Durendal

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 + , which may be rendered in English as "strong scythe" Gerhard Rohlfs suggests + , "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" (). 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. One non-French etymology is Edwin B. Place's attempt to construe it in Breton as , meaning "blade [that] dulls cutting edge" or "blade [that] blinds". Another is James A. Bellamy's Arabic etymology, explaining a possible origin of the sword's name in (), meaning "master of stone". These theories and more have been surveyed in the work of Gustav A. Beckmann (2023), and each refuted on the basis of his suggested counterarguments. Beckmann argued the -dart form must have been the original form of the sword, and favors the construction Durand(us) + art for etymology, while allowing for the possibility of Rohlfs's dur-end-art "hard it burns out" explanation. The suggestion of Durand(us) + art is credited to linguist Albert Dauzat Leo Spitzer (1940) had also endorsed Dauzat's construction after recanting; he had refuted Rohlfs's theory and did not favor Dauzat's either at first, but he later retracted his own suggestion and backed Dauzat. ==Properties==

According to legend, the sword was capable of cutting through giant boulders with a single strike, and was indestructible. ==Chanson de Roland==

at Battle of Roncevaux In La Chanson de Roland (The Song of Roland), the sword is said to contain within its golden hilt a tooth of Saint Peter, blood of Basil of Caesarea, hair of Saint Denis, and a piece of the raiment of Mary, mother of Jesus. His mission accomplished, Roland senses he is near death, and comes to a spot with "four blocks of marble", when a Saracen tries to steal his sword, Roland smashes his head and helm with his olifant. So that the weapon does not fall into enemy hands, he attempts to destroy Durendal by hitting it against a block,, yet the sword is indestructible, chipping away more flakes of the "dark stone". == Mainet ==

According to the fragmentary work which describes the youthful exploits of Charlemagne when he fled to Saracen-controlled parts of Spain, This work identifies the forger of Durendal as a smith named fas, brother of (Wayland the Smith). A more complete version is preserved in 's compilation Charlemagne (c. 1300), as well as the Low Rhenish (<(Low) Frankish Young Charles's combat with Bremunt took place near Toledo at the , i.e. the vale of Moriane mentioned in La chanson de Roland. The exploits are told of the aggressor king Bremunt with his magnificent sword that was nameless until he named it Durendart. As expected Charles defeats Bremunt who begs promise to bury him and flings over the sword, and grabbing it Charlemagne now becomes the winner of Durendart/Durendarde. In the Spanish version found in the Primera Crónica General, gives her beloved the sword (Joyeuse), which she had received from her suitor ; then Maynet fighting against the now belligerent Bramant, kills and decapitates the foe, and winning a second sword, . There is also a second version found in the Gran conquista de Ultramar, but the names are Arabacized, turning Galiana into Halia, Galafre into Haxem, and Bramant into Abrahin. Thus, instead of the passage in the PCG where Galiana gives Maynet the sword , the corresponding text in Gran conquista de Ultramar explains that after he promises to marry if he returns alive from the fight, and she () promises to convert to Christianity, "she gave him her father's arms and horse, and a sword that was wonderfully rich and very good, for there was no other like it in all the land, except the one that Abrahin, king of Zaragoza, carried, which they called Durandarte". ==Spanish tradition==

The Spanish epic (dated to 13th century by Ramón Menéndez Pidal; somewhat later by others) only survived in a hundred line fragment, and tells of the aftermath of the battle at Roncesvalles, where Charlemagne () searching for bodies finds Bishop Turpin () and Oliver () before reaching his nephew Roland's body (). Aymon () also discovers the remains of his son Renaud de Montauban (). There is loose resemblance to the , but the song appears to inherit a different Spanish tradition as represented in the . In the second part of Don Quixote, Miguel de Cervantes says that the knight Montesinos is asleep in the Cave of Montesinos, Ossa de Montiel, Castile-La Mancha. The novel makes Don Quixote descend into the cave where he falls asleep. In his dream he is met by Montesinos, his cousin Durandarte, duenna Ruidera, the squire Guadiana and other fantastic characters. Montesinos explains that he carved Durandarte's heart for Belerma upon his death-time request. In a crystal palace, Don Quixote sees Durandarte's tomb, enchanted by "French" Merlin (thus mixing Matter of Britain and Matter of France). Even with his heart removed, Durandarte can magically moan and talk. In his dream, Don Quixote also watches Belerma and her retinue carry Durandarte's preserved heart. ==Origins and previous ownership==

