cantarea lui roland

8/13/2019 Cantarea Lui Roland

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Laisses 1-26

Summary

Charlemagne, the king of the Christian Franks, has been wreaking havoc in Muslim Spain for

seven years and has conquered all the land except the city of Saragossa, still held by theMuslim king Marsilla. Marsilla, however, doubts that he can hold out long against the might

of Charlemagnes army. Calling a council, he asks his wisest men what they ought to do to

save themselves from being destroyed by the Franks. !lancandrin advises that they send

Charlemagne an offer of vast riches and a promise that Marsilla will come to the Frankish

capital of "ix to learn to be a good Christian and convert. #he Saracens arent planning on

coming through on this offer, and in case the Franks suspect them of $ust such falsity,

!lancandrin says that they can offer hostages to the Franks. %f course, once Charlemagne,

back in France, reali&es that neither Marsilla nor the treasure is on its way, the Franks will kill

the hostages, but thats the cost of saving the city of Saragossa and Marsillas honor. #he

pagans agree to the plan and !lancandrin goes as a messenger, olive branch in hand, to

Charlemagnes camp.

#he emperor and his men, having $ust taken the city of Cordova from the Muslims, are in a

$olly mood when the messenger arrives. !lancandrin tells Charlemagne of Marsillas offer and

promises hostages, including his own son, as guarantees of good faith. Charlemagne is

tempted by this proposed pact because of his weariness' after all, seven years is a long time to

fight in a strange land, and the emperor is an old man. (e calls together a council of his

barons to meet under a pine.

Count )oland makes a fiery speech. (e reminds the emperor that Marsilla has a history of

deceit' once before Marsilla sent to the Franks a peace envoy delivering similar offers and promises, and Charlemagne sent over to the pagans two messengers, !asan and !asil, who the

Saracens then slaughtered. )oland is uncompromising and fierce' he urges the Franks to lay

siege to Saragossa and not to compromise with the treacherous Marsilla.

*anelon, )olands stepfather, calls such an extreme stance vainglorious and foolish' hes had

enough of this hard campaign. +aimes agrees, arguing that the Franks have sufficiently

humbled Marsilla and that the time has come for mercy. #he council is swayed by *anelon

and +aimes' now a messenger must be chosen to go to Saragossa. )oland and %livier

volunteer, but Charlemagne insists that none of the twelve peershis inner circle of vassals

may go.

)oland nominates *anelon for the post' *anelons response is bitter rage. (e threatens his

stepson- /f *od should deign that / come back again, then / shall stir up such a feud with you

that it will last as long as youre alive0 123.24562578. *anelon rages, fearing that he may meet

the same fate as !asan and !asil. Charlemagne responds by saying simply, 9hen /

command, its up to you to go 12:.:748.

Charlemagne now bestows the staff and glove upon his messenger *anelon, according to

ceremony, but *anelon, reaching out to take the glove, lets it drop. Seeing this, the Franks

foresee that the embassy will have dire consequences for them. *anelon leaves the council,

with the staff, the letter, and Charlemagnes blessing.

Commentary



#he temporality of The Song of Roland is extremely straightforward. /t begins at the

beginning and ends at the endthe order in which the narrated events happen and the order in

which they are told is identical. #his sort of temporal organi&ation, while it is the simplest, is

not the most common' many ancient epics begin in the middle and then use flashbacks to fill

in what happened before. Since the entire story told is set in motion by *anelons treachery,

the story begins by explaining how this betrayal came about.

9hile the temporal order is simple, the poet plays with the duration of events, forming a

rhythm out of them. #his rhythm is particularly pronounced in this first section of the poem-

we have one laisse of summary, letting us know where we are and giving us some basic

exposition, then the scene of Marsillas council, then another single laisse summari&ing the

$ourney of the Saracen messengers to Charlemagnes camp, then the scene of !lancandrins

presentation of the peace offer, then one laisse summari&ing how the camp goes to bed and

wakes up, and then the very dramatic scene of the council of the Franks. #here is an

alternating rhythm of telling 1the quick narrative summaries8 and showing 1the longer

dramatic scenes, filled with dialogue.8

#he first laisse tells us of the inevitability of the defeat of Muslim evil by Christian good.

!ecause the Christian *od is all6powerful and deeply concerned with the fate of his

worshippers, there is no doubt that they will eventually win, although they must struggle. #he

Saracens are doomed from the start by their worship of false gods. #hey really havent got a

chance- Marsilla...does not love *od, ; but serves Mohammed and invokes "pollo. ; +o

matter what he does, his ruin will come 17.<658.

9hile there is the most absolute of differences between the Franks and the Saracensthe

former are good and the latter are evilthey organi&e themselves identically. #he Saracens

are the precise image of the Franks, only reversed. /n the scene of Marsillas council and the

scene of Charlemagnes council, we can see that the Saracens and the Franks conduct

themselves identically in matters of manners and forms. Saracen society is portrayed as

having the same feudal structure as Frankish society, and the better Saracens display the same

feudal virtues as the good Franks' !lancandrin, for instance, was very chivalrous and

dutiful ; and able in the service of his lord 1:.2=62>8. (owever, they place an unholy trinity

of idols at the apex of their feudal pyramid, instead of the one true *od of the Christians, and

so they are always ultimately serving evil, however loyal and true they are to the lord

immediately above them in their society. #he effect of basing a society around anything but

the Christian *od is a constant tendency toward evil, whatever the limited virtues of certain

Saracens. #his is shown by the ease with which the Saracens in Marsillas council assent to a

plan of saving their own honor and lands by offering a false peace to Charlemagne, which willinevitably end in the execution of their own sons who they will offer as hostages.

#he most important charactersour hero and martyr )oland, his great comrade %livier, the

despicable traitor *anelon, the perfect Christian king Charlemagneof the poem are

introduced in the dramatic scene of Charlemagnes council. #he narrator gives us some basic

information about them directly, and tells us at the beginning that *anelon is a traitor, but we

must figure out their motivation and characters by their speeches to each other. "ppearance,

certainly, is no clue to character in The Song of Roland ' we are told that our chief villain is

extremely handsome 123.24=8.

9e first are introduced to )oland by his bold speech of laisse 7?, arguing that the Franksshould pay no attention to the Saracens offer of peace. (e recalls how the Saracens have



deceived the Franks with $ust such offers in the past, and he seems to be motivated by an

underlying understanding that the war that Charlemagnes men are fighting in Spain is sacred.

#heir cause is too large for offers of treasure to mean anything in relation to it' their reasons

for fighting are not such as allow compromise with the enemy. (e speaks like a crusader. #he

theme of )olands pride is also introduced in this first speech' he boastfully lists the cities he

has conquered as part of his argument for why they must not accept the Saracens peace.

*anelon, however, in his speech of laisse 7= countering )olands, urges pragmatic

considerations, for he, unlike )oland doesnt understand the war as absolute and sacred. /n the

debate among the council as they try to decide who should go to Marsilla, it becomed clear

that *anelon bitterly resents his stepson. !ecause earlier messengers to Marsilla had been

slaughtered, *anelon considers )olands nomination of him as a messenger nearly the same as

wishing him dead. !ut what truly enrages *anelon is the suggestion that he is dispensable.

