The Song of Roland

THE SONG OF ROLAND
TRANSLATED BY: FREDERICK GOLDIN
Prepared By:
BALIDIONG, Mark Henry H.

ABOUT THE POEM
 The Song of Roland (or La
Chanson de Roland), the earliest
surviving masterpiece of French
literature, is an epic poem written
in Old French which reached its
final form in or around the later
11th century. The Roncevaux Pass
 It centres on the death of Charlemagne’s nephew
Roland at the battle of Roncevaux.
 Nothing is known of the author except that his name
may have been Turoldus.

ABOUT THE POEM
 The date of composition is put in the period
between 1040 and 1115: an early version
beginning around 1040 with additions and
alterations made up until about 1115.
 The final text has about 4,000 lines of poetry.
 The epic poem is the first and one of the most
outstanding examples of the chanson de geste,
a literary form that flourished between the 11th
and 15th centuries and celebrated the
legendary deeds.

 The poem is written in stanzas of irregular
length known as laisses. The lines are
decasyllabic (containing ten syllables), and
each is divided by a strong caesura (a complete
pause in a line of poetry) which generally falls
after the fourth syllable. The last stressed
syllable of each line in a laisse has the
same vowel sound as every other end-syllable
in that laisse. The laisse is therefore an assonal,
not a rhyming stanza
ABOUT THE POEM

TRACING BACK OUR HISTORY …
 Pope Leo crowned
Charlemagne in Rome in
Christmas Day, 800, making
him the first Western Roman
emperor in more than 300
years. As head of the Holy
Roman Empire, Charlemagne
became a figure of legend and
stories for hundreds of years.
Charlemagne

 By the time
Charlemagne died in
814, his empire (known
as the Carolingian
Empire) span almost
half of Europe,
including the present-
day France Germany,
Italy, Spain at Austria.
Europe in 814

 Feudalism was the economic,
social and political system in
the medieval Europe. A vassal
was granted a gift of land,
service, or position at court in
exchange of military service.
 Before Spain, or the Iberian
peninsula as a whole, became
a Catholic country, it was
dominated by the Moors, with
Islam as their religion.
 Catholics at that time
considered other religions as
infidels and a Christian
heresy.
Iberian Peninsula

CHARLEMAGNE
 Historically, Charlemagne was king of the Franks
and a committed, militant Christian. A loyal ally of
the pope and a great conqueror, he forced
conversions as he expanded the boundaries of his
empire outward from his central territory, straddling
present-day France, Germany, Italy, and Austria.
 In 800 he was crowned emperor by the pope,
legitimizing his rule over the former Roman empire
in western Europe.

CHARLEMAGNE
 After his death, he became legendary; it is this
legendary Charlemagne, the most perfect
Christian king, symbol of the spirit of the
Crusades, and favorite of heaven, who is
presented in The Song of Roland as leader of
the Frankish troops and Roland's uncle and
avenger. His name means literally, "Charles the
Great."

ROLAND
 He is only mentioned in passing in the historical
records, as the prefect of the Breton Marches,
among those who fell at Roncesvals
(Roncevaux). In The Song of Roland, however,
he is the hero. He is one of the twelve peers of
France, Charlemagne's nephew and favorite, a
skillful and extremely bold warrior and
understands the Frankish campaign in Spain as
a crusade, allowing no compromise with the
Saracens.

ROLAND
 His sometimes showy boldness and his great
popularity among the Franks and success on
the battlefield arouse the resentment of his
stepfather, Ganelon, who arranges with the
Saracens the ambush at Roncesvals.
 He dies a martyr's death at Roncesvals and is
directly taken up to Paradise by saints and
angels. The rest of the poem recounts how
Charlemagne avenges his death.

