The Origin of Durendal
editDurendal: Sword of Dorland The origin of the famous sword “Durendal” has been a question of many researchers as they try to uncover its origin. According to The Song of Roland, Durendal was a sword given to Count Roland by Charlemagne, the King of Franks. The sword is appraised and personified for its symbolism of Christianity and the qualities it possess. As the book describes it, it supposedly contained the “...Saint Peter’s tooth, the Blood of Saint Basile, Some of the Hairs of my Lord, Saint Denise, Some of the Robe, was worn by Saint Mary” (CLXXIII). It is describes as a sharp, shiny and powerful edge that could cut through even a concrete stone. At the last moments of Roland’s battle at Roncesvals, he took great measures to break the sword “with grief and rage” just so the pagans would not confiscate it after his death “…but [it] does not break outright,”(CLXXIII) so he had to hide it beneath his body to prevent the pagans from stealing it. This event is purposefully portrayed by the author to show the symbolic significance of the sword. Not only this particular sword, but other objects (such as the Oliphant) mention in the epic poem represents Christianity as a symbol of Franks in the minds of the author of the book. The sword is also praised by Roland for the victories it had brought him in his venture to conquer lands now belonging to the Franks, saying “…won I with thee so many countries strange That Charles holds, whose beards is white with age! For the swords sake sorrow upon me weighs, Rather I’ld die, than it mid pagans stay.” (CLXXll) The very fact that Roland attributes his victories to a mere sword shows, the author intentionally immortalized the sword with qualities of sharpness, brightness and endurance just so it would be an ideal symbol for Christianity despite The Song of Roland supposedly was written in the 11th century, well after the battle of Roncevaux Pass took place.
Many has theorized the origin of the sword based on its name and its descriptions in other epic writings during the late eleventh to thirteenth century. James Bellamy, a professor of Arabic from the University of Michigan argues, the name “Durendal derives from the Arabic du l-jandal, which means ‘possessor, master of stone’ or more freely, stone-master.” (Bellamy 273) Of Course this is contradictory to what the poem states about the sword but has definition grounds with its description of the sword in The Sword of Roland. This of course arises the question, why the “Frankish warriors” have swords made by the pagans? Or, has the sword been imported, bought or taken by the Franks? According to Bellamy: "For Roland, at least, the tradition gives an answer…another twelfth century epic, Aspremont, relates that Roland intervened in a single combat between Aymes, a Saracen king, and Charlemagne, who was getting the worst of the contest. Roland saves the emperor by defeating and slaying Aymes, and receives …his sword Durendal." (273-274) Bellamy introduces a new epic, Aspremont to assert that Durendal was Saracen-forged weapon carried by the king of Saracen. Bellamy’s argument in respect to the epic Aspremont is that Roland supposedly obtained the weapon by helping Charlemagne defeat the Aymes and received the sword as a victory reward. Bellamy goes on to admit that these occurrences “of course, are not historically [true]...one should not assume that the author included, or not included, every element in Roland tradition.”(274) Indeed the epic stories from the thirteenth or past centuries tend to exaggerate the actual history with a mix of legends, supernatural phenomenons and their own bias for the story to be taken with all seriousness. However, analysing it allegorically, there is no way to disprove the possibility that the sword indeed might have belonged to the Saracen, and was sold, taken or given to Charlemagne.
Edwin Place, the author of Once More, Durendal has a different perspective on the name of the sword and its origin. He argues that the sword’s name is of Breton’s origin. He goes on to say: "Though the word ‘Breton’ may have connoted at this time much that was geographically and linguistically non Breton (Perhaps Norman), there is on the other hand, no good reason why the late eleventh-century author of O, on reading Eginhard as a preliminary to his task, should have assumed Roland was of Brittany and accordingly bestowed on the latter’s sword a Breton name…Therefore, I suggest that Durendal derives from Breton diren dall, ‘blade (diren) dulls cutting edge’ (i.e., of another weapon), or ‘blade blinds’ (because of its great brilliance)." (163) Place’s conclusion is plausible for it holds true to The Song of Roland story. It also conforms with the place where Count Dorland supposedly lived (Northern France) by The Song of Roland account. Eginhard, an author of the biography of Charlemagne also “... speaks of Roland as being … ‘perfect of the Breton frontier.’”(Place 163) Place’s argument is more favorable for the reason that it shows the direct correlation between the name of the sword as Breton name and Eginhard’s statement of Roland. Also in the The Song of Roland, the sword was appraised for its shininess and sharpness, which seem to have an agreement with the Breton name definition proposed by Place. There is not a definite conclusion that can be drawn on the origin of the sword without a physical evidence of the actual sword. Both Place and Bellamy present a compelling evidence to prove the origin of the sword. From this point of view, it is likely the author of The Song of Roland either gave the sword, the name “Durendal” to accommodate and drive his story plot (in which case making Place’s argument more appealing since the Franks in the author's mind wouldn’t hold a sword made by the Saracens and call it holy at the same time) or the sword was named “Durendal” and the author simply adopted the name, in which case, making Bellamy’s argument just as favorable as Place’s argument. Regardless of its origin, the author wanted the sword to symbolize the greatness of Christianity by drawing a picture of perfection the author visioned would represent Christianity.
References
edit- James, Bellamy (1987). ""Arabic Names in the Chanson De Roland: Saracen Gods, Frankish Swords, Roland's Horse, and the Olifant"". American Oriental Society.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - Edwin, Place (1949). ""Once More, Durendal"". The Johns Hopkins University Press.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - Scott, Moncrieff (1959). "The Song of Roland". eBooks@Adelaide.