The Song of Roland

synonymously throughout much of history, either through Medieval literature or Contemporary literature. In the epic poem of Old French literature, The Song of Roland, there is much deeper importance behind hairy objects presented in scenes of war with the Saracens, emotional moments of characters, and Thierry’s appraisal in the trial of Ganelon’s fate. The anonymous poet has ascribed various heroic attributes to the men who possess beards: wisdom, experience, masculinity, and high social status. However, some may dispute that alongside these attributes there is irony that stems from the romantic background of the epic as the poet makes both Charlemagne and Thierry display instances of femininity through…

The Song of Roland, the classic story of Charlemagne’s most heroic vassal and warrior, is a tale that perfectly demonstrates the feudal values and military prowess of the people of the day. Feudal society depended on the principles Roland believed in. The warlike spirit was personified through his sword, the Durendal, which holds great significance in Catholicism because it holds relics of saints and other prized artifacts. As it was the ultimate symbol of power and authority, Roland felt grave…

Loyalty and Fidelity in “The song of Roland” The Song of Roland focuses on the battle of Saragossa between King Charlemagne’s bold and valiant men of France and King Marsille’s Pagan (Muslim) Spaniards. It’s through this battle brought on by Ganelon’s repute and revenge toward his stepson; Charlemagne’s nephew; Count Roland that the cultural values and conflicts between Western Europe and the Islamic world came to light. There is a vast amount of cleverly executed detail on the thoughts and…

One of the oldest French epics, known as “The Song of Roland” was written by an unknown author during the first crusades. In 778 A.D, during Charlemagne reign, the battle between the Franks and Basque evolved into “The song of Roland” that we know today. The main characters of the poem were Charlemagne, his nephew Roland, Ganelon —Roland’s step father— , and Oliver —Roland’s brother in law—. Charlemagne became known as a christian King who excelled when in power. Roland was a fearless knight who…

Finally the villain can bring out the hero by literally sending the hero off on a sort of “hero 's journey” where his character will be tested. These three methods employed by Medieval authors on villains can be seen in three different Medieval texts: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Laustic, and The Song of Roland. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the villain- the Green Knight, sends the hero character Sir Gawain on both a physical journey and test, as well as a journey and test of…

everyday life is prevalently displayed in the poem The Song of Roland, a story about Charlemagne’s army during the Battle of Roncesvalles. Throughout the story, Count Roland and his fellow knights do their best to act with honor at all times, showing how important it is to them. In the poem Song of Roland, honor is defined as staying loyal to one’s companions and always upholding one’s duty, even if death is the result of…

became known as a chanson de geste, or a song of deeds. In which, the ruler Charlemagne is manifested as a fictional character, Charles, along with many others. Like in every great tale, a villain is born. The plot of the Song of Roland unravels essentially because of a declaration of vengeance and actions taken by one character: Ganelon declares, “… I’ll start a feud with you.” (Halverson 661 and Turold 1341). Ganelon plays the role of a villain with little to no redeeming qualities, as do most…

In the Middle Ages, the use of propaganda was paramount to how leaders would convince the people to join the bandwagon of their various doctrines. “‘Pagans are wrong: Christians are right indeed. Evil example will never come of me,’” (79). This excerpt from the Song of Roland is an exemplary citation of the content that would have been deemed worthy of a chanson de geste. This type of poetry is that of the French, where it was their goal to bolster their troops to defeat the pagans in the…

The role of Louis IX in Chronicles of the Crusades is very different from the portrayal of Charlemagne in The Song of Roland. Louis is a lot closer to the absolute monarch than Charlemagne was. Charlemagne was powerful, but only as powerful as the people who swore allegiance to him. Louis has his own power base. He has his lands which are controlled and loyal only to him. This is important because it allowed him to draw power and resources from places other than the barons. He takes…

Blood flowed on holy soil throughout the crusades, as the Western European Christians and Muslims clashed over land and faith. Christians felt that it was their God-given right to slay the unfaithful and take back their holy land, backed up by powerful bishops. The zealous pride of the Christians is evident in The Song of Roland, while further supported by both accounts of Pope Urban II. The sadisticly blinded Christians saw themselves as heroes guided by God while slaughtering men in the Letter…