The first complete English translation of three chansons de geste
inspired by the Romance epic, the Song of Roland.
The success of the eleventh-century Song of Roland gave rise to a series
of around twenty related chansons de geste, known collectively as the
Cycle of the King. In addition to reworkings of the Song of Roland in
Old French and other medieval languages, these poems are devoted to the
numerous military campaigns of Charlemagne against the Muslims before
and after the tragic Battle of Roncevaux. These texts provide valuable
insights into the medieval reception of the Roland material,
exemplifying the process of cycle formation and attesting to the
diversity of the Romance epic. Far from presenting a simplistic view of
the clash of civilizations, these chansons de geste display a web of
contradictions, offering both a glorification and a critique of hatred
and violence.
This volume offers English translations of the three epic poems whose
action directly precedes the events of the Song of Roland. Gui of
Burgundy extends the period of time spent in Spain by Charles and his
army from seven to twenty-six years, which gives the sons of the Twelve
Peers the opportunity to reach adulthood and come to the rescue of their
fathers. Roland at Saragossa, composed in Occitan, takes place in the
days immediately preceding the decisive defeat and relates in an
heroi-comic manner how Roland sneaks into Saragossa at the request of
the pagan Queen Braslimonda, who has been enraptured by his strength and
beauty. Finally, Otinel tells of a Saracen envoy who comes to Paris to
challenge Charlemagne on behalf of the Emir Garsile, who has his capital
in Lombardy. The action takes place in France and northern Italy in a
lull between the capture of Pamplona and the defeat at Roncevaux.
The translations are presented with notes, and the volume includes an
introduction placing the poems in their wider historical and cultural
contexts.
