Marto Miniature Roland Sword

Miniature Roland Sword, featuring a silver detailed handle with mirror polished blade.

In an ancient recorded poem, Song of Roland, the sword is said to contain within its hilt one tooth of Saint Peter, blood of Saint Basil, hair of Saint Denis, and a piece of the raiment of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The poem also expounds that during the Roncesvalles battle (August 15th 778) Charlemagne's troops, coming back from the siege of Saragossa, were ambushed by 100,000 Saracens helped by moors.

Count Roland, fighting a loosing rear guard action for the Frank army, attempts to destroy the sword to prevent it from being captured by the ambushing Saracens and creates La Breche de Roland, a pass on the Pirenees, in the process. He hurls the sword into a poisoned stream and local folklore claims that it still exists, preserved in Rocamadour, France.