Charlemagne refuses to let )oland or %livier go and says by this beard that you see streaked

with white, ; the do&en peers are not to be appointed0 174.2>762>28. )oland is one of the

do&en peers' *anelon is not. /t seems that Charlemagne considers the do&en too valuable to

take the chance of losing them to the pagans so fruitlessly, but hes willing to take this chancewith *anelon. *anelon is infuriated by this implied insult more than he is afraid that he may

indeed die' we see this in how he refuses to let )oland go in his place 127.25>8. /f it were pure

cowardice that motivated *anelon, he would be relieved to let )oland go in his stead. !ut this

would $ust make )oland look all the more brave and noble, and *anelon hates how )oland is

always going about looking so very brave and noble. /t is his $ealousy for the esteem that

)oland en$oys in the eyes of the emperor and the barons that drives *anelon to want to take

)oland down a notch more than anything else.

Laisses 27-52

Summary

!ack at his encampment, *anelon gets ready for his embassy to Saragossa. (is relatives and

knights fear for his safety and regret that he was picked for the mission. @oining the Saracen

ambassadors, he talks with !lancandrin as they all ride together back to Saragossa. *anelon

speaks of )olands arrogance and ferocity and blames him for inciting the Franks to unending

war. /f someone killed him, says *anelon, we might all have peace 125.:578. #his

interests !lancandrin extremely and the two, the Saracen and the Frank, find a common bond'

they both want )oland dead. Cementing it, they pledge to each other to find a way to get ridof him.

%nce the ambassadors arrive in Saragossa, *anelon is presented before Marsilla, sitting on his

throne. *anelon makes his speech boldly, announcing that if Marsilla converts to Christianity,

he can be a vassal of Charlemagne and govern half of Spain, but that if he will not the Franks

promise him death in squalor and disgrace 1::.?:<8. Marsilla becomes furious and almost

kills *anelon on the spot, but *anelon stands up to him, flashing his sword, and the Saracens

decide to hear out the Frankish ambassador.

Marsilla withdraws into a private council with his best men, including !lancandrin, who hints

at the conspiracy he had worked up with *anelon on the way to Saragossa and asks the kingto have the Frank brought there. %nce *anelon $oins the council, the plotting begins. #he



pagans wonder at Charlemagnes tenacity and endurance, at his unrelenting campaign in

Spain, especially in view of his great age' the emperor is more than two hundred years old.

A9Bhen will he ever tire of making war they ask, and *anelon replies that AhBe

wont...while )oland lives. *anelon implies that this Count )oland is so fierce that his

encouragement is the chief reason why Charlemagne keeps fighting and so brave that

Charlemagne is unbeatable with )oland at his side.

*anelon tells Marsilla that the Saracens would have no chance against the Franks if they

attacked directly. !ut he outlines a plot that could give them the advantage. #he Saracens,

advises *anelon, must appear to follow the peace pact, sending riches and hostages to the

Franks. 9hen the Franks then make their way back home to France, they will keep a rear

guard of twenty thousand behind them, $ust as they usually do in such situations, and this rear

guard will probably include )oland and )olands comrade %livier. /n the mountains, cut off

from the main body of Charlemagnes army, the guard is vulnerablethis is the time to

attack, and with overwhelming force, an army of a hundred thousand Saracens. Caught in a

mountain pass, )oland will not be able to escape, and once he is dead, Charlemagne will no

longer pose a problem to the Saracens' without )oland, the Franks will be crippled.

#he Saracens like the way *anelon thinks' Marsilla, his wife Dueen !ramimonde, and others

of his court come to praise the wily Frank and heap him with the most lavish gifts. (is

mission accomplished, *anelon departs, with the hostages and treasure for the Franks.

Commentary

/n the previous section, we came to understand something of the motive of *anelons

treachery' here, we see how he works out its mechanism. #he way in which *anelon

addresses the Saracen court of Marsilla complicates our understanding of his character' the

poet does not depict him as a simple villain, debased in every way. *anelon speaks so boldly

that he enrages the king Marsilla, who almost murders him for his audacious speech then and

there. #his lends support to the con$ecture that it is not because he might die on his embassy

to the Franks, but because he bristles at any implication that he is less than a crucial part of

Charlemagnes circle of barons that *anelon is so furious at )oland for nominating him

messenger. /t seems that *anelon is taking a daring riskhe wants to fire up the hostility of

the Saracens against the Franks by making the haughty speech to Marsilla of laisse :: so that

they will be all the more eager to help him get rid of )oland. (is speech is calculated- Count

*anelon had thought out everything, 1::.?2=8' he wants to manipulate the Saracens for the

advantage of his plot. "ll the same, the risk he takes in making such an inflammatory speech

is real.

#his contributes to our understanding that *anelon is not vile through and through' the

description of how he departs from his vassals and relatives in laisse 2<, in which it seems

that his knights genuinely care for him and vice versa, implies this as well. 9e are to

understand *anelon as a man who is well6respected, brave, and noble, who might have been

good, but who is consumed by envy and bitterness. /t seems even, in his dealings with the

pagans, that he still considers himself loyal to Charlemagne and Christianity. (e praises

Charlemagne highly and even, it seems, sincerely, in laisse ?3. /n laisse ?>, he swears by the

saintly relics in his sword and will have nothing to do with the Saracen idols. #his is, of

course, self6deceit' he cant betray )oland as he does without betraying Charlemagne and

Christendom. !ut because of his narrow focus on the ob$ect of his hatred, it seems that hedoesnt quite see this.



9hen !lancandrin and *anelon arrive before Marsilla in laisse :7, we see again the apparent

similarities, the mirroring, between the Christians and the Muslims. Marsillas throne, like

Charlemagnes 1see laisse 48, is placed beneath a pine. Laisses ?3 through ?2 convey

remarkably well, all through dialogue, *anelons reptilian subtlety, his cleverness in puttinghis plan into action. #he three laisses are variations on each other' many phrases are repeated

or only very slightly changed from one to the next. !ut *anelons emphasis gradually shifts

from the heroism of Charlemagne to how much this heroism depends on Charlemagnes loyal

vassal )oland to incite the pagans to thinking that, without )oland, Charlemagne would be

crippled. /nterestingly, an impossibly great agetwo hundred years and more 1?7.=:58is

attributed to the king of the Franks, recalling nothing so much as the patriarchs of the %ld

#estament.

Laisses 53-78

Summary

*anelon soon arrives back at the Frankish camp and tells the emperor and his men that his

embassy was a triumph. (e shows them the treasure and the hostages and says that Marsilla

will arrive in Charlemagnes capital, "ix, no more than a month after their own arrival to

become a Christian. Charlemagne and his men are most pleased, looking forward to their

return to sweet France, for which they have longed for years.

!ut then, when he goes to sleep that night, Charlemagne has vivid and strange dreams

prophecying the doom that will soon meet the Franks. /n one of these sleeping visions,

*anelon plays the villains part. #he next morning, the Franks must decide who will go in therear guard and who in the van. *anelon, of course, suggests )oland as the most suitable

leader possible for the rear guard. )oland does not protest, but instead proudly accepts the

office. (e is, however, very irritated' he knows perfectly well that *anelon did not suggest

him for the rear guard out of the kindness of his heart, though he does not suspect his

stepfather of anything approaching his actual plotand snidely insults his stepfather. #he

emperor, watching all this, is filled with foreboding and, trying to protect his valiant nephew,

urges him to take half of all his army. )oland, with his usual fine and proud spirit, will have

nothing to do with the offer' he had no dreams of doom and wants to take the usual number

for the guard.

