Ancient 'Magical' Sword Vanishes From France

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A 'magical' ancient sword has disappeared from a French town where it was lodged in a rock for over 1,300 years

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The Durandal is known as the French Excalibur, the sword King Arthur pulled from stone as "the true king" of Britain.

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According to legend, an angel gave the sword to Holy Roman emperor Charlemagne in the 8th century.

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An 11th-century poem, that talks of the 'magic capabilities' of the sword, is the oldest surviving work of French literature.

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Stories say the 'indestructible' sword was the sharpest in the world and could cut through stone with a single blow.

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Legend says King Charlemagne gifted the magic sword to his best soldier, Roland, an elite knight.

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Before he died in battle, he tried to destroy the sword so his enemies could not use it but was unable to break it.

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In desperation, he threw it into the air and it travelled hundreds of kilometres and landed on a cliff in a French town.

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An investigation has now been launched to track down the ancient relic

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But police are baffled. They don't know how someone climbed 100 feet on a rock and pulled out the sword.

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