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62-614: Roncesvalles is famous in history and legend for the death of Roland in 778, during the Battle of Roncevaux Pass , when Charlemagne 's rearguard was destroyed by Basque tribes. When a party of horsemen from the Kingdom of Navarre arrived at the Duchy of Burgundy in 1439 to negotiate Prince Charles of Navarre's marriage to Agnes of Cleves, the Duke of Burgundy's niece, the prior of Roncesvalles

124-530: A break, and after he had placed garrisons at selected points along the border, [Charles] marched into Spain [in 778] with as large a force as he could mount. His army passed through the Pyrenees and [Charles] received the surrender of all the towns and fortified places he encountered. He was returning [to Francia] with his army safe and intact, but high in the Pyrenees on that return trip he briefly experienced

186-554: A few more fights, Roland succumbs to his wounds and dies a martyr's death. Angels lift his soul to Paradise. When Charlemagne and his men reach the battlefield, they find the slaughtered bodies of Roland and his men. They pursue the Muslims into the river Ebro , where the Muslims drown. Meanwhile, Baligant , the powerful emir of Babylon, has arrived in Spain to help Marsile. His army encounters that of Charlemagne at Roncesvalles, where

248-459: A few salient traits; for example, Roland is loyal and trusting while Ganelon, though brave, is traitorous and vindictive. The story moves at a fast pace, occasionally slowing down and recounting the same scene up to three times but focusing on different details or taking a different perspective each time. The effect is similar to a film sequence shot at different angles so that new and more important details come to light with each shot. According to

310-602: A highly romanticized account of the Battle of Roncevaux Pass and Roland's death, setting the tone for later fantastical depiction of Charlemagne's court. It was adapted and modified throughout the Middle Ages, including an influential Latin prose version Historia Caroli Magni (latterly known as the Pseudo-Turpin Chronicle ), which also includes Roland's battle with a Saracen giant named Ferracutus who

372-565: A mighty giant, usually a heathen, capable of launching huge stones. The Basque word erraldoi (giant) stems from Errol(d)an , as pointed out by the linguist Koldo Mitxelena . Jean Lannes , a Marshal of the First French Empire, was given the nickname Roland de l'Armée d'Italie, which later became Roland de la Grande Armée , for his bravery and charisma. A statue of Roland stands in the city of Rolândia in Brazil. The city

434-569: A poet named Turold ( Turoldus in the manuscript itself) — and that most of the alterations were completed by about 1098. Some favor the earlier dating, which allows that the narrative was inspired by the Castilian campaigns of the 1030s and that the poem was established early enough to be a major influence in the First Crusade , (1096–1099). Others favor a later dating based on brief passages which are interpreted as alluding to events of

496-703: A publication now in the public domain :  Chisholm, Hugh , ed. (1911). " Roncesvalles ". Encyclopædia Britannica . Vol. 23 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 689. 43°0′33″N 1°19′12″W  /  43.00917°N 1.32000°W  / 43.00917; -1.32000 This article about a location in Navarre, Spain, is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Roland Roland ( French pronunciation: [ʁɔ.lɑ̃] ; Old Frankish : * Hrōþiland ; Medieval Latin : Hruodlandus or Rotholandus ; Italian : Orlando or Rolando ; died 15 August 778)

558-703: Is a paperback imprint of the Hutchinson Junior Books edition (1969), which credits the English translation to Hutchinson Junior Books. Luzzati's original verse story in Italian is about the plight of a beautiful maiden called Biancofiore – White Flower, or Blanchefleur – and her brave hero, Captain Rinaldo, and Ricardo and his paladins – the term used for Christian knights engaged in Crusades against

620-473: Is divided by a strong caesura which generally falls after the fourth syllable . The last stressed syllable of each line in a laisse has the same vowel sound as every other end-syllable in that laisse. The laisse is therefore an assonal , not a rhyming stanza. On a narrative level, the Song of Roland features extensive use of repetition, parallelism, and thesis-antithesis pairs. Roland proposes Ganelon for

