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| There are a lot of swords out there. History has given us countless examples to follow when it comes to building blades, and many have histories and stories behind them that most unaware of. Our solution to that is this - our Sword of the Month newsletter! Designed to educate and inform, this newsletter will give you the run-down on some of history's incredible swords, both factual and fiction. We will give you a close-up of some of the deadliest weapons to grace the battlefield; before we are done you will not only know what the sword looks like, but where it came from, what battles it might have fought in, what the sword can do (in the case of blades from myth and legend), and more! So sit back, sword aficionados, and enjoy some facts about one of the many blades that helped to make history!
Sincerely,
Medieval Collectibles |
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| Today's newsletter is not just about one sword. Instead it is about one man and the several swords that were associated with his name, his legend, and his legacy. That man is Charlemagne. Also known as Charles the Great or Charles I, Charlemagne has had many great deeds attributed to his name, some fictional and some historic. He is perhaps best known for uniting most of Western Europe for the first time after the fall of the Roman Empire, earning him the nickname as the "father of Europe". In some of the stories, Charlemagne is accompanied by his Paladins, also known as the Twelve Peers. Like Charlemagne, three of these warriors wielded named swords of legend. First we will address the swords attributed to Charlemagne himself. To this legendary ruler two swords are often given. One is a sabre, said to be found by Holy Roman Emperor Otto III when he opened Charlemagne's grave in 1000 AD. It is an Eastern European type sabre that has been included in the Imperial Regalia of the Holy Roman Empire. Today this sword is located in the Imperial Treasury in Vienna, Austria. The second sword associated with Charlemagne is Joyeuse. The name translates as "joyous". The historical Joyeuse was previously the coronation sword of French kings and was first used to crown King Philip III. It was also used to crown Napoleon Bonaparte. As it is preserved today, the Joyeuse rests in the Louvre in Paris, France and is a composite of several parts that were added over the centuries to restore the blade. Joyeuse is more than just a ceremonial sword; it has a few tales about it that make it a sword worthy of a great king. In the stories of Charlemagne, Joyeuse is said to be a sword without equal. The famous Song of Roland described the sword, stating "by his [Charlemagne's] side hung Joyeuse, and never was there a sword to match it; its colour changed thirty times a day." One legend states that the pommel of Joyeuse contains a piece of the Lance of Longinus, the very spear that pieced the side of Christ. Another claims that the Joyeuse is forged from the same materials as two other legendary swords associated with Charlemagne: the Durendal and the Curtana. All of these small legends combine to transform the sword of Charlemagne into a truly potent weapon worthy of a legendary king. |
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| Of the three named swords that were given to Charlemagne's paladins, Durendal is perhaps the most well-known. Durendal has many origins: some stories claim that it was delivered to its owner, Roland, by angels. Others claim that it was originally given to Charlemagne, but that he gave it to Roland after a dream. Most sources though, agree that the sword was forged by Weyland the Smith - a legendary blacksmith to whom many mystic and powerful swords are attributed. Durendal, which means "to endure", was said to be unbreakable as well as the sharpest sword in all existence. Contained in its golden hilt were holy relics that blessed the sword and gave it considerable power. Among Charlemagne's paladins, Roland was the greatest, and with Durendal, he was said to have held off an army of one-hundred-thousand Muslims during one of Charlemagne's campaigns. A replica of Durendal can be seen embedded in the cliff wall in the city of Rocamadour, France. The second of the three swords given to Charlemagne's paladins was Curtana. Also known simply as Kurt, this sword was also said to have been forged by Weyland the Smith and presented to Charlemagne. From there, it was given to Ogier the Dane. In a different origin story, Curtana is also said to be the sword of the Knight Tristan, who once served King Arthur as a Knight of the Round Table. An interesting note about Curtana is that it too has a historical counterpart: Henry III of England used a sword named Curtana in the coronation of his wife Queen Eleanor of Provence in 1236. It remains in use even to this day, making Curtana one of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom; it is known as the sword of mercy. It is one of five that are used in the coronation of a new monarch. The last sword associated with Charlemagne was Almace, whose name might be a derivative of the Old Norse phrase all macht, which means "almighty." Almace was said to have been given to Turpin, the Archbishop of Reims, who was one of the last three Franks to die in the famous Battle of Roncevaux Pass. Of Almace, little is said, save that in some stories, it is one of three swords forged by Weyland the Smith and gifted to Charlemagne. The Norse Karlamagnus saga expands on its history, claiming that when Charlemagne received the three swords he tested them on a steel mound. Kurt cut one hand's breadth into the steel but was notched, Almace cut one hand's breadth into the steel and was unharmed, and Durendal cut half the length of a man's foot into the steel and was unharmed. |
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| View All: Charlemagne Swords |
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Charlemagne Sword
with Scabbard
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Charlemagne
Saber
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Sword of the Emperor
by Marto
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