Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-09-08
THE SWORD OF ROLAND.
A Curious Spanish Legend-How the
Steel of Toledo Became Famous.

a curious spanish Legend-HoW the
Steel Of Toledo Became Famous.
One OF the most curious Of the old Span
lsh legends, says the United Service lMQQa-
zine, is one which is supposed to account
Tor the extraordinary superiority of TOle-
dan steel over that of the whole world.
When the Paladin Roland fell wounded
unto death on the CORY battlefield of
Roncesvaux, his famous sword DurandaI
became the prize Of a Saracen soldier in
the service OF the Caliph of Burgos. Never
was joy so great as when it became gen.
orally known among the MoOrs that their
redoubtable foe Roland had departed from
this material world forever, and that his
no less renowned Durandal had fallen INTO
their hands, and thus would never again
be able to work the terrible havoc among
the ranks it had been wont to do. The
Callph gave orders that a magnificent case
should be prepared in which he intended
to deposit the sword and expose it to his 1
subjects, who all knew Of it, only too well.
by fame; for had not many a father, SON
husband, brother, or uncle been sent off
abruptly TO another world, there TO be
welcomed by the celestial houris. bv the
long swing and heavy crash of that en-
chanted blade, welded by the mighty
arm OF dangerous enemy, who had es-
NeBC0 oNNNlhEACoo lIOLl Tie Jury and re-
Yenge OF his bitter fOesl All the greater
holiday was the day to be looked upon on
which they were all to be OcularlY salts
ned that the dreadful weapon had truly
become their own. Therefore a day and
an hour was appointed on which the
sword should be formally put into its case
for public inspection. The case which
had been so carefully prepared was gor-
geOus with gold embellishments and
many rare and precious stones, mostly
presented by the Caliph himself. On the
appointed day be came in great state to
receive the sword; taking it up with both
his hands, he was about to place il in its
case, when, with loud cry of stupefac-
tion, he stepped hUrriedly back. Every.
body was then able to notice that Duran
dal ha0 escaped from his hands and was
rapidly disappearing In the ground, work
ing Its way down as though it were a
screw. 1t is not an easy task to portray
the confusion that Teigned among the
turbulent crowd; enough to say. the rush
ing to and fro was highly bewildering,
and the impTecatiOns loud and fearful.
The swarthy warriors cursed and tore
their boards, for Durandal could not be
stopped or recovered. 1t had ESCAPED
them, and disappeared from their sight
forever. For many a long year the
sword remained underground, working
its way all over the country, over noun
talns, down dales, and under the plains,
causing strange upheaYals and deep
cracks on its path, and keeping the poor
people in continual state of supersti-
tiOus terror. At length Durandal either
got tired or found a resting place that
suited it, and so gave up its cratic move
ments, to lie quietly concealed in a bed of
a mountain spring of singularly bright
and pure water, whose waters, flowing
between grassy banks and over a shingly
bed, passed the proud city of Toledo.
From that hour the spring acquired mar
velOus virtue, which bestowed immortali-
ty on the fair Spanish town; for, owing to
this water being used, the steel of Toledo
was Of the best, and the armOrers were
enabled to defy the rest of Christendom.
il not Damascus itself