Old French

Eleventh Century

Medieval France was known for its detailed storytelling practices. Throughout the early Middle Ages, tales of knightly prowess were especially popular in the royal courts, where both lords and ladies could hear about the romanticized exploits on the battlefield. At the time, women of the upper classes were restricted to a courtly sphere, while the men were expected to appear at court and on the battlefield, which was considered too brutal a place for a woman. Stories about the battlefield, however, were acceptable. A chanson de geste, or a tale of heroic military deeds, was a male-centered literary genre featuring the horrors and glories of war. These chansons were usually quite long and were performed orally in court, accompanied by music––chanson means song. The Song of Roland is one of the most famous medieval chansons de geste. The narrative is a dramatized and altered account of the Battle of Roncevaux Pass, a historical skirmish that resulted in many Frenchmen’s death in 778. Einhard’s historical account of Charlemagne’s life and deeds mentions the knight Roland as the leader of the Breton March, marking him as a skilled military commander.

La Chanson de Roland, or the Song of Roland, is an eleventh century Old French epic poem narrating the tragic defeat of Frankish forces on their way home from war. It is one of the most important pieces within the Matter of France and stands as a blueprint for the chansons de geste style. The titular character, Roland, is nephew to Charlemagne (Charles the Great) of France. Charlemagne (742-814), a Frankish Carolingian king, is sometimes called the Father of Europe, as his rule impacted many parts of the continent. As an eighth-century ruler, Charlemagne’s reputation was greatly inflated by the time the eleventh century Song of Roland came about.

In an effort to expand his rule, Charlemagne (r. 768-814) traveled to the Iberian Peninsula. Upon his return home to France, he sought to secure control of the Basque region by preemptively quelling any potential threats from Basque tribes in that region: he sent his forces to destroy villages, towns, and cities, killing many in the process. His reasoning was that the tribes were sympathetic to the Moors, who followed Islam, whereas the Basques and the Franks followed Christianity. After his victories, Charlemagne chose to bring his army home via the Pyrenees, a mountain range in the north of what is now Spain and the south of what is now France. In retaliation for the baseless massacre, the Basque tribes attacked Charlemagne’s rear guard and succeeded in killing every last soldier. This became known as the Battle of Roncevaux Pass and is the basis for the fictionalized battle in the Song of Roland.

The Song of Roland focuses on the rear guard’s last stand, led by Roland. Roland was a relative of Charlemagne and the rear guard’s defense against the Basque tribes allowed the rest of the army to cross the mountains safely. However, Roland changes the enemy, transforming Christian Basques into monstrous Moors who attack out of spite rather than in retaliation for Charlemagne’s own baseless ambush. The Song of Roland became one of the most popular chansons de geste and was a nationalistic French work revered for its celebration of “noble” Christian soldiers fighting against the supposed threat of Islamic Spain. However, it is a lie. We can read this tale with Restorative Justice in Mind–-who is wronged in the tale itself, and how does that compare to who was wronged in history?

Main Characters:

• Roland, Charlemagne’s nephew and commander of the rear guard

• Olivier, Roland’s best friend and future brother-in-law. Oliver serves as a foil to Roland, as he is more responsible where Roland is rash

• Durendal: Roland’s horse

• Veillantif: Roland’s sword

• Ganelon: Roland’s (fictional) stepfather who betrays the Frankish forces to the Saracens

• Archbishop Turpin: A fierce fighter despite his Christian vows, Turpin is based on the historical Tilpin, the bishop of Reims.

• Aude: Though never seen, Aude is the sister to Oliver and betrothed of Roland.

• Marsilla: The king of Saragossa (in Spain). Marsilla is called a “pagan” in the Song of Roland but would have followed Islam. His wife is Bramimonde.

• Bramimonde: Queen of Saragossa and wife to Marsilla, Bramimonde is a convert to Christianity by the end of the tale.

La Chanson de Roland

Access the Song of Roland here:

• https://www.yorku.ca/inpar/roland_crosland.pdf (Jessie Crosland, In Parentheses Publications, Old French Series, Cambridge, Ontario 1999)

La Chanson, Epic, and Race