682-626: Is only vulnerable at his navel. The story was later adapted in the anonymous Franco-Venetian epic L'Entrée d'Espagne ( c.  1320) and in the 14th-century Italian epic La Spagna , attributed to the Florentine Sostegno di Zanobi and likely composed between 1350 and 1360. Other texts give further legendary accounts of Roland's life. His friendship with Olivier and his engagement with Olivier's sister Aude are told in Girart de Vienne by Bertrand de Bar-sur-Aube . Roland's youth and

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744-511: Is relevant to its 20th-century plot line: "Oliver, when he saw the Saracens coming, urged Roland to blow his horn and fetch back Charlemagne – but Roland wouldn't blow. A big brave fool. In war one always chooses the wrong hero. Oliver should have been the hero of that song, instead of being given second place with the blood-thirsty Bishop Turpin. [...] In the Oxford version Oliver is reconciled in

806-457: Is unclear. Many scholars have hypothesized that the marking may have played a role in public performances of the text, such as indicating a place where a jongleur would change the tempo. Contrarily, Nathan Love believes that "AOI" marks locations where the scribe or copyist is signaling that he has deviated from the primary manuscript: ergo, the mark indicates the source is a non-performance manuscript. The Song of Roland ' s account of

868-742: The Basques in Iberia at the Battle of Roncevaux Pass . The story of Roland's death at Roncevaux Pass was embellished in later medieval and Renaissance literature . The first and most famous of these epic treatments was the Old French Chanson de Roland of the 11th century. Two masterpieces of Italian Renaissance poetry, the Orlando Innamorato and Orlando Furioso (by Matteo Maria Boiardo and Ludovico Ariosto , respectively), are even further detached from history than

930-460: The Basques . That place is so thoroughly covered with thick forest that it is the perfect spot for an ambush. [Charles's] army was forced by the narrow terrain to proceed in a long line and [it was at that spot], high on the mountain, that the Basques set their ambush. [...] The Basques had the advantage in this skirmish because of the lightness of their weapons and the nature of the terrain, whereas

992-701: The Carolingian era , the Song of Roland was written centuries later. There is a single extant manuscript of the Song of Roland in Old French , held at the Bodleian Library at Oxford . It dates between 1129 and 1165 and was written in Anglo-Norman . There are eight additional manuscripts and three fragments of other poems on the subject of Roland. Scholars estimate that the poem was written between approximately 1040 and 1115 — possibly by

1054-834: The Chanson de Roland and Roland's companion Oliver . Chanson de Roland The Song of Roland ( French : La Chanson de Roland ) is an 11th-century chanson de geste based on the deeds of the Frankish military leader Roland at the Battle of Roncevaux Pass in AD 778, during the reign of the Emperor Charlemagne . It is the oldest surviving major work of French literature . It exists in various manuscript versions, which testify to its enormous and enduring popularity in Medieval and Renaissance literature from

1116-523: The Song of Roland was at first performed orally in many different versions with varying material and episodes, which were fixed and harmonized in the textual form. Early 19th century editors of the Song of Roland , informed in part by patriotic desires to elevate a distinctly French epic, could thus overstate the textual cohesiveness of the Roland tradition as they presented it to the public. Andrew Taylor notes, "[T]he Roland song was, if not invented, at

1178-658: The Song of Roland . There is also Faroese adoption of this ballad named "Runtsivalstríðið" (Battle of Roncevaux), and a Norwegian version called "Rolandskvadet". The ballad is one of many sung during the Faroese folkdance tradition of chain dancing. Joseph Haydn and Nunziato Porta's opera, Orlando Paladino (1782), the most popular of Haydn's operas during his lifetime, is based loosely on The Song of Roland via Ariosto's version, as are Antonio Vivaldi and Grazio Braccioli 's 1727 opera and their earlier 1714 version. The Chanson de Roland has an important place in

1240-550: The "cult of personality" of Orlando the hero. The Orlando narrative inspired several composers, amongst whom were Claudio Monteverdi , Jean-Baptiste Lully , Antonio Vivaldi and George Frideric Handel , who composed an Italian-language opera with Orlando . In Germany , Roland gradually became a symbol of the independence of the growing cities from the local nobility. In the late Middle Ages many cities featured defiant statues of Roland in their marketplaces. The Roland in Wedel

