Let my armies be the rocks and the trees and the birds in the sky

[mallmall]

A friend of mine and I are trying to figure out if Charlemagne really said:

“Let my armies be the rocks and the trees and the birds in the sky.”

If so, what document does this popular quote come from?

And why would he say such a thing anyway? Charlemagne commanded mighty armies of real warriors with weapons and horses and shit. Why would he need rocks and birds?

Or…is this just something the producers of Indiana Jones came up with? :rolleyes:

[Ice_Wolf]

Welcome to the SDMB, mallmall.

The quote doesn’t seem to fit in with Charlemagne, according to some sources. Some notes on the quote here and here.

I suspect the film led to the popularity of the quote, which may have stemmed from another source entirely other than Charlemagne.

[kniz]

from France History
When Charlemagne ruled he helped bring learning and order back to Medievil Europe and also helped to form the development of modern Europe.

from My Jesus - My confidence
St. Charlemagne: “Let my armies be the rocks and the trees and the birds in the sky.” On Christmas Day in 800, while Charlemagne knelt in prayer in Saint Peter’s in Rome, Pope Leo III placed a golden crown on the bowed head of the king. http://www2.lucidcafe.com/lucidcafe/library/96apr/Charlemagne.html

Somewhere in these cites you may find a suitable answer. I’m not sure I did.
Also Indiana Jones used this phrase.

[Ice_Wolf]

Interesting that one of those sites you linked to, kniz, had Charlemagne as a saint. Well, not officially, no. That makes me doubt the veracity of that source.