)oland begins to organi&e his guard, choosing eleven of the best men to ride with him,including his closest companion, %livier, and the ferocious archbishop, #urpin, along with

twenty thousand knights. (e picks *autier to lead a band of men to scout the hillsides and

ravines along the pass.

"s the main body of the Frankish army cross over into their homeland, Charlemagne weeps

among the general re$oicing and confesses his fears and visions to +aimes.

Meanwhile, Marsillas nephew "elroth is putting together the army that will ambush the

Frankish rear guard, choosing eleven comrades from among the finest Saracen warriors,

including Marsillas brother Falsaron, the evil magician Corsablis, and Margari&, who makes

all the ladies of Seville swoon. #hey then round up a hundred thousand Saracen warriors tolead in this glorious expedition of slaughter.



Commentary

"s we saw earlier, the temporal arrangement of The Song of Roland, as far as the order in

which the poet puts the events he narrates goes, is remarkably simple. (owever, the poet does

refer to events he has not yet recounted by foreshadowing and omens and, sometimes, direct

statements 1#oday the Frenchmen are to know great pain, 1>>.47>88. #his somewhatcomplicates the generally straightforward temporality of the poem.

Charlemagnes dreams in laisses => and =< are, once deciphered, accurate forecasts of events

to come. "fter all, his dreams are sent by angels' their reliability is part of the package of

benefits Charlemagne receives as a holy Christian monarch 1><.4:>8. (is dreams are easy to

decode' the first shows how a trusty weapon of his)olandwill be destroyed by *anelons

rage. /n the second, a vicious boar is biting his right arm 1=<.<2<8 and *anelon had earlier,

talking to Marsilla, compared )oland to Charlemagnes right arm- /f someone were to cause

the death of )oland, ; then Charles would lose the right arm from his body 1?=.=5>6=5<8. #he

poet of The Song of Roland, as we mentioned earlier, does not often use simile' there is,

however, plenty of metaphor, as we see here.

/n laisse =4, in which *anelon nominates )oland for the rear guard 1My stepson

)oland...Eou have no lord of such great vassalage, says *anelon, =4.<?:6 <??8, we see again

the mirror6play of the poem at work. #he scene echoes the scene in laisse 23, in which )oland

nominates *anelon for the envoy *anelon, my stepsire, is your man, says )oland 123.2<<8.

Charlemagne, thanks to his prophetic dreams, knows that )oland is doomed and that *anelon

is to blame' he grieves and worries over this, and tries to give )oland extra troops to protect

him against the danger he foresees 1)olands over6proud refusal to accept help in this instance

foreshadows his later refusal to blow the oliphant8, but he does nothing definite to stop the

sequence of events that will end in the massacre at )oncesvals. erhaps he is not altogether

sure about the reliability of his dream6visions' perhaps he feels that such sleeping prophecies,

unsubstantiated, are not proper grounds for strategic decisions. erhaps the problem that

confronts Charlemagne is something like the problem of human free will as it confronts *od'

although, by heavenly favor and his unquestioned command over his men, Charlemagne is,

within the limited sphere of the Frankish army, almost omniscient and omnipotent. "nd yet he

surely intervenes less than he might to avert the tragedy of )oncesvals' perhaps he has

something like the Christian *ods concern for human freedom of conscience to the same

degree that he has superhuman, almost godlike stature among the Franks.

/n the pagans assembly of their army for the ambush, the symmetry between the Christians

and the Muslims is again clear. Marsillas nephew is as bold and brash as Charlemagnesnephew' the pagans attribute to the glove the same ceremonial meaning as do the Christians'

twelve Saracen peers are chosen to combat the twelve Frankish peers. #he way in which the

Muslims trust in the righteousness of their religion to ensure success on the battlefield is

similar to the attitude of Charlemagnes men, only, of course, reversed- Mohammeds worth

far more than )omes Saint eter ; serve him, and honors of the field are ours, proclaims a

pagan count 1<?.52765228.

Laisses 79-132



Summary

#he assembled pagan host, armed and shining, rides toward the mountain pass where they

know they will find the Frankish rear guard. %livier is the first to see them, and he can tell

from a distance that the Saracen horde vastly outnumbers the band of Franks. Seeing the

advancing army, he already suspects that *anelon planned this disaster for his stepson.*enerously, )oland tells %livier not to say such things- /ll hear not one word more, for hes

my stepsire 143.732<8. !ecause the Franks are so outnumbered, %livier asks )oland to blow

his oliphanta horn made out of an elephants tuskso that Charlemagne will hear and

come, with his army, to the aid of the rear guard. !ut )oland is too proud to ask for help'

May *od forbid, he says, that it be said by any man alive / ever blew my horn because of

pagans0 14=.73<:673<=8. +o matter how vast the pagan hordes, )oland is confident that the

Christians will triumph. #he Frankish guard prepares for battle- the archbishop #urpin says

that any Christian soldier who dies in the battle will die a glorious martyrs death, )oland

promises his men victory, and all together shout Charlemagnes battle cry Mon$oy0 and ride

out to strike the Saracens.

9hen the Frankish and the Saracen hosts confront each other, the Saracens make proud boasts

#his very day sweet France shall lose her fame, brags "elroth. !ut the Franks quickly

silence them' )oland slaughters "elroth, %livier slaughters Falsaron, #urpin slaughters

Corsablis. #he twelve Frankish peers fight heroically' in a series of one6on6one combats, they

take on the Saracen peers and run them through, spitting them on their lances and chucking

them off their horses. #he pagan souls, once separated from pagan bodies, go, of course, to

hell. #he fighting is hard and fierce. "lthough the Franks are so outnumbered, they more than

hold their own against the Saracens.

!ut then the Franks see a still greater Saracen force, led by Marsilla, coming to meet them.

+ow )oland sees the situation for what it is, telling %livier that false *anelon has sentenced

us to die' his treason can no longer be concealed 1772.7?=<67?=48. "t this point, the Franks

see that victory is impossible, and their hopes turn instead toward killing as many pagans as

they can before dying martyrs deaths. #he Christians lose many of their best men, including

some among the twelve peers.

Seeing the slaughter of his comrades, )oland no longer speaks in boasts and bluster' he is

deeply dismayed. +ear despair, he tells %livier that hell sound the oliphant' he hopes that it is

not too late for Charlemagne to come to their aid. %livier is angered. Eou didnt deign to,

comrade, he says bitterly, when / asked you, and were the king here now, wed be

unharmed. /ts clear that its too late to blow the oliphant, that by the time the king and hisarmy come there will be nothing left of the rear guard to save. %livier tells )oland that his

vainglorious decision not to call for help has cost the lives of all the men of the guard-

Companion, youre to blame, for bravery in no sense is bravado, and prudence is worth more

than recklessness. #hose French are dead because of your caprice 17:7.7<2267<2=8. #urpin

steps into the quarrel between the comrades' he advises them that sounding the horn cannot

save them now, but that it is still best to blow it, for then Charlemagne will pursue their

adversaries and avenge their deaths.

Commentary

/n this section we see our first battle. #he way in which the poet presents combat provides astriking example of the combination of vividness and ceremony which is so typical of this



work and makes its figures and scenes into icons. %n one hand, there is the closeness of

detail. #he poet clearly relishes describing the fine points of horses, armor, weaponry, all the

splendor of the pageantry of warnote, for instance, with what minute detail #urpins horse is

described in laisse 77?. +o one ever simply dies, but each slaughter and death6throe is divided

into its constituent actions and put vividly before us- for instance, %livier does not merely

bludgeon Malsaron, but AhBe breaks his gilt, fleuron6embla&oned shield, ; bursting both hiseyeballs from his head ; his brain comes tumbling downward to his feet 173>.7:=?67:=>8.

