The Song of Roland
Also known as: La Chanson de Roland
An Old French epic recounting the ambush of Charlemagne’s rear guard at Roncevaux, the valor and death of Roland, and Charlemagne’s divine-tinged vengeance, culminating in the trial and condemnation of the traitor Ganelon.
Description
The Song of Roland is the quintessential chanson de geste of the Matter of France. Composed in Old French decasyllabic verse, it dramatizes the historical Basque ambush of 778 at Roncevaux as a crusading clash with Saracens, centering on Roland, nephew of Charlemagne, and his doomed rearguard. Roland’s refusal to call for aid with his horn, the olifant, becomes an emblem of heroic pride and sacrificial steadfastness; his sword Durendal bears saintly relics, fusing feudal honor with sacred power. Oliver’s prudent counsel and Archbishop Turpin’s warrior-sanctity temper Roland’s zeal, while Ganelon’s treachery triggers catastrophe and later judicial reckoning. Across laisses of stark parallelism and assonance, the poem weaves divine signs, angelic interventions, and royal justice into a providential frame. Charlemagne’s avenging campaign, the single combat that condemns Ganelon, and the conversion arc of Queen Bramimonde recast a border skirmish as sacred history, shaping medieval ideals of loyalty, kingship, and holy war.
Historiography
Known primarily from the Oxford (Bodleian) Digby 23 manuscript, The Song of Roland survives in several versions and later redactions, including variants in Old French, Occitan, and related adaptations (e.g., the Middle High German Rolandslied). The Oxford text’s language and assonance suggest an Anglo-Norman milieu, possibly composed post-First Crusade. The closing attribution to “Turoldus” is likely a scribe or performer, not securely the author. Medieval chronicles and subsequent epics integrated Roland’s legend into the Carolingian cycle, influencing European romance traditions.
Date Notes
Epic tradition likely coalesced from earlier chansons about the 778 defeat at Roncevaux; the Oxford (Digby 23) manuscript is the earliest substantial witness, often dated early–mid 12th century.
Major Characters
- Roland
- Charlemagne
- Ganelon
- Oliver
- Turpin
Myths
- Ganelon’s Betrayal
- The Battle of Roncevaux Pass
- Roland’s Oliphant and Death
- Charlemagne’s Vengeance
- The Trial and Doom of Ganelon
Facts
- The Oxford (Bodleian) Digby 23 manuscript is the earliest and most complete witness.
- Composed in Old French decasyllabic lines organized into assonanced laisses.
- The poem reframes the 778 Roncevaux defeat as a Christian–Saracen battle.
- Roland’s horn, the olifant, becomes a moral emblem of pride, courage, and delayed prudence.
- Archbishop Turpin embodies the medieval ideal of the warrior-cleric.
- Ganelon’s treason is resolved by judicial combat, affirming divine-royal justice.
- Charlemagne is depicted with miraculous longevity and angelic guidance.
- Durendal is said to contain holy relics, sacralizing Roland’s warfare.
- The work influenced later European romances, including Italian Orlando cycles.
- Adaptations include the German Rolandslied and Norse Karlamagnus Saga episodes.