in Rocamadour. A replica sword that was embedded in a rock face there was reported stolen in June 2024.
Etymology
The name Durendal arguably begins with the French dur- stem, meaning "hard", though "enduring" may be the intended meaning. Rita Lejeune argues that the name may break down into durant + dail, which may be rendered in English as "strong scythe"/"hard scikle" or explained in more detail to mean "a scimitar or scythe that holds up, resists, endures". Gerhard Rohlfs suggests dur + end'art, "strong flame" or "[a flame] burns strongly from it".
The Pseudo-Turpin explains that the name "'Durendal' is interpreted to mean [that] it gives a hard strike" (Durenda interpretatur durum ictum cum ea dans). It has been argued that the Pseudo-Turpin offering a gloss of the meaning constitutes evidence that it was a name that was not readily understood in French.
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