!ut, despite such clearness of vision, we still seem to be at some distance from the action. #he

repetitions of phrases, the slight variation from one laisse of combat to the next, the tidiness

of the battles partition into one6on6one fights, the choreographed balance of the actions of the

two sides all make the battle feel something like a ceremony. #his styli&ed quality, which

coexists side6by6side with the colorful details, gives us a curiously mixed sense of distance

and nearness to the action.

#he way in which the narrator presents the story he tells as derived from historical documents

as when he tells us, for instance, that AtBhe number that they killed can be determined' ; it

is written in the documents and notes- the Chronicle says better than four thousand172<.7>4:67>4=8instead of fully immersing himself in the action as if he were there also

adds to our sense of distance from the happenings he describes. (e does not presume

immediacy' to do so, when dealing with figures such as Charlemagne and )oland, would

seem audaciously over6familiar. 9hile the story he tells is derived from oral legend and his

own invention, not from written records, his allusions to such records served to impress his

audience and add to our sense of the distant grandeur of the events recounted. Curiously, the

characters within the story sometimes take this historical attitude toward themselves, as if

they could not be their own eye6witnesses or if the true immortality they aspired to was not

that of heaven but that of the written word' for example, #urpin encourages Charlemagnes

men by reminding them that A/Bt is written in the Annals of the Franks ; that gallant fighters

serve our emperor 1777.7??:67???8.

#he debate between )oland and %livier over the blowing of the oliphant is one of the finest

sections of the poem for the depiction of character. )oland and %livier have one of the very

close, brotherly companionships between warriors that were very often celebrated in medieval

epics. %livier serves as a perfect foil for )oland' while the two are very similar in most ways

both are dedicated Christians, stout warriors, loyal vassals, gallant, and so forththere is a

marked difference between their characters. #he poet puts it simply but perfectly- )oland is

bold, %livier is wise, ; and both of them are marvelously brave 14<.735:6735?8. Gike %livier

in all other ways, the nature of )olands boldness is drawn into sharp focus by setting him

beside his friend.

Laisses 133-160

Summary

)oland blows his oliphant so hard that his temple bursts, badly wounding him. Charlemagne

and his men hear him, far in the distance. Charles understands the signal, knows that the rearguard is embattled. !ut *anelon tries to stall the emperors troops, tries to convince



Charlemagne that hes senile and hearing things, then that )oland is $ust blowing the oliphant

to show off, that, in any case, the rear guard is in no danger and that they should ride on into

France. #he barons reali&e that *anelon is a false traitor trying to deceive them to stop them

from helping )oland, and they arrest *anelon, telling the camp cooks to stay there and guard

him like any common thug 17:<.74758. #he Frankish army ride off in the direction of the

sound of the horn blasts.

!ack on the battlefield, meanwhile, )oland surveys the heaps of dead and dying Christian

soldiers around him, weeps, laments, and prays to *od to deliver their souls to heaven. !ut he

continues to fight gallantly despite his great grief and his in$ury, cutting off Marsillas right

hand. %livier is mortally wounded, but likewise continues to fight as his life slips away.

Seeing %livier hurt so, )oland faints, still on his horse. "s death nears, %liviers vision is

confused because he has lost so much blood, and, in the blur of it, he does not recogni&e

)oland and gives him a blow to the head, splitting his comrades helmet but not cutting into

his skull. )oland softly asks %livier if he meant that blow' %livier recogni&es his voice and

apologi&es and )oland forgives him. Hnowing that death is upon him, %livier gets off his

horse and prays before dying, and )oland weeps for the death of his companion, faintingaway from the grief of it.

9hen )oland recovers, he looks around and sees that, of all the rear guard, only #urpin and

*autier, who $ust came down from the mountains, are still alive. #he three Franks remaining

are stalwart warriors, but they are mightily outnumbered. *autier is soon killed and #urpin is

soon in$ured and unhorsed. )oland again sounds his oliphant' hearing the feebleness of the

blast, Charlemagne can tell that his nephew has not long to live. )iding fast toward the

battlefield, Charlemagnes men blow their trumpets.

(earing the trumpets, the pagans start with terror, knowing that the emperor is on his way.

#hey make one last attack on )oland and flee' when the Saracens have left, )oland and

#urpin are still standing, though mortally wounded.

9hile )oland blows his oliphant in laisses 7:: through 7:=, a sense of urgency is built up by

the narrations alternation between him and Charlemagnes army. 9ithin each of these laisses

we see both the mortal in$ury )oland receives by blowing so mightily on his horn and the

stalling technique of the traitor *anelon, both of which contribute to our fear that

Charlemagne and his men may come too late.

9hen the main Frankish army rides back to )oncesvals, we are given once again a variation

on the ominous description of the landscape around this massacre ground, which weve heard before' here is another of the repetitions that holds the poem together. /n laisse >> we are

given the picture that follows- #he hills are high, the valleys deep in shade, ; with dull brown

cliffs and awe6inspiring gorges. (ere we get a slight variation- #he hills are high and

shadowy and large, ; the valleys deep, with swiftly running streams 17:4.74:36 74:78.

Commentary

9e have seen already that the Frankish knights are always ready to weep and faint away,

behaving more like sentimental ladies than like the modern image of the warrior. " line in this

section makes it explicit that this open display of emotion is part of the poets knightly ideal-we are told of )oland that, on seeing the Frankish dead, like a noble knight he weeps for



them in the middle of the battle 17?3.74=:8. #his is part of the esteem the poet grants to

passion. Inlike the warrior ideals of many other cultures and eras, which celebrate

detachment and a stiff upper lip, the capacity for high emotion seems to be one of the chief

tests of character for this poet. #his is one of )olands chief qualities, and one that ultimately

makes up for his arrogant error. +ote also how, in the descriptions earlier of the one6on6one

combats between the Saracens and the Franks, the deep fury that the Franks feel at hearing the pagan boasts is always noted and sometimes seems to be described as the cause of their

successes. )oland, for instance, admiring %liviers skill, says, rather arrogantly, My comrade,

when hes angry, ; fights well enough to be compared to me 177<.7==467==58. #he

association here between anger and military skill is a corollary of a more general association

between passion and nobility of character, even passion and salvation.

/n laisse 7?7, we have one of the very few similes in the poem that extends beyond a short,

highly conventionali&ed phrase- @ust as the stag will run before the hounds, ; the pagans

break and run away from )oland 17?7.74<?6 74<=8. "lso, we have, in the mocking way that

the archbishop refers to cloistered monks 1a knight must be fierce and powerful in combat

; if not, he isnt worth four deniers ; should be instead a monastery monk ; and pray thelivelong day for all our sins,17?7.74<56744288 a striking example of the active focus of

9estern Christendom during the time of the Crusades.

9hen )oland cuts off Marsillas right hand in laisse 7?2, this is another of the symmetries

between the pagans and the Christians that run throughout the poem, because )oland is often

referred to as the right arm of the Christian king Charlemagne 1see laisse ?=, for instance8 and

will soon be cut offdiehimself. #hus, this is not only another mirroring effect, but also

foreshadows )olands fate.