1302-498: The 12th to 16th centuries. The epic poem written in Old French is the first and one of the most outstanding examples of the chanson de geste , a literary form that flourished between the 11th and 16th centuries in Medieval Europe and celebrated legendary deeds. An early version was composed around 1040 AD, with additions and alterations made up to about 1115 AD. The final poem contains about 4,000 lines. Although set in

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1364-529: The 1994 video game Marathon , by Bungie, in the 13th level. Durandal is also the name of the main antagonist of the game. On 22 July 2017 Michael Eging and Steve Arnold released a novel, The Silver Horn Echoes: A Song of Roland , inspired by the La Chanson de Roland . This work is more closely based on a screenplay written by Michael Eging in 2008, simply known as "Song of Roland" and first optioned to Alan Kaplan at Cine LA that same year. The book explores

1426-476: The Battle of Roncesvalles is not supported by history. According to Einhard 's Vita Karoli Magni from the late eighth century, the attackers were Basques seeking revenge against Charlemagne's army for the looting of Pamplona. The following is the depiction in the poem itself, not a historical account. Charlemagne 's army is fighting the Arab Muslims in Spain . They have campaigned for seven years, and

1488-651: The Christians are burying and mourning their dead. The Franks fight valiantly. When Charlemagne kills Baligant, the Muslim army scatters and flees, leaving the Franks to conquer Saragossa. With Marsile's wife Bramimonde , Queen of Saragossa, Charlemagne and his men ride back to Aix , their capital in Francia. The Franks discover Ganelon's betrayal and keep him in chains until his trial, where Ganelon argues that his action

1550-601: The Crusade. Those favoring an earlier dating argue that the term is used generically to refer to "a Muslim land." It is possible that the bulk of the poem dates from before the Crusades, with a few additions from the time of the First Crusade. After two manuscripts were found in 1832 and 1835 and published in 1837, the Song of Roland became recognized as France's national epic . Scholarly consensus has long accepted that

1612-461: The First Crusade. Relevant to the question of dating the poem, the term d'oltre mer (or l'oltremarin ) occurs three times in the text in reference to named Muslims who came to fight in Spain and France. The Old French oltre mer (oversea, modern French outremer ) was commonly used during and after the First Crusade to refer to the Latin Levant , which supports a date of composition after

1674-475: The Franks are convinced of Ganelon's treason. Thus, he is torn apart by having four galloping horses tied one to each arm and leg and thirty of his relatives are hanged. Bramimonde converts to Christianity, her name changing to Juliana. While sleeping, Charlemagne is told by Gabriel to ride to help King Vivien and bemoans his life. The song is written in stanzas of irregular length known as laisses . The lines are decasyllabic (containing ten syllables), and each

1736-516: The Franks re-enter Francia through the mountain passes. As Ganelon predicted, Roland leads the rear guard, with the wise and moderate Oliver and the fierce Archbishop Turpin . The Muslims ambush them at Roncesvalles and the Christians are overwhelmed. Oliver pleads with Roland to blow his horn to call for help, but Roland tells him that blowing his horn in the middle of the battle would be an act of cowardice. If Roland continues to refuse, Oliver will not let Roland see his sister again whom Roland loves

1798-491: The Franks were disadvantaged by the heaviness of their arms and the unevenness of the land. Eggihard, the overseer of the king's table, Anselm, the count of the palace, and Roland, the lord of the Breton March , along with many others died in that skirmish. But this deed could not be avenged at that time, because the enemy had so dispersed after the attack that there was no indication as to where they could be found. Roland

1860-503: The Franks will go back to Francia . Charlemagne and his men, tired of fighting, accept his peace offer and select a messenger to Marsile's court. The protagonist Roland , Charlemagne's nephew, nominates his stepfather Ganelon as messenger. Ganelon, who fears being murdered by the enemy and accuses Roland of intending this, takes revenge by informing the Saracens of a way to ambush the rear guard of Charlemagne's army, led by Roland, as

1922-704: The French Basque Country . Since the Middle Ages , this collegiate church of Santa María de Orreaga/Roncesvalles has been a favorite resting place for Catholic pilgrims along the French Way path, the most popular variant of the Way of St. James , since it is the first place to have a rest after crossing the French Pyrenees. The church, a former pilgrim's hospice, was built at the end of

