Historical Analysis

La Chanson de Roland

 

La Chanson de Roland is an epic poem composed in the Middle Ages, particularly the eleventh century, and is considered to be the most famous and extraordinary example of chansons de geste, a literary form that signifies ‘songs of heroic deeds’. The poem recounts an episode of the wars of Charlemagne against the Saracens, the historical battle held in Roncesvalles (la Bataille de Roncevaux), which is a region in South France today known as Provence. Although the poet is unknown, many scholars believe a poet named Turolde, name found in the last stanzas of the poem, composed it. It is also believed that like other medieval chansons de geste, La Chanson de Roland was first created and passed on orally, sung by performers, known as jongleurs, at feasts and festivals before it was transcribed. As a result, many of the poetic features of the poem were lost when it was translated from the Old French in which it was composed. However, the written poem that exists today still keeps the narration of the original medieval piece; the voice that recounts the story is the voice of the jongleur. The narration does not give the voice of a character in the poem, nor does he assume a third-person omniscient character as an observer; he simply narrates the story as the storyteller.

Although the piece was written approximately three hundred years after the events it discusses took place, it uses history to a great effect to depict the spread of Christendom and Charlemagne’s attempts at conversions as he expanded the boundaries of his empire. Evidence pertaining to the connection between events that actually occurred and the credibility of the events in Chanson de Roland are not very strong. This is speculated to be a consequent of the fact that the poem portrays some of the failures of Charlemagne’s conquest of Spain. As a result, the poem is widely accepted as simply a story with no real historical basis.

Furthermore, the poem is written in stanzas with lengths that follow no particular pattern, known as laisses. Each line in the poem consists of approximately ten syllables, and the rhythm is formed by the tenth syllable being stressed, and the vowel sound from one laisse does not follow the sound of the previous laisse. As a result, the poem does not follow any particular rhythmic pattern. Additionally, the structure of the poem illustrates a symmetrical depiction of four major scenes. The beginning of the poem introduces Ganelon’s crime, and at the end is his punishment. In the middle, Roland’s martyrdom and Charlemagne’s vengeance, both revolving around two great and significant battles, are told in parallel form resulting in the two mirroring each other.

 

Plot summary

The poem begins with Charlemagne’s army fighting the Muslims in Spain. The Muslim king, Masrilla, holds the last city standing, Saragossa, and as a result of his fear of Charlemagne’s army, he offers Charlemagne treasure and his conversion to Christianity if Charlemagne and his army return to France; an offer that they accept. In search for a messenger to go back to Marsilla’s court, Roland, one of the warriors, nominates his stepfather Ganelon to carry out the task. Ganelon is enraged, as he fears he will be murdered by the enemy and suspects that this is what Roland had intended. As a result, Ganelon tells the Saracens how they can ambush Charlemagne’s army, led by Roland, as the Franks go back to Spain through the mountains.

Just as Ganelon predicted, Roland volunteered to lead the rear guard, and picks the wise Olivier and the archbishop Turpin to join him. As planned, the Muslims ambush them at Roncesvalles. Olivier asks Roland to blow on his Oliphant, a horn made out of an elephant tusk, to call for help from the Frankish army as he realizes that they are gravely outnumbered. However, Roland proudly refuses to do so as he assumes that the rear guard can easily take on their attackers. The preceeding events do not turn out in his favor as his men fight until their death, and Roland realizes it is too late for Charlamagne and his army to save them. Instead, Roland blows his Oliphant so that the army can avenge his men. Roland blows the instrument until his temples burst and he dies a martyr’s death.

When Charlemagne and his men arrive at the battlefield, they find the dead bodies of Roland and his men. Charlemagne’s men chase the Muslim to the river where they all eventually drown. Meanwhile, the emir of Babylon, Baligant, arrives in Spain to help Marsilla defeat the Franks. Baligant and his Muslim army chase after Charlemagne and his Christian army, where they come across them on the battlefield at Roncesvalles, to find the Christians burying and mourning their deceased. Charlemagne kills Baligant, all the pagan army flee. Saragossa no longer has an army, and as a result the Franks conquer the city. Charlemagne and his men ride back to France’s capital, Aix, with Marsilla’s wife Bramimonde.

Ganelon claims that his action was revenge rather than treason after the Franks discover his betrayal. However his actions were regarded as betrayal of the emperor, and as a result he is torn apart by galloping horses and thirty of his relatives are hung for his punishment.

Why I chose this piece

My grandfather lived in South France for a few years, and I remember him telling us stories of the food, culture and literature that he experienced in the region. When I mentioned to him that I am taking a course that allows us to explore medieval texts from the language in which we choose, my choice being French, we were both ecstatic to share our stories of what he had been reading/studying. The rest of our conversation involved him discussing the various literature pieces he had been exposed to as he spent most of his time reading and researching, and me recounting what we’ve done in class. He was more than thrilled to talk about La Chanson Song of Roland, and from our conversation I grew fond of the piece. He told me he had never read the piece in Old French, and we both realized how fun it would be for me to use this project as a way translate a part of the text for him and explain how certain words evolved from Latin to Old French, and from Old French to Modern French.

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