GANELON
 He is a well-respected Frankish baron and Roland's
stepfather. He resents his stepson's boastfulness and
great popularity among the Franks and success on the
battlefield. When Roland nominates him as messenger
to the Saracens, Ganelon is so deeply offended that he
vows vengeance. This vengeance becomes treachery
as Ganelon plots with the pagan Blancandrin the
ambush at Roncesvals. At the end, justice is served
when Ganelon's comrade Pinabel is defeated in a trial-
by-combat, showing that Ganelon is a traitor in the eyes
of God. Thus Ganelon is torn limb from limb by four
fiery horses.

MARSILLA
 Marsilla (or Marsilia) is the pagan king of
Saragossa, the last Spanish city to hold out
against the Frankish army. His vassal Blancandrin
plans with Ganelon the ambush at Roncesvals and
death of Roland. While Roland does die that day,
he brings a handsome price beforehand, chopping
off Marsilla's right hand. Badly weakened by this
wound, Marsilla dies of grief when he hears of
Baligant's defeat. Marsilla's queen, Bramimonde,
is later taken to Aix and converts to Christianity.

BLANCANDRIN
 The shrewd pagan Blancandrin is one of Marsilla's
most useful vassals. He suggests that they offer
treasure, hostages, and a deceitful promise to
Charlemagne that Marsilla will come to Aix and
convert to Christianity to save their honor and
lands from the great Frankish army. Marsilla picks
him to deliver the peace offer to the Franks. He
and the Frank Ganelon then plot together the
ambush at Roncesvals and death of Roland.

BASIL AND BASAN
 They were brothers and messengers of
Charlemagne who were not literally part of the
poem. Some time earlier on in Charlemagne's
Spanish campaign than the point at which The
Song of Roland begins, Marsilla had sent an
embassy of pagans carrying olive branches
over to Charlemagne with a peace offer.
Charlemagne then sent two of his counts,
Basan and Basil, over to the pagans to
negotiate and the pagans chopped off their
heads.

BASIL AND BASAN
 Roland reminds the king of this incident when
urging him not to pay any attention to Marsilla's
later offer of peace; Ganelon too remembers
the two ill-fated messengers when he takes
such offense at Roland nominating him as an
envoy.

OVERVIEW
 Charlemagne's army is fighting the Muslims in
Spain. The last city standing is Saragossa,
held by the Muslim king Marsilla. Terrified of
the might of Charlemagne's army of Franks,
Marsilla sends out messengers to
Charlemagne, promising treasure and
Marsilla's conversion to Christianity if the
Franks will go back to France. Charlemagne
and his men are tired of fighting and decide to
accept this peace offer.

OVERVIEW
They need now to select a messenger to
go back to Marsilla's court. The bold
warrior Roland nominates his stepfather
Ganelon. Ganelon is enraged; he fears
that he'll die in the hands of the
bloodthirsty pagans and suspects that
this is just Roland's intent. He has long
hated and envied his stepson.

OVERVIEW
 Riding back to Saragossa with the Saracen
messengers, he finds an opportunity for revenge. He
tells the Saracens how they could ambush the rear
guard of Charlemagne's army, which will surely be
led by Roland as the Franks pick their way back to
Spain through the mountain passes, and helps the
Saracens plan their attack.
 Just as the traitor Ganelon predicted, Roland
gallantly volunteers to lead the rear guard. This
section of the poem ended as the Christians and the
Saracens prepare to do battle.

THE SONG OF ROLAND
TRANSLATED BY: FREDERICK GOLDIN

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LAISSE 1
 The Song of Roland begins with Charlemagne
supposedly on a pilgrimage to the holy places in Spain.
He decided to take the Spain away from the Moors, who
invaded the Spain in A.D. 711 and at this time controlled
most of the country
 The first laisse tells us of the inevitability of the defeat of
Muslim evil by Christian good. Because the Christian
God is all-powerful and deeply concerned with the fate of
his worshippers, there is no doubt that they will
eventually win, although they must struggle. The
Saracens are doomed from the start by their worship of
false gods.