The sword has been given various provenances. Wayland the Smith, pan-European master smith of chivalric romances is its maker in some works of the Matter of France according to one source, ascribed to the workmanship of Galant in a variant manuscript (olim Cheltenham ms.,). According to the ''Chanson d'Apremont'', the owner of Durendal just before Roland obtained it was a Saracen named Aumon[t], son of king Agolant,. Young Roland mounted Naimes's horse Morel without permission, and armed only with a rod, defeated Aumon, taking as spoils both the sword and the horse Veillantif. Roland was subsequently knighted by Charlemagne via the act of being girt with Durendal (cf. fig. right). These materials were combined in the Italian prose Aspramonte by Andrea da Barberino in the late 14th to early 15th century. That work stated that after young Carlo (Charlemagne) came into possession of Durindarda (Durendal) by killing Bramante in Spain, Galafro gave it to Galiziella, who then gave it to Almonte the son of Agolante (i.e., ). Galiziella is glossed as the bastard daughter of Agolante, making her Almonte's half-sister. Durindana is eventually won by Orlandino (young Orlando). Andrea da Barberino was a major source for later Italian writers. Boiardo's Orlando innamorato traces the sword's origin to Hector of Troy; it belonged for a while to the Amazonian queen Pantasilea, and was passed down to Almonte before Orlando gained possession of it. Ludovico Ariosto's Orlando Furioso follows Boiardo, saying it once belonged to Hector of Troy, but that it was given to Roland by Malagigi (Maugris). ==Local lore==

Tradition has it that Roland's Breach in the Pyrenees was created when Roland, attempting to break Durendal, instead cut a huge gash in the mountainside with one blow. ==In popular culture==

Games A sword named Durendal appears in a number of fantasy video games. In Final Fantasy Legend III (1991) it's one of four mystic swords (its name shortened to 'Durend' due to character limitations). In the Super Sentai series Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger (1992), the monster Dora Knight wields a magic sword called Durandal. Durandal is the name of an artificial intelligence in the Marathon Trilogy (1994−1996) developed by Bungie. In the Fire Emblem video game series, Durandal is a greatsword known as the "Blazing Blade" and the Divine Weapon of the Champion Roland, one of the Eight Legends and founder of the Lycian League. In Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade (2002), Durandal is the first Divine Weapon obtained by Roy and his army. In the prequel Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade (2003), it can only be used by Eliwood, the father of Roy and a descendant of Roland. Durandal is the name of a character in Honkai Impact 3rd (2016); her namesake is the super-AI Holy Blade Durandal, which takes the form of a sword. In Library of Ruina (2020), Durandal is the signature weapon of Roland, one of the main protagonists. A sword named Durandal is in Chained Echoes (2022), as well as a lesser known game, Days Bygone. In Genshin Impact (2020), Durandarte is one of the weapons once wielded by Roland, the Bloodstained Knight. In Terraria, Durendal is a weapon that the player is able to craft, but it's a whip rather than a sword. Durendal is the name of a spaceship in Xenosaga and of an organization in Front Mission 4. The name also appears in Fate/Grand Order (2015). Literature In the xianxia-inspired series of novels ''The Godking's Legacy, Durandal is the name of one of the main characters, a sentient sword that previously belonged to the legendary warrior-mage Roland. In The Dresden Files book series, Durendal is one of three powerful swords and is linked to the emotion of hope. In the light novel and anime series High School DxD, the historical Durandal that was first used by Roland is currently wielded by Xenovia. In One Piece'', Durandal is a rapier wielded by Cavendish. == Eponymy==

Durandal was a -winning thoroughbred racehorse in Japan. Gilbert Durandal is the name of a character in the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam SEED, Macross Frontier, and Space Battleship Tiramisu, and in the live-action tokusatsu series Kamen Rider Saber (2020) and the spinoff Kamen Rider Sabela & Durendal (2022). ==Explanatory notes==