The Song of Roland

Historical base

After its countryside in Spain, the epopee reports the heroic resistance of the rear-guard of Charlemagne the August 15th 778 vis-a-vis a surprised attack Moors to the Col of Roncevaux in the the Pyrenees, losing eminent the Marquis of Brittany, Roland, champion, nephew and perhaps wire of the Charlemagne emperor.

But the majority of the Historien S agree now to say that the knights Carolingien S have, in fact, faced the Guérilla Basque and not the Armée sarrasine.

In full time of reconquest of the Europe and conquests in Orient, it is extremely possible that this text was written to give a historical base to the Croisade S, and to transform a territorial war into Holy war.

The assumption was as put forth as the principal passages of the Chanson of Roland would have been composed, (according to Joseph Bedier, 1864-1934), on the roads of the pilgrims going with Saint-Jacques-with-Compostelle and passing by the collar of Roncevaux, by the trouveres who recited fragments with the places of halts. Analogies exist with the Poema LED me Cid , the poem of the Cid writes well before the Chanson of Roland , with influences of the Arab poetry of Al-Andalus , the muwachachahat.

It is also mentioned in the Codex Calixtinus or Liber Sancti Jacobi (IVe delivers, Historia Karoli Magni and Rotholandi.)

In Catalonia, where its name appears much in the Toponymie, Roland (Rotllà) is a powerful mythical giant.

At the Pays Basque, in Itxassou, and in the department of North exist finally two places called Pas of Roland.

So in Basque Country, it is about a hole in the rock round and vertical given by the horse of Roland fleeing Vascons which was used to him as passage; in North, it underlines a rather specific geographical place, supposed being also an immense trace of shoe of this destrier.

Synopsis

Marsile, king Moor wishing to save his city Saragossa projection of the army of the Frank , is appropriate of a peace treaty with Charlemagne. This last wonders which will be sent like emissary to Marsile, which has a great reputation of treachery. That which will be sent will thus run a great danger. The emperor refuses that its preferred knights take this risk. One decides finally, on a proposal from Roland, to send Ganelon. But Ganelon, corrupted and heinous towards Roland, decides to betray Charlemagne and proposes a plan with Marsile. Marsile will make pretense conclude peace with Charlemagne, which will be withdrawn. Roland will order the rear-guard. Buckwheats will attack then by surprised the isolated rear-guard. Once the Roland, most valiant of the knights of Charlemagne, killed, Ganelon considers that the army of Charlemagne will not be worth anything any more. Marsile approves the plan. Ganelon joined Charlemagne, which is withdrawn with its army. Roland takes the direction of the rear-guard as envisaged, while Ganelon remains in company of the emperor.

Buckwheats attack Roland in the procession of Roncevaux. The Knight Olivier, large friend of Roland, announces a broad troop sarrasine approaching the rear-guard. He asks Roland to sound horn (or olifant) to inform Charlemagne. Roland prefers to die as a warrior rather than to dishonor itself while calling for the aid (it had a saying which said: it is always necessary to advance and never move back). The men of Roland fight against a force (ordered by Marsile) twenty times higher than their, and in spite of the bravery of its men, the rear-guard of Charlemagne is exterminated. When there remain nothing any more but sixty combatants, Roland makes sound his Olifant so much extremely that " its temple éclate". Charlemagne, as for him, continuous to move away with the large one from the army, persuaded by Ganelon that the sound of the horn, that he hears, is not a call to the assistance.

But Charlemagne ends up suspecting the worst and overlaps towards the place of the ambush. During this time, all the knights of the rear-guard die, but Roland and the wounded Turpin archbishop manages to make flee the army Moor before crumbling both.

Roland has still the force to try to break his sword Durandal against a block of Marbre, without success: the blade shone and blazes without being notched. It lengthens vis-a-vis in Spain to die and at this point in time holy Michel, Chérubin and Saint Gabriel carries its heart towards the paradise.

When Charlemagne joined its rear-guard, it is too late, Roland died and the battle is finished. The army of Marsile underwent heavy losses, but it is reinforced by an immense army representing the whole of the Moslem people. This army faces the army of Charlemagne.

It engages a second battle then, with enormous manpower (and completely incredible for the time), but literarily less famous than the first. Charlemagne destroys the army sarrasine before turning over to Aachen. There, it must learn the sad news with the beautiful Aude, sister of Olivier and been engaged of Roland, who dies on the blow with this advertisement.

Historical range

Taillefer, combatant at the sides of William the Conqueror to Hastings would have entonné the Song of Roland to galvanize the troops Normans. According to many historians, throughout the {{S|XI|E}} and of the {{S|XII|E}}, the French troops would have regularly déclamé this song Carolingien before fighting battle. It is also told that the king Jean took one day its soldiers: “why sing Roland if there is no more Roland? ” It what a man answered: “there would be still of the Roland if there were of Charlemagne. ”

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