Paper IX Medieval Prescribed Texts: The Song of Roland/Chanson de Roland
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Detailed Oxford Song of Roland/Chanson de Roland Lecture Notes
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Paper IX Medieval Prescribed Texts: The Song of Roland/Chanson de Roland
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Paper IX Medieval Prescribed Texts: The Song of Roland/Chanson de Roland
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Roland Lecture Notes
Lecture 1 - Introduction to text and literary context
- Militantly pro-Christian
- Why read it?: Importance to literary history and national identity; insights into
society and power of religion; good fun to read (emotional scenes, excitement e.g.
first laisse ends with idea that something bad will happen to Marsile).
- Chanson de geste (epic):
- Tends towards popularising, hyperbole and emotive language as relating geste
(great deeds).
- Three basic types of chanson de geste: 1) strong king (e.g. Roland—Charlemagne
strong king); 2) barons in revolt due to weak king (e.g. Raoul de Cambrai); 3)
weak leader who prospers as supported by a strong baron (cycle of epics involving
William of Orange).
- Strophic form in laisses of varying length (5-34 lines in Roland; average 13.38).
Decasyllabic split into four and then six. Lines in each laisse display assonance.
- Sung, accompanied by a vielle (fiddle). We don’t know exactly how it was
performed, but it is nonetheless important dimension for imagining how medieval
audience would receive the text.
- Turoldus: text authored by Turoldus, Turoldus copied it?
- Date of composition uncertain. Probably composed 1100-1120. Lines 2503-4: seen
as referring to discovery of the Holy Lands in 1098. Also crusading ethos in the text.
- Oxford version is in Anglo-Norman dialect. Only copy is Digby 23. The manuscript is
in poor condition; small format (portable, so could it have been used by a jongleur
for performance; parchment of modest quality shows not expensive; scribe’s hand is
untidy and informal; no illustrations and little decoration; lucky to have it because
people most concerned at the time to preserve Christian material (maybe its
militantly pro-Christian stance helped it to survive?).
Lecture 2 - History
- In 8th century Muslim expansion into Spain. Charlemagne makes Spanish expedition
777-8. After two months of besieging Saragossa Charlemagne has to return to quell
Saxon uprising. Ambush in Pyrenees in August 778.
- How was the legend transmitted? Gaston Paris: ‘traditionalist theory’ (songs
composed at time of event and then passed through generations until being
collected into longer songs). Joseph Bédier: ‘individualist’ theory (works composed
much later on major pilgrim routes; rejects Germanic origins partly for political
reasons; works are not fragments of oral transmission but individual works of create
genius by specific authors). Duggan: ‘neo-traditionalist theory’ (bit of both—some
oral transmission that preserve the key facts of the event and various forms of these
oral traditions are committed to writing).
- Major source for transmission of the historical Roland into the Oxford Roland is the
Nota Emilianese. Dates to around 1065-75. Contains 12 peers; names of heroes;
Charlemagne accepting gifts on advice of warriors; Roland included as mighty
warrior killed in the rearguard (stuff we do not find in earlier annals or in Einhard);
Saracens (not Basques) identified as enemy; Cize mentioned as pass in Pyrenees
(c.f. vv. 583, 719, 2929); first mention of Rencesvals as place of battle. No Ganelon
still, no revenge for death of Roland as inspiring factor, no Baligant, but nonetheless
clear some key elements have crystallised in intervening centuries. Gradual
coalescence of elements in Roland.
1
, - Evidence song of Roland sung at Battle of Hastings (William of Malmesbury). Wace
says Taillefer sang it at Hastings.
- Evidence for knowledge of the legend in Oxford version itself comes from prolepsis—
assumption that audience knows material being described (e.g. in line 9 says
Marsile will get struck down—everyone knows what will heppen; in line 1421 learn
that Franks will never again see their fathers; in line 1437 earthquakes etc. due to
death of Roland; line 178 told Ganelon commits act of betrayal). These are not
spoilers—people already know. More developed prolepsis vv. 1405-11: Ganelon sold
household in Saragossa and later killed in Aachen. No surprise/mystery.
- Charlemagne regular figure in medieval French literature as an all-conquering
figure. BUT some accounts talk about unspecified sin (e.g. in 10th century Vita
Aegidii Charlemagne asks St Giles to pray for unspecified sin). Karlamagnus Saga of
13th century says it was incest with his sister. 14th century Tristan de Nanteuil says
was sleeping with sister and producing Roland. Lines 2095-8: points to
Charlemagne’s sin being written down on parchment in Church in life of St Giles.
- Seven version in French and three French fragments. Also non-French versions in
Latin, Norse, Welsh, German and Dutch amongst others.
- Differences between versions. e.g. in Oxford Roland Aude has a brief cameo; gets
450-1,000 lines in many other texts.
- Title biases us to seeing the text in a certain way. Michel gave it title Song of
Roland. We privilege role played by Roland in it. Oxford version has no title. V4:
refers to Romance of Rencesvals. V7 no title. C refers to Rencesvals, Roland, Oliver
and Aude in its explicit (ending), suggesting they are all on a par. T refers to book of
twelve peers. L also picks up on twelve peers: ‘Ci finit li chançons des douze
combatant’.
- Opening refers to ‘our great emperor’ - suggests he is as relevant to people of 12th
century as those of 8th century. ‘Our Franks’ (line 1190); ‘Our barons’ (line 2872)
creating a connection between audience of 12th century and historical events of
late 8th century.
- Is the text referring to France or Francia (Frankish empire under Charlemagne—line
135 suggests this latter)? Yet sometimes France refers to Île de France (lines 3084-
5–battalion comprised of barons from Île de France and refers to ‘nos’ here). Franc
and Franceis usually synonymous (e.g. 804 and 808-9). Past and present being
conflated—Franks of past represent Frenchmen of the present, as in lines 3031-2—
Charlemagne’s favourites are men of Île-de-France—northern French focus in Oxford
Roland, hence why it became a national epic.
Lecture 3 - Feudalism
- Feudalism is a concept understood in different ways by different historians (some
dispute it existed as a practiced system of law and politics). Set of reciprocal legal
and military obligations amongst the warrior nobility, centred around lords, vassals
and fiefs. Feudal society is more general system of political and social organisations
that encompasses all three estates of medieval society. Literary portrayals of feudal
society often political and works of propaganda. Often feudal society is portrayed in
an anachronistic manner (features and symbols that were not relevant to 12th
century but reflect an imagination of an earlier period of feudal society that was
seen as something ideal that had come to be lost).
- Key concepts: relationship between suzerain (line 1254) and vassal (line 39 ‘hom’
means vassal. ‘honor’ here means both honour and fief—honour accrues to
someone by virtue of holding a fief). NB ‘vassal’ (lines 231 and 1123) means ‘brave
knight’ and not ‘vassal’.
- Relationship between vassal and suzerain confirmed by swearing fealty and doing
homage (lines 86 and 3801 and 3893–‘love and faith’—homosocial bond between
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