#he narrators stance toward the story he tellsthat he knows about the happenings he

describes from various historical chronicles and the likeis again brought to the surface by

the authentication he provides for #urpins valor after he is wounded- #hus says the geste and

he who was afield, ; the noble *iles, for w hom *od brought forth wonders 17==.235=6

235>8. (is allusion is to Saint *iles, who, historically, has no connection whatsoever to

)oncesvals. !ut this reference, like others to similarly prestigious sources, gives both an

effect of reliability and of a kind of distance that casts a grandeur over the story.

Laisses 161-176

Summary

!oth )oland and #urpin have lost their horses' theres no way they can pursue the fleeing

pagans. )oland tries to nurse and comfort #urpin, then goes to bring the bodies of his dead

companions over to the archbishop to be blessed. 9hen he finds and brings the body of

%livier, )oland is overcome with grief, weeps, and faints. #he archbishop then goes to fetch

some water for )oland, but as he begins to walk toward the stream, he falls down dead. 9hen

)oland comes around from his faint, he blesses #urpins body.



)oland reali&es that his own death is very near' his brains are oo&ing out of his ears. Climbing

a rise, he comes to a place with green grass and four great marble stones and then faints again.Seeing this, a pagan who had been playing dead comes and tries to steal )olands sword.

)oland comes out of his faint almost immediately and gives the thief such a good blow to his

head with his oliphant that he falls down dead. +ow he fears for the fate of his excellent

sword, Jurendal, which he is so fond of. (e tries to break the blade against a rock, for he

never wants it to end up in pagan hands. 9hile he does this, he reminisces about his conquests

and triumphs. #he sword wont break, and )oland knows he must now die.

)oland stretches out, face down, on the grass beneath a pine, tucking Jurendal and his

oliphant under him and turning his head toward pagan Spain. Confessing his sins, beating on

his chest, weeping, and praying, he offers *od his right6hand glove. Saint *abriel comes

down from heaven to take it, and, along with other saints, he takes )olands soul intoaradise.

Summary

/n this section, up to the time that )oland goes up the rise to die, the primary emphasis falls

on both his and #urpins great generosity and tenderness. 9e are shown that, even when

#urpin is on the brink of death and full of gaping wounds 17>7.27<:8, he never thinks of his

own pain, but only of comforting )oland. )oland, also mortally wounded, cares not a bit for

his own suffering but is concerned exclusively with helping #urpin and the souls of his dead

comrades.

#he scene of )olands death is surely the climax of the poem. #he narration slows to a crawl

in general, the slower the pace of the narration, the more important the scene to the poet

to let us thoroughly appreciate the pathos of the moment. #he primary technique of the poet to

achieve this slowing of time is the use of laisses similaires, which suspend a single moment,

holding it up for our contemplation. #his technique is apparently an innovation of the poets'

there is nothing like it in earlier literature. Laisses 7<2 and 7<: are the first of this sort in this

section. 9e first encounter the instant when )oland reali&es that he cannot shatter his sword

Jurendal at the beginning of laisse 7<2' he then begins to apostrophi&e 1apostrophe is a

rhetorical device which personifies a thing by addressing it in the second person, as in

)olands cry, %h Jurendal, how da&&ling bright you are,17<2.2:7>88 his sword. /n laisse

7<:, we come back to this same moment again. #he two laisses are variations on each other'

phrases echo each other, describing the same action in a slightly different way. For instance,

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in laisse 7<2, the steel edge grides, but does not break or chip, but in laisse 7<:, the sword

grates, but it neither snaps nor splits. 9hile the usual relation in a narrative poem such as this

of one verse paragraph to the next is that they describe successive momentsthis relation is

so basic that we usually completely overlook itthe relation between these two laisses is

essentially different. (ere we almost shift from the narrative to the lyric, into a kind of eternal

present.

Laisses 7<?, 7<=, and 7<> hold the momentthe instant $ust before )olands deatheven

longer, signaling us even more emphatically to slow down and appreciate its fullness. #he

great repeated gesture here is )olands lifting of his right6hand glove up to the heavens. #he

offering of the right6hand glove was a gesture that a vassal makes to his lord, to express his

reverent loyalty. )oland here, by his last gesture, identifies himself as ultimately the vassal of

*od. #his collapses the feudal system into Christianity and vice versa, making the loyal

service of a temporal lord an expression of and symbol for the service of *od. #he way in

which Christians often call *od the Gord had, in this period, a real significance' the Gord

was indeed conceived of as being like a transcendently perfect version of a feudal lord. /t is

this kind of spirituality that )olands gesture eloquently expresses. *od acknowledges )olandas a vassal, and sends down Saint *abriel to accept the proffered glove. "nd then we know

that )oland is saved' his death acquires the meaning of a martyrdom. )olands understanding

of the absolute quality of the battle being fought, his unbending loyalty to *od and king, his

passion and his folly are shown to transcend %liviers caution and prudence.

Laisses 177-188

Summary

9hen Charlemagne and his men arrive at )oncesvals, they see heaps of bodies and not a

single living man. #housands of the knights and barons faint' all weep. +aimes sees, far ahead

in the distance, the fleeing pagan army, and urges that the Franks pursue them and get their

revenge. Geaving behind a band of men to guard the battlefield, to keep thieves and beasts off

the dead Franks, Charlemagne and his men ride after the Saracens. !ut dusk is beginning to

fall. Charlemagne prays to *od to make the sun stand still, so they can continue their chase,

and an angel tells him that *od will indeed do this, so that the Franks can pursue their mission

of vengeance.

"nd in fact, the sun does stand still in the sky. #he Franks overtake the pagans and chasethem into the Kbro river, where they all drown. "fter the emperor offers his thanks to *od,

they pitch camp and turn in for the night. Charlemagne is tired and suffers greatly, thinking of

the men he has lost. 9hile he sleeps, Saint *abriel sends him prophetic visions, the meaning

of which is not clear to the emperor. #he tone of them, however, is distinctly ominous.

Meanwhile, in Saragossa, Marsilla laments the loss of his men, his son @urfaleu, and of his

own right hand. "ll the people of the city curse Charlemagne for their losses and go to insult

and beat their idols for having let them down.

Commentary



"fter the death of )oland, Charlemagne becomes the protagonist and the tone and the nature

of the epic shift. 9hile the earlier part of the poem was essentially a human drama, focusing

especially on the characters of )oland, %livier, and *anelon, the latter part, recounting

Charlemagnes revenge, is marked by the frequency of supernatural occurrences and a starker,

less subtle view of good and evil. 9hile the supernatural was certainly present in the earlier

section, *ods hand on earth had a lighter touch' there is nothing miraculous. "nd while the pagans, all throughout, are evil, and the Christians are good, without room for nuance, the

focus on the characters of certain of the Christian warriors allowed fine distinctions. *anelon,

for example, is without doubt a villain, but not an uncomplicated one. #he same goes for

)oland as a hero.

(ere, beginning when *od suspends the course of the sun for Charlemagne, the heavenly

hosts play a more active role. Saint *abriel again sends him visions' the first foretells the

battle with !aligant, the second the trial of *anelon.

#he narration of the reaction in Saragossa to the news of the decimation of the pagan troops

both at )oncesvals and afterward, when the Franks push them into the river, contrasts theiridolatry with the attitude of the Christians. 9hen the Franks were massacred at )oncesvals,

their reaction was not to curse the Gord for having allowed the slaughter to occur' their faith

was unshaken and they embraced the opportunity to die martyrs. 9hile the underlying belief

that the divinity helps his worshippers is shared by the Christians and the Muslims of the

poem, leaving both sides hypothetically open to the charge that their adoration contains an

element of the mercenary, the Christians do not castigate their *od when (e fails to come

through, as it were, on his part of the bargain, while the pagans of Saragossa do, casting their

idols down into the dirt. #hus, not only are the Muslims presented as serving false gods, but

as serving them badly, while the Christians serve their Gord with the humility and reverence

of ideal vassals.

