Almace

In the legendary Song of Roland, Almace, Almice or Almacia is the sword of Turpin, Archbishop of Reims, one of the last three Franks to die at the Battle of Roncevaux Pass, along with Roland (Orlando in Italian) and Gualter de Hum.

Unlike Roland's much more famous sword Durendal, very little is said about Almace in the Song of Roland. However the Norse saga, the Karlamagnus saga expands this slightly,^[1] claiming that a sword called Kurt (better known as the Curtana), Almace and Durendal were three swords forged by the legendary Anglo-Saxon blacksmith Weyland, and presented to Charlemagne. Charlemagne tested the swords by seeing how far they would cut into a steel mound; Kurt penetrated "a hand's breadth" but was notched, Almace penetrated a hand's breadth without damage, and Durendal penetrated "half the length of a man's foot". Charlemagne gave Kurt to Ogier the Dane and Almace to Bishop Turpin, and initially kept Durendal for himself. (Later he was told in a dream to give Durendal to Count Roland.)

Another legend,^[2] written about Curtana itself, claims that it, Durendal, and Charlemagne's Joyeuse are a set of three, leaving Almace's origins unexplained.

The etymology of the name is uncertain, but it may be derived from German,^[3] or from the Old Norse all macht, meaning Almighty.

References

^ "karl's swords". brown.edu. Archived from the original on 2 Aug 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ Bullfinch's Mythology, "Legends of Charlemagne," Chapter 24
^ Sayers, Dorothy L., translator (1957). The Song of Roland. Hammondsworth, Middlesex, England: Penguin Books. p. 38. ISBN 0-14-044075-5. {{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

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[1] "karl's swords". brown.edu. Archived from the original on 2 Aug 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[2] Bullfinch's Mythology, "Legends of Charlemagne," Chapter 24

[3] Sayers, Dorothy L., translator (1957). The Song of Roland. Hammondsworth, Middlesex, England: Penguin Books. p. 38. ISBN 0-14-044075-5. {{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

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v t e King Charlemagne and the Matter of France
Key people	Charlemagne Roland Ganelon Naimon Oliver Renaud de Montauban
Paladins and other characters	Agolant Agrican Albracca Angelica Astolfo Atlantes Aude Aymon Baligant Blancandrin Bradamante Bramimonde Brandimarte Brunello Charlot Doon de Mayence Ferragut Fierabras Garin de Monglane Girart de Roussillon Huon of Bordeaux Marfisa Marsile Maugris Melissa Oberon Ogier the Dane Pinabel Rodomonte Ruggiero Sacripante Turpin William of Gellone Zerbino
Horses and other animals	Bayard Gaignun Gramimond Hippogriff Marmorie Passecerf Rabicano Sautperdu Sorel Tachëbrun Tencendur Veillantif
Swords and other objects	Almace Curtana Durendal Hauteclere Joyeuse Murgleys Olifant Précieuse
Places	Aachen La Brèche de Roland Roncevaux Pass
Chansons de geste and other works	The Song of Roland Le Pèlerinage de Charlemagne Chanson de Guillaume Gormond et Isembart The Four Sons of Aymon Karlamagnús saga Orlando Innamorato Orlando Furioso Morgante