 Marsilion, the King of the Moors, had sent
messengers for an offer of peace, including
an amass of wealth and converting his
people, including himself, to Christianity.
However, Charlemagne, the great French
Emperor, had doubts with this.
LAISSE 13

 We first are introduced to Roland by his bold speech
of laisse 14, arguing that the Franks should pay no
attention to the Saracens' offer of peace. He recalls
how the Saracens have deceived the Franks with just
such offers in the past, and he seems to be motivated
by an underlying understanding that the war that
Charlemagne's men are fighting in Spain is sacred. He
speaks like a crusader. The theme of Roland's 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.
LAISSE 14

 Ganelon’s speech, countering Roland's, urges
pragmatic considerations, for he, unlike Roland doesn't
understand the war as absolute and sacred.
 In cultural context, Feudalism was the economic,
political, and social system of medieval Europe. Land,
worked by serfs who were bound to it, was held by
vassals. Overlords gave vassals right to the land in
exchange for military service. A baron was a tenant of
the king or any high-ranking lord. Ganelon’s counsel,
although laced with treachery, is a good example of the
interaction of the barons with their king, a necessary
component of feudal society.
LAISSE 15

 In the debate among the council as they try to decide who
should go to Marsilla, it becomed clear that Ganelon bitterly
resents his stepson. Because earlier messengers to Marsilla
had been slaughtered, Ganelon considers Roland's
nomination of him as a messenger nearly the same as
wishing him dead.
 Roland’s exchange with Ganelon shows how the poem can
be read as a blood-feud between a stepson and his
stepfather. Blood-feud is a common theme in a French epic
poetry.
 In lines 78 to 81, Roland’s rejoinder to Ganelon is one of the
great ironic moments in the poem. Roland’s tone is one of
superiority laced with bitterness.
LAISSE 20

 Ganelon was insulted with the fact that Roland is one of
King Charles’ dozen peers and he is not. He was
infuriated by this implied insult more than he is afraid that
he may indeed die. If it were pure cowardice that
motivated Ganelon, he would be relieved to let Roland go
in his stead. But this would just make Roland look all the
more brave and noble, and Ganelon hates how Roland is
always going about looking so very brave and noble.
 It is his jealousy for the esteem that Roland enjoys in the
eyes of the emperor and the barons that drives Ganelon
to want to take Roland down a notch more than anything
else.
LAISSE 21

 Ganelon, arrived at a meeting place. He
was awaited by the pagan messengers
leaded by Blancandrin, an envoy of King
Marsilion. They both recognized the
greatness of Charlemagne, with Ganelon
cited that there would be no other man like
Charlemagne.
LAISSE 28

 Ganelon talks with Blancandrin as they all ride together
back to Saragossa. Ganelon speaks of Roland's
arrogance and ferocity and blames him for inciting the
Franks to unending war. His mentioning of Roland is
infused with bitterness. This interests Blancandrin
extremely and the two, the Saracen and the Frank, find
a common bond; they both want Roland dead.
Cementing it, they pledge to each other to find a way to
get rid of him.
 Starting line 128, in cultural context, it is necessary for a
feudal lord to share the booty with his men. This would
maintain their loyalty and morale.
LAISSE 30 AND 31

 Ganelon is presented before Marsilla, sitting on his
throne. Ganelon 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.
 Also, observe that, at the start of the laisse, the
feudal code was still in place even for plotting
treachery.
LAISSE 36

 Upon reading the letter from Charlemagne, Marsilla
becomes furious and almost kills Ganelon on the spot,
but Ganelon 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 Blancandrin, who hints at the
conspiracy he had worked up with Ganelon on the way
to Saragossa and asks the king to have the Frank
brought there. Once Ganelon joins the council, the
plotting begins.
 At laisse 39, keeping with feudal custom, King
Marsilion offers Ganelon reparation for offending him
and doubting his embassy.
LAISSE 37, 38 AND 39