Laisses 189-213

Summary

Eears ago, when Charlemagne had $ust begun his campaign against Muslim Spain, Marsilla

had sent requests for help to !aligant, the tremendously powerful emir of !abylon. /t takes

him a while to get around to it, but !aligant does at last fit out a great flotilla to go to Spain to

help his vassal Marsilla.

%nce !aligant and his men arrive in Spain, the emir sends out messengers to Saragossa,

directing them to tell Marsilla that he has come to put an end to Charless campaign. /m

going into France to fight with Charles, !aligant boasts, if he will not beg mercy at my feet

and turn his back upon the Christian law, then / shall take the crown right off his head

175:.2>4762>4?8.

9hen the two envoys come to Saragossa, they find general disorder and despair. #he people

of the city, and Dueen !ramimonde in particular, blame and scold their gods for having

allowed such heavy Saracen losses' all their best fighting men were either killed at

)oncesvals or drowned in the Kbro. Marsilla, much humbled by the loss of his son @urfaleu,who )oland killed at )oncesvals, and of his own right hand, tells the messengers how much



he and his men have suffered at the hands of the Franks. (e urges them to tell the emir to

fight Charlemagnes army, which, he tells the messengers, is most likely still near the Kbro

river. Marsilla goes so far as to offer to cede his lands to the emir in return for protection

against the fierce Frankish army.

#he messengers return to !aligant and recount to him the news from Saragossa. !aligant promises to avenge Marsillas losses and suffering. !aligant and his men ride to Saragossa,

where they find Marsilla dying from the wounds he received at )oncesvals. Marsilla gives

!aligant his lands and !aligant leaves to chase down the Christians.

Meanwhile, Charlemagne and his men ride back to bloodied )oncesvals to mourn for their

lost companions. Charlemagne finds )olands body and grieves over it. #he king is swept

away by sorrow' / feel so sad / do not want to live, he says 1235.25258. "ll the Frankish

dead, besides )oland, %livier, and #urpin, are buried in a common grave on the field and

blessed. #he three greatest champions are embalmed, swathed, and put in wagons to be taken

back to sweet France.

Commentary

/n the initial part of this section, describing the arrival of !aligant, the narrative has a lot of

ground to cover and thus moves along at a very rapid pace, summari&ing rather than placing

fully developed scenes before us. #he transition to the !aligant episode is rather abrupt' while

other ma$or plot developments, such as the treachery of *anelon or the massacre at

)oncesvals, were foreshadowed far in advance of their arrival, !aligant seems to spring upon

us all at once, although the battle with him is prophesied in one of the visions sent to

Charlemagne. Some scholars have wondered if !aligant is perhaps a tacked6on interpolation.

9hile our impression of the suddenness of !aligants arrival might seem to argue for this, the

form of the epic seen in its entirety requires !aligant' Charlemagne must avenge the death of

)oland and thus he requires pagans to conquer. !ecause of the symmetries that govern the

poem, and because Charlemagne must take on a worthy enemy for his victory to be

meaningful, the poem requires that Charlemagne fight an opponent who towers above the

/slamic world to the degree that Charlemagne towers above Christendom. !aligant is

necessary for the overall balance of The Song of Roland.

#he description of !aligant gives us the sense that here indeed is a worthy adversary for

Charlemagne, that he is Charlemagnes /slamic equivalent. Gike Charlemagne, !aligant is

impossibly old, a very ancient man, ; who had lived through (omers time and Lergils too1745.2>7=62>7>8. 9hile Marsilla, never noble enough to offer the Franks a good and fair

fight, fought out of fear, !aligant, like Charles, fights for religious reasons' he wants

Charlemagne to turn his back upon the Christian law 175:.2>4:8.

#he second part of this section describes the grief of the Franks for the dead at )oncesvals,

most particularly the grief of Charlemagne for )oland, and the burial of the dead. /n the

verses describing Charlemagne watching over )olands body, the poet again uses the

technique of the laisses similaires to suspend a single moment, as if in amber. Laisses 23> and

23< are alternate versions of each other, as are the ends of laisses 23< and 235' thus the

echoes are interwoven. #he effect is to urge us to consider deeply the loss that Charlemagne

feels' as mentioned earlier, his capacity for overwhelming emotion, and his frank expressionof it 1unlike the laconically macho action hero that our culture more frequently presents,



Charlemagne weeps, faints, yanks out his hair and says things like / feel so sad / do not want

to live, 1235.252588, ennoble him in the poets eyes.

Laisses 214-236

Summary

"s Charlemagnes men prepare to leave the field of carnage, two messengers from !aligant

ride up and proclaim battle. Charles swiftly organi&es his army, telling his men that now is the

time to avenge )olands death. (e asks his men )abel and *uinemant to ride ahead and lead

the troops, taking the places of %livier and )oland. #he men are divided into battalions of all

sorts of valiant ChristiansFrenchmen, !avarians, +ormans, !retons, and so forth. #hey ride

out, proud and confident, to meet the pagan hordes.

#he emir !aligant, a noble and valiant man, has also organi&ed his army. (e has battalions of

all sorts of fierce pagans"rmenians, Moors, #urks, ersians, and all the rest. (e grants his

son Malprimes the first blow of the battle. #he armies, Christian and pagan, meet and

exchange threats and boasts.

Commentary

/n the overall plan of the poem, )olands martyrdom is balanced against Charlemagnes

revenge' that the pagan and Christian forces run into each other at )oncesvals this time

around as well reminds us of this balance, and of Charlemagnes motive.

9e have noted previously that the character of !aligant is devised in such a way as to make

him the /slamic counterpart of Charlemagne' here we are told further that this is actually aconscious affectation of !aligants. #he mirroring we see between the two is in part the result

of !aligants effort to imitate the king of the Franks- !aligant has given his sword a name

because hes heard them speak of Charless sword ; he lets his own be known as recieuse. ;

#his then will be his war cry in the field' he orders all his knights to sing it out 1224.:7?=6

:7?48. !aligant, we are told, is a copycat' he gives his sword a name that rhymes with the

name of Charless, @oyeuse. !ecause the imitation is usually regarded as automatically inferior

to the original, this is the perfect way for the poet to unite his formal scheme of symmetry

with his desire to leave us with no trace of a doubt as to Charless superiority. 9hen we are

told also that !aligant orders his knights to make recieuse their battle6cry, this further

emphasi&es that !aligants similarity to Charlemagne is partly contrived and further suggests

that !aligants men are lacking in spontaneous enthusiasm for him.

Symmetry is again carefully observed in the descriptions of the preparations for battle on each

side' first the leader arms himself, then the men are organi&ed into battalions, then all pray. /n

the ordering of !aligants battalions, the /slamic world is exotici&ed by the inclusion of vivid,

inventive descriptions of physically bi&arre groups, like the big6headed men of Misnes

12:2.:2278 who have tufted bristles, $ust like hogs 12:2.:22:8 running down their backs and

the troops from %ccian Jeserta who have skins...every bit as hard as iron 12::.:2?58.