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1984-467: The French town of Rocamadour , Roland threw the sword into a cliffside. A replication of the legendary sword can be found there, embedded into the cliff-face next to the town's sanctuary. A Latin poem, Carmen de Prodicione Guenonis , was composed around 1120, and a Latin prose version, Historia Caroli Magni (often known as "The Pseudo-Turpin") even earlier. Around 1170, a version of the French poem

2046-844: The Heaven of Mars together with others who fought for the faith. Roland appears in Entrée d'Espagne , a 14th-century Franco-Venetian chanson de geste (in which he is transformed into a knight errant , similar to heroes from the Arthurian romances ) and La Spagna , a 14th-century Italian epic. From the 15th century onwards, Roland appears as a central character in a sequence of Italian verse romances as "Orlando", including Morgante by Luigi Pulci , Orlando Innamorato by Matteo Maria Boiardo , and Orlando Furioso by Ludovico Ariosto . (See below for his later history in Italian verse.) The Orlandino of Pietro Aretino then waxed satirical about

2108-528: The Saracens and Moors. Battling with these good people are the wicked Moors – North African Muslims and Arabs – and their Sultan, in Jerusalem. With the assistance of the wicked and treacherous magician, Gano of Maganz, Biancofiore is stolen from her fortress castle, and taken to become the reluctant wife of the Sultan. The catalyst for victory is the good magician, Urlubulu, who lives in a lake, and flies through

2170-576: The Song of Roland, the legendary sword called Durandal was first given to Charlemagne by an angel. It contained one tooth of Saint Peter , blood of Saint Basil , hair of Saint Denis , and a piece of the raiment of the Blessed Virgin Mary , and was supposedly the sharpest sword in all existence. In the story of the Song of Roland, the weapon is given to Roland, and he uses it to defend himself single-handedly against thousands of Muslim attackers. According to one 12th-century legend from

2232-594: The acquisition of his horse Veillantif and sword are described in Aspremont . Roland also appears in Quatre Fils Aymon , where he is contrasted with Renaud de Montauban against whom he occasionally fights. In Norway , the tales of Roland are part of the 13th-century Karlamagnús saga . In the Divine Comedy Dante sees Roland, named Orlando as is usual in Italian literature, in

2294-559: The air on the back of his magic blue bird. The English translators, using the original illustrations, and the basic rhyme patterns, slightly simplify the plot, changing the Christians-versus-Muslim-Moors conflict into a battle between good and bad magicians and between golden knights and green knights. The French traitor in The Song of Roland, who is actually Roland's cowardly step-father, is Ganelon – very likely

2356-507: The background of Graham Greene 's The Confidential Agent , published in 1939. The book's protagonist had been a Medieval scholar specialising in this work, until the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War forced him to become a soldier and secret agent. Throughout the book, he repeatedly compares himself and other characters with the characters of "Roland". Particularly, the book includes a full two pages of specific commentary, which

2418-641: The borders of Brittany"), indicating that he presided over the Breton March , Francia 's border territory against the Bretons . The passage, which appears in Chapter 9, mentions that Hroudlandus (a Latinization of the Frankish *Hrōþiland , from *hrōþi , "praise"/"fame" and * land , "country") was among those killed in the Battle of Roncevaux Pass: While he was vigorously pursuing the Saxon war , almost without

2480-427: The dangerous mission to Sarrogossa; Ganelon designates Roland to man the rearguard. Charlemagne is contrasted with Baligant. Unlike later Renaissance and Romantic literature , the poem focuses on action rather than introspection. The characters are presented through what they do, not through what they think or feel. The narrator gives few explanations for characters' behaviour. The warriors are stereotypes defined by

2542-632: The earlier Chansons , similarly to the later Morgante by Luigi Pulci . Roland is poetically associated with his sword Durendal , his horse Veillantif , and his oliphant horn. In the late 17th century, French Baroque composer Jean-Baptiste Lully wrote an opera titled Roland , based on the story of the title character. The only historical mention of the actual Roland is in the Vita Karoli Magni by Charlemagne 's courtier and biographer Einhard . Einhard refers to him as Hruodlandus Brittannici limitis praefectus ("Roland, prefect of