 The pagans wonder at Charlemagne's tenacity
and endurance, at his unrelenting campaign in
Spain. Ganelon implies that this Count Roland
is so fierce that his encouragement is the chief
reason why Charlemagne keeps fighting and
so brave that Charlemagne is unbeatable with
Roland at his side.
LAISSE 42

 Ganelon outlines a plot that could give them the
advantage: the Saracens must appear to follow the
peace pact, sending riches and hostages to the Franks.
When the Franks then make their way back home to
France, they will keep a rear guard of twenty thousand
behind them, and this rear guard will probably include
Roland. In the mountains, cut off from the main body of
Charlemagne's army, the guard is vulnerable—this is
the time to attack, and with overwhelming force, an
army of a hundred thousand Saracens. Caught in a
mountain pass, Roland will not be able to escape, and
once he is dead, Charlemagne will no longer pose a
problem to the Saracens; without Roland, the Franks
will be crippled.
LAISSE 44 AND 52

 Ganelon soon arrives back at the Frankish camp and
tells the emperor and his men that his embassy was a
triumph. He shows them the treasure and the hostages
and says that Marsilla will arrive in Charlemagne's
capital, Aix, 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 France,
for which they have longed for years.
 Ganelon’s speech is truly cunning. Like many good
liars, he convinces Charlemagne by telling him what he
want to hear. Feudal customs are also vividly displayed
in his speech.
LAISSE 54

 Charlemagne went to sleep the night Ganelon
returns. He had vivid and strange dreams
prophesying the doom that will soon meet the
Franks. In one of these sleeping visions,
Ganelon plays the villain's part.
 Charlemagne believes these prophetic dreams
are sent from God. He has another dream right
before Roland’s death. Belief in the prophetic
power of dreams was common during the
Middle Ages.
LAISSE 56

 The Franks must decide who will go in the rear
guard and who in the van. Ganelon, suggests
Roland as the most suitable leader possible for
the rear guard. Roland does not protest, but
instead proudly accepts the office. He is,
however, very irritated; he knows perfectly well
that Ganelon did not suggest him for the rear
guard out of the kindness of his heart, and
snidely insults his stepfather.
LAISSE 58 AND 59

 As the main body of the Frankish army cross over into
their homeland, Charlemagne weeps among the
general rejoicing. Sensing about his dreams, Ganelon
had betrayed them.
 At this moment, the main Frankish army, headed by
Charlemagne, are en route to Aix with twenty thousand
men at their rear headed by Roland. Meanwhile,
Marsilion prepares his four hundred thousand men to
ambush Roland’s army. The great battle is just about to
start.
 The poet uses the word almacur to refer to any fierce
Arab knight.
LAISSE 68

 “Song of Roland.” Retrieved December 5, 2014 as PDF
file from
http://www.stjohnshigh.org/s/804/images/editor_docume
nts/Smith/the_song_of_roland.pdf
 Thompson, Diane. (n.d.). “Story of Roland Study Guide.”
Retrieved from World Wide Web on December 5, 2014
at http://novaonline.nvcc.edu/eli/eng251/rolandstudy.htm
 “Song of Roland.” Retrieved December 23, 2014 from
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/songofroland/
 “The Song of Roland.” n.d. In Wikipedia. Retrieved
December 23, 2014 from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Song_of_Roland
REFERENCES:

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Song_of_Roland#medi
aviewer/File:Grandes_chroniques_Roland.jpg
 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/
a/a9/Roncevaux-Ibaneta.jpg/280px-Roncevaux-
Ibaneta.jpg
 http://freepages.family.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mcgee4
11/GHTOUT/c6-charlemagne3.jpg
 http://www.hist.umn.edu/hist3611/moved/protected/wee
k3/images/carolingian2.jpg
 http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/europe/i
berian.gif
 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/M
ort_de_Roland.jpg
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