Laisses 237-263



Summary

Meeting, the armies exchange battle cries' the Christians shout Mon$oy0 and the pagans

shout recieuse0, the name of !aligants sword. )abel and *uinemant strike the first blows,

leaving corpses behind them. agans and Christians alike fight hard and well. !aligants son

Malprimes kills many French knights before Juke +aimes spits him through. #he battle isextremely close. !aligant slaughters many of the best Frankish warriors, including

*uinemant. !ut when the brave Christian lord %ger strikes the pagan flag6bearer, and

!aligant sees the banner of Mohammed fall, the emir begins to suspect that his gods are false,

$ust as the Christians always said.

#he two great leaders, !aligant and Charlemagne, find each other through the confusion of

the fight by recogni&ing each others voices as they shout their battle cries. #hey unhorse eachother and find themselves facing each other with drawn swords. !aligant asks Charlemagne to

become his vassal' Charlemagne asks !aligant to convert to Christianity. #he great Muslim

emir and the great Christian king are, of course, alike unbending. !aligant gives Charles a

great blow to the head, but *od does not want him dead and Saint *abriel comes to his aid.

(earing *abriels voice, the king recovers and splits the emirs body through.

Seeing their leader dead, the Muslims flee and the Christians chase them, slashing at them as

they run away.

Commentary

/n this battle6scene, the pageantry of war is again lovingly depicte as a series of fine, colored

images, of vermilion on green grass and saffron6yellow byrnies. "nd again, the poets instinct

toward order and symmetry cause him to arrange the scene in such a way that the battle feels

well6choreographed, almost graceful.

9e see again the strong belief, among both the Christians and the Muslims, that in the end the

$ust will inevitably triumph, for the world is run by a munificent god with a sharp eye trained

on all that happens beneath him. !ut if both sides, toward their different gods, see themselves

as like servants hoping for favors from the almightyas when Charlemagne asks for a

miracle or the pagans call on #ermagant to save them from drowning in the Kbrothe

Muslims are portrayed as having an attitude of less than total humility towards their divinities.

#he pagans, when they are portrayed attempting to strike bargains with their godsas when

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the emir shouts out, %h mighty gods of mine, /ve served you long. ; /ll make you effigies of

solid gold, "%/ ; if only you will keep me safe from Charles, 12=:.:?526:?5?8are shown

to be not only serving the wrong gods, but serving them wrongly. #he Franks, on the other

hand, sum up in a neat phrase the role that they see themselves taking in relation to *od when

they cry, Hing Charles is in the right against these pagans, ; and *od has left his verdict up to

us 12?2.::><6::>48. Kssentially, the Frankish soldiers see themselves as the executive branch of *od' he legislates and $udges, but it is up to them to enforce.

#he attitude that !aligant takes when he sees his flags, along with his flag6bearer, toppled,

seems rather curious unless one understands the strength of the conviction that the good will

win among these characters- 9hen !aligant observes his banner falling ; and the standard of

Mohammed coming down, ; the emir understands somewhat ; that he is wrong and

Charlemagne is right 12=<.:==76:==?8. #he belief that the events of a battle can prove not

only who has a better army or stronger men, but who is better loved by *od allows victory to

become a demonstration of the righteousness of ones own religious practice' thus the Franks

can hope for battlefield conversions if they are sufficiently valiant, and a good warrior is truly

a good missionary. *iven Dueen !ramimondes despair over the cowardliness of her husbandand his troops, her resulting conviction that the gods abandoned the Saracen army on the

battlefield, and her later conversion to Christianity, it seems she too relies on the test of

military success to show her which religion to follow.

/n the combat between Charlemagne and !aligant, they mirror each others every move, after

recogni&ing each others battle cry, like echoes converging. Inlike the symmetry between

@oyeuse and recieuse, there is no suggestion that one leads and the other follows' their

actions seems to be simultaneous and their relation seems to be perfectly even and mutual. /n

laisses 2=4 and 2=5, the choice of words emphasi&es this mutuality' they traded mighty

thrusts 12=4.:=>48 and exchange tremendous blows 12=5.:=428. /t seems that they are so

evenly matched in skill and strength that, without the light touch of divine intervention in

laisse 2>7, the two might have been too equal to each other for one to triumph over the other.

#hat this angelic visitationrather than Charlemagnes strengthturns the battle supports the

view that victory is the lot of the morally superior. %n the literal level, this view seems to

make )olands martyrdom incomprehensible' if he was such a favorite of *ods, why didnt

the heavenly host work some miracle to save him !ut this is exactly the problem that

motivates the entire poem' how can one make sense of the massacre of Frances greatest

warriors and greatest men #he largest shape of the poemof revenge following and

mirroring tragedy, and punishment coming on the heels of betrayalalong with the ideal of

martyrdom represent an attempt to fit the death of )oland into a larger picture that can $ustifyand make sense of it.

Laisses 264-269

Summary

#he Frenchmen chase the pagans all the way back to Saragossa. Dueen !ramimonde,

watching from a tower, sees this and wails at the shameful defeat of the emir. Marsilla,

hearing this, dies of grief and his soul is taken to hell by lively devils 12>?.:>?<.8



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"ll the Saracen warriors either are dead or have run away, and so Charlemagne and his men

take Saragossa without the slightest bit of difficulty. #he Franks go through the city, smashing

the pagan idols, and then give the people of Saragossa the choice of conversion or death.

#housands are bapti&ed Christian. #he Franks take !ramimonde captive' they wish to take her

back to France, for AtBhe king desires that she recant through love 12>>.:><?8.

#hen the Franks set out for France, triumphant. Charlemagne leaves )olands oliphant on the

altar of the church of Saint Seurin in !ordeaux. #he bodies of )oland, %livier, and #urpin are

buried at the church of Saint )omain in !laive. Soon all the Frankish forces arrive back at

Charlemagnes capitol, "ix.

!ack at "ix, a beautiful girl named "lde, who was %liviers sister and engaged to )oland,

asks Charlemagne where her love is. 9hen he tells her that )oland is dead, she dies of grief.

Commentary

/n this section, the poet must again shift into summary to cover all that happens. #ime moves

again at a rapid clip. Laisse 2>>, describing what Charlemagnes men do to christiani&e

Saragossa, is a good account of the ultimate goal of the Franks, of what they fight for. #heir

pious intentions in campaigns of conquest are demonstrated by the promptness and

enthusiasm with which they force conversions. !ecause the king believes in *od, he wants

to serve (im 12>>.:>>>8, so he orders the pagans rounded up and bapti&ed and, AiBf any one

of them opposed Charles,;hell have the man cut down or hanged or burned 12>>.:>>56:><38.

#he absolute quality of the values held by the Franks, and shared by the poet, allow this to be

narrated without the slightest hint of queasiness' such is the confidence of men certain that

they are the favorites of *od, his best vassals.

/n laisse 2><, there is a reference especially interesting to historians trying to understand how

The Song of Roland came into existence. %ne theory is that the story of the massacre at

)oncesvals was preserved over the centuries by legends told along the pilgrimage route to the

shrine of Saint @ames at Compostella. #he road runs through the pass of )oncesvals' perhaps

the legend of )oland was kept alive by pilgrims and monks until it passed into the songs of

$ongleurs and was finally remolded and written down by some anonymous poet, thus crossing

over from folklore to literature and resulting in The Song of Roland as we know it. #he

competition between pilgrimage sites was intense, as a town or monastery with a famous

shrine or miracle6working relic could become rich off the flocking pilgrims. Canny monks

certainly manipulated, and sometimes even invented, holy legends to attract pilgrims. 9henwe are told that AoBn the altar of the noble Saint Seurin;he ACharlemagneB sets the horn,



brimful of gold mangons-;the pilgrims going there can see it still 12><.:>4=6 :>4<8 lends

support to the theory that The Song of Roland s origin can be found on a pilgrimage route, but

such a theory remains con$ecture.