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2604-399: The end, he gives Roland his death-blow by accident, his eyes blinded by wounds. [But] the story had been tidied up. In truth, Oliver strikes his friend down in full knowledge – because of what he has done to his men, all the wasted lives. Oliver dies hating the man he loves – the big boasting courageous fool who was more concerned with his own glory than with the victory of his faith. This makes

2666-421: The inspiration for Luzzati's traitor and wicked magician, Gano. Orlando Furioso (literally, Furious or Enraged Orlando, or Roland), includes Orlando's cousin, the paladin Rinaldo, who, like Orlando, is also in love with Angelica, a pagan princess. Rinaldo is, of course, the Italian equivalent of Ronald. Flying through the air on the back of a magic bird is equivalent to flying on a magic hippogriff . It appears in

2728-505: The last city standing is Saragossa , held by King Marsile , who is pictured not as a Muslim, but a follower of Mahumet and Apollin . Threatened by the might of Charlemagne's Franks , Marsile seeks advice from his wise man, Blancandrin , who counsels him to conciliate the Emperor, offering to surrender and giving hostages. Accordingly, Marsile sends out messengers to Charlemagne, promising treasure and Marsile's conversion to Christianity if

2790-461: The later, southern aesthetic into the story. An Old Norse version of the Song of Roland exists as Karlamagnús saga , and a translation into the artificial literary language of Franco-Venetian is also known; such translations contributed to the awareness of the story in Italy . In 1516 Ludovico Ariosto published his epic Orlando Furioso , which deals largely with characters first described in

2852-627: The most. However, Archbishop Turpin intervenes and tells them that the battle will be fatal for all of them and so instructs Roland to blow his horn oliphant (an elephant tusk hunting horn) to call for help from the Frankish army. The emperor hears the call en route to Francia. Charlemagne and his noblemen gallop back even though Count Ganelon tries to trick them. Roland's Franks fight well, but are outnumbered, until almost all his men are dead and he knows that Charlemagne's army can no longer save them. Despite this, he blows his olifant to summon revenge, blowing so hard that his temples start to bleed. After

2914-519: The mountain pass Roland's Breach and the rock formation Salto de Roldán . In Catalonia Roland (or Rotllà , as it is rendered in Catalan) became a legendary giant. Numerous places in Catalonia (both North and South) have a name related to Rotllà . In step with the trace left by the character in the whole Pyrenean area, Basque Errolan turns up in numerous legends and place-names associated with

2976-536: The present-day Gallo language and legends of local heroes such as Roland. Roland's successor in Brittania Nova was Guy of Nantes , who like Roland, was unable to exert Frankish expansion over Brittany and merely sustained a Breton presence in the Carolingian Empire . According to legend, Roland was laid to rest in the basilica at Blaye , near Bordeaux , on the site of the citadel. Roland

3038-399: The scheming Byzantine emissary, Honorius. The cover artwork was hand painted by Jordan Raskin. The authors determined when writing both the screenplay and the novel to remain in the world created by the poem; thus, Charles remains an older man near the end of his long reign rather than in 778 when the attack on the rearguard actually occurred. Further, this novel bookends the story with William

3100-1010: The story tragedy, not just heroics". It is also adapted by Stephen King, in the Dark Tower series in which Roland Deschain wishes to save the Dark Tower from the Crimson King, itself inspired by Robert Browning's " Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came ". The Song of Roland is part of the Matter of France (the Continental counterpart to the Arthurian legendarium known as the Matter of Britain ), and related to Orlando Furioso . The names Roland and Orlando are cognates. Emanuele Luzzati's animated short film, I paladini di Francia , together with Giulio Gianini , in 1960,

3162-611: The twelfth and beginning of the thirteenth centuries. The oldest building is the Chapel of Sancti Spiritus, or "Charlemagne's Silo" built in Romanesque style in the 12th century. Every year thousands of pilgrims begin their way to Santiago de Compostela at Roncesvalles. The area was also the site of the 1813 Battle of Roncesvalles during the Peninsular War . [REDACTED]   This article incorporates text from

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3224-459: The untold story of how Roland finds himself at Ronceveaux, betrayed by Ganelon and facing the expansive Saragossan host. Primary characters in the novel include Charles (Charlemagne), Ganelon, Bishop Turpin, Oliver, Aude, Marsilion, Blancandarin and others recognizable from the poem. Introduced in this tale are additional characters that inject intrigue and danger to the story, including Charles oldest son, Pepin, Marsilion's treacherous son, Saleem, and

3286-405: The very least constructed. By supplying it with an appropriate epic title, isolating it from its original codicological context, and providing a general history of minstrel performance in which its pure origin could be located, the early editors presented a 4,002 line poem as sung French epic". Certain lines of the Oxford manuscript end with the letters "AOI". The meaning of this word or annotation

3348-486: Was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the Matter of France . The historical Roland was military governor of the Breton March , responsible for defending Francia 's frontier against the Bretons . His only historical attestation is in Einhard 's Vita Karoli Magni , which notes he was part of the Frankish rearguard killed in retribution by

3410-587: Was erected in 1450 as symbol of market and Hanseatic justice, and the Roland statue in front of Bremen City Hall (1404) has been listed together with the city hall itself on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites since 2004. In the Faroe Islands , Roland appears in the ballad of "Runtsivalstríðið" (Battle of Roncevaux) . In Aragón there are several placenames related to Roldán or Rolando, including

3472-405: Was established by German immigrants, many of them refugees from Nazi Germany, who named their new home after Roland to represent freedom. Roland is a servant in the game Fate/Grand Order , portrayed as a faithful servant to God and a righteous paladin. The English expression "to give a Roland for an Oliver", meaning either to offer a quid pro quo or to give as good as one gets , recalls

3534-568: Was evidently the first official appointed to direct Frankish policy in Breton affairs, as local Franks under the Merovingian dynasty had not previously pursued any specific relationship with the Bretons. Their frontier castle districts such as Vitré, Ille-et-Vilaine , south of Mont Saint-Michel , are now divided between Normandy and Brittany. The distinctive culture of this region preserves

3596-504: Was legitimate revenge, not treason. While the council of barons assembled to decide the traitor's fate is initially swayed by this claim, partially out of fear of Ganelon's friend Pinabel who threatens to fight anyone who judges Ganelon guilty, one man, Thierry, argues that because Roland was serving Charlemagne when Ganelon delivered his revenge on him, Ganelon's action constitutes a betrayal. Pinabel challenges Thierry to trial by combat . By divine intervention, Thierry kills Pinabel. By this

3658-454: Was their chief ambassador. He was described as a "noble knight". The small collegiate church contains several curious relics associated with Roland. The battle is said to have been fought in the valley known as Valcarlos , which is now occupied by a hamlet bearing the same name, and in the adjoining pass of Ibañeta ( Roncevaux Pass ). Both of these are traversed by the main road leading north from Roncesvalles to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port , in

3720-410: Was translated into the Middle High German Rolandslied by Konrad der Pfaffe (formerly thought to have been the author of the Kaiserchronik ). In his translation Konrad replaces French topics with generically Christian ones. The work was translated into Middle Dutch in the 13th century. It was also rendered into Occitan verse in the 14th- or 15th-century poem of Ronsasvals , which incorporates

3782-530: Was turned into a popular and iconic figure of medieval Europe and its minstrel culture. Many tales made him a nephew of Charlemagne and turned his life into an epic tale of the noble Christian killed by hostile forces, which forms part of the medieval Matter of France . The tale of Roland's death is retold in the 11th-century poem The Song of Roland , where he is equipped with the olifant (a signaling horn) and an unbreakable sword, enchanted by various Christian relics, named Durendal . The Song contains

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3844-406: Was turned into the children's picture-story book, with verse narrative, I Paladini de Francia ovvero il tradimento di Gano di Maganz , which translates literally as "The Paladins of France or the treachery of Ganelon of Mainz " (Ugo Mursia Editore, 1962). This was then republished, in English, as Ronald and the Wizard Calico (1969). The Picture Lion paperback edition (William Collins, London, 1973)

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