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The Song of Roland, in depicting ideal knightly behavior, concentrates on the warriors relationto his fellow warriorsto his vassals, his liege lord, his companions. 9hile in later medieval

models of the perfect chevalier focused attention on his relation to women and the cult of

courtly love 1leading eventually to our more frequent use of the term chivalrous to apply to a

man who holds doors open for women than to a fierce warrior8, the twelfth century found all

that needed to be known about a man in his behavior towards other men. #he brief appearance

of "lde the !eautiful, who dies of grief when she hears of )olands death, is no real

exception' the character that the poet is interested in is )olands, and we never hear anything

about "lde from him.

Laisses 270-289

Commentary

#he time has come for the trial of the traitor *anelon. Charles assembles a council of his lords

and barons to serve as a sort of $ury, to decide the criminals fate. *anelon is brought forth in

chains. Charles argues that *anelon has betrayed the twelve peers. #he argument that

develops is not about the facts of the case, but their meaning. *anelon does not dispute that he

planned with the pagans the massacre at )oncesvals, but he defends himself by arguing that

this was not treason, that he was only taking his $ust revenge- Since )oland took my gold and property, / therefore planned his suffering and death' but /ll concede to no one this was

treason 12<2.:<=46:<>3.8 *anelon tells the assembled barons how )oland had picked him to

be an envoy to Marsilla because of his grudge against his stepfather. (e recounts how he then

offered an open challenge to )oland and his comrades and argues that this makes his action

revenge, not treason. *anelons friend inabel says that if any of the barons ask that *anelon

be hanged, he will prove him wrong in trial by combat, and show that he lies by beating him

in a duel.



#he barons debate this question of $ustice. !ecause no sentence they can pass will bring back

)oland, and because *anelon is a well6respected and well6born man who could still be usefulto Charlemagne, the men decide to let him live. #he one dissenter is #hierry.

9hen the barons announce their verdict to Charlemagne, he is deeply disappointed. #hierry

then speaks up, arguing that, while )oland may have wronged *anelon, *anelon betrayed

Charlemagne by attacking a man in Charlemagnes service. #hus, says #hierry, *anelon

should die.

+ow #hierry and inabel must fight. inabel states, / say A#hierryB lies and will contest it

with him 12<4.:4??8. Kach combatant must have a guarantee' thirty of inabels relatives

offer themselves as surety for him, and Charlemagne offers himself for #hierry. inabel and

#hierry offer up their right6hand gloves to the emperor, and a formal battle is arranged. #hefighters make their confessions, arm themselves, and mount their horses, while everyone

gathers around to watch.

#he two knights soon unhorse each other and begin to fight standing, with their swords.

inabel is the stronger man, and wounds #hierry badly, but the Gord does not want #hierry to

die. *od works a miracle' #hierry slashes open inabels skull. #hus the Franks see that

*anelon is a traitor. For good measure, they decide to hang all thirty of inabels relatives too.

*anelon, however, needs a more painful death' each of his limbs is tied to a wild horse, and

he is literally torn apart. #he traitor goes to his damnation.

Commentary

#he trial6by6combat which is used to decide the argument between *anelons supporter

inabel and Charlemagnes supporter #hierry vividly brings before us the medieval

conception of the $ustice of *od. inabel supports *anelons case that his organi&ation of the

Saracen rear guard was an example of $ustified and openly proclaimedthus validrevenge

on )oland and his cronies, the twelve peers of France. #hierry argues that, since )oland was

at the time serving Charlemagne, )oland should have en$oyed immunity from such attacks for

the duration of his service, and *anelons action was thus a betrayal of Charlemagne. #o

determine who is right, inabel and #hierry fight, so that *od can reveal which man is $ust by

intervening and making him the victor. #his, in a microcosm, is the same view of battle that

motivates Charlemagnes campaign in Spain' the cry of #hierry#oday let *od show which

of us is right0could be the general cry of the Franks in Spain 124:.:4548. #o make it clear

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that it is the good man, and not merely the stronger, who wins, and to show that *od really

does intervene, the poet emphasi&es that inabel is much stronger than #hierry. #hus we can

better en$oy the sureness of the $ustice of such a trial.

#he hanging of inabels thirty kinsmen is anomalous and rather pu&&ling. /n offeringthemselves as hostages for inabel, they were, according to the protocol of such things,

merely offering themselves as surety that inabel would appear at the set time and place of

the battle and follow the agreed6upon rules, which he did, and, upon his doing so, they would

expect to be released. #heir hanging in no way agrees with medieval conceptions of $ustice.

(owever, the hatred for *anelon among the Franks, once they see that *od counts him a

traitor by inabels defeat, seems to be so vehement that it is contagious, and spreads even so

far as to damn the kinsmen of his friend. #he death of )oland and %livier and the twelve

peers is so devastating that it seems that no vengeance is too harsh for the poet.

Laisses 290-291

Summary

!ramimonde, meanwhile, having heard many sermons from her captors, is now ready to

become a true Christian. She is bapti&ed and renamed @uliana.

"fter such a very busy day, the emperor is ready for a good nights sleep. !ut then Saint

*abriel comes to him with a new assignment' the Christian city of /mphe is besieged by

pagans and the good people there need the help of Charles and his army. %ld Charlemagne

has no desire to go. *od, how tiring is my life0 he cries out 1257.?3338.

Commentary

#he emphasis placed in laisse 253 on the true conviction of !ramimonde when she converts

to Christianity contradicts the idea that Christendom of the early Middle "ges was so caught

up in the letter of Christianity that it forgot the spirit, considering the outward forms of

devotion without regard for motivation. #here are certainly parts of The Song of Roland that

do support the image of medieval Christianitys literalismfor instance, that the conversionsat Saragossa, forced on a citi&enry offered baptism or grisly death, seem not to raise questions

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among the Franks or from the poet as to their validitybut the poets insistence here on the

sincerity of !ramimondes embrace of Christianity indicates a concern for the inward state,

which sits uneasily beside forced conversion.

Saint *abriels assignment for Charles shows again a conception of the Frankish forces as the

executive arm of *od. %ur last peek at the emperorwhen he responds to this angeliccommand by tugging at his beard and complaining, *od, how tiring is my life0 1257.?3338

leaves us with an impression of Charlemagne as sympathetically human, an old man who

knows suffering and is saddled with enormous responsibilities. 9e do not doubt, after getting

to know him over the course of the poem, that he will go to help the Christians at /mphe.

#he last line is the most controversial single line of the entire chanson. #he literal meaning of

it in the %ld FrenchCi falt la geste que #uroldus declinet 1257.?3328 is unclear, offering

up several contradictory readings. Jeclinet may mean compose, transcribe, or

weaken, and thus #uroldus could be the name of a poet who composed what we have read,

a $ongleur who sang it, or a scribe who copied it down from an earlier manuscript or from a

performance. +o one can offer anything but con$ecture as to the precise meaning of this line.9hat is clear is that it brings us outside of the world of the story and into the world of the

telling of the story' it frames the story, sealing it off at one end.

cantarea lui roland

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