The Song of Roland is one of the greatest Old French epics that are called Chansons de Geste (pp.10). It recounts historical events that happened in 778 (pp.7), is conjected to have been passed on orally (pp.10), before it was finally put together by an anonymous poet at the end of the eleventh century (pp.8). The author presumably has heard the story from someone named Turoldus, as at the end of the poem he says “here ends the geste Turoldus would recite” (291.4002). The author also could have based the poem on numerous chronicles, as he repeatedly says that certain events are “writ clear in many charters and tales of chroniclers” (127.1683–1684). The chanson de geste is the product of a very “sophisticated period, when the extreme insecurity of life made martial prowess the most necessary of all manly virtues,” so as a genre chanson de geste features predominantly “brave warriors and heroic deeds in battle” (30). For instance, the Roland is all about the nobilities, such as kings, counts, and knights, and their brave deeds in battles, so we have a reason to believe that the poem is written for the Anglo-Norman nobilities themselves. Furthermore, as the story has been passed on orally for countless times, the author expects certain familiarity of the story from the audience. For example, as soon as in the first laisse the author already reveals Marsilion’s fate: “he’ll not escape the ruin that awaits” (1.9).
In the Roland, among the most prominent themes are matters of honor versus shame, and life versus death. As sometimes choosing honor means inevitably choosing death also, throughout the poem the characters debate whether it is worthwhile to choose honor over life, and we can see for the Franks the answer is yes. In the Roland, the Franks care deeply about honor. For example, when Roland fights against Marsilion, it was when Adelroth threatens
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that “fair France will lose her honour” that Roland grows a “reckless” “rage” and kills Adelroth in the most gruesome manner (93.1194–1196). In fact, honor is portrayed to be so important to the Franks that it outweighs matters of life and death. For instance, Roland, along with many others, repeatedly claims that he would “rather die than thus be put to shame” (86.1091). This sentiment explains why, even when Roland’s army is severely outnumbered by that of Marsilion, Roland refuses to blow the oliphant to call for help, saying that blowing the oliphant for the pagan enemies would result in “cast[ing] dishonour on [his] house” and bringing “ill renown” on “fair France” (83.1063–1064). (As a side note, while certain things, such as fleeing from battle, are universally considered dishonorable in medieval Europe, blowing the oliphant to call for aid is not, and it is only Roland’s personal belief that it is dishonorable (82.1047).) It is by his own standard of honor that Roland consistently acts, which is why he would rather run the risk of dying in the battle than being perceived as dishonorable, suggesting that matter of honor is interwoven into the texture of medieval Europe.
Also evident in the Roland is the theme of vassalage, both to the King and to the God, and we can see that they are largely parallel. In the Roland, the symbol of vassalage is a token, usually a glove, a wand, or a bow. The duties of the vassal include fighting wars for the lords, and the duties of the lord include “protect[ing] his vassal in life and aveng[ing] him in death” (pp.31). Roland is first and foremost a vassal to Charlemagne, as is symbolized by Charlemagne’s handing Roland a bow prior to the battle (61.767). As a vassal, Roland fulfills his duty by fighting wars for Charlemagne: he recounts, before his death, a long list of lands that he has won for Charlemagne, including “Anjou,” “Poitou,” and “Normandy” (172). Note that even if this list does not historically match Charlemagne’s empire, but rather refers to the extent of Christianity, this list of lands nevertheless figuratively shows the significant amount of wars that Roland has fought and won for Charlemagne. In return, Charlemagne fulfills his
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duty as a lord: he avenges Roland’s death, by chasing the Saracens until they drown, and by killing Marsilion’s lord Baligant (180, 262). Contrary to Roland, Ganelon is by name a vassal to Charlemagne but fails to fulfill his duties. This is foreshadowed when Ganelon, while being appointed to be Charlemagne’s messenger, accidentally drops to the ground the King’s glove, which is the symbol of vassalage (25.333). Indeed, later we know that Ganelon loses the trial by combat and is alleged to have committed treason (286). In addition to Charlemagne, Roland is also a vassal to God: right before his death, Roland extends his “right-hand glove […] unto God” (175.2373), and “from his hand Gabriel accepts the sign” (176.2390). In the Roland, there is not much difference between vassalage to the King and that to the God, as in both circumstances the vassal and the lord are subject to the same duties. At the start of the battle against Marsilion, Archibishop Turpin establishes that the war serves the purpose of preserving Christianity (“Christendom needs you, so help us preserve it”), suggesting that Roland as a vassal fights the war not only for the King, but also for God (89.1129). In return to Roland’s service, God fulfills his duty as a lord by avenging Roland’s death through divine intervention. God first lets Gabriel send Charlemagne a dream to promise that he will indeed “prolong the day” so that Charlemagne could continue to chase the Spanish (179), then when Charlemagne is severely wounded by Bailgant God restores Charlemagne’s strength so that he wins (261–262), and finally in the trial by combat God helps Thierry win even if he is by far the weaker one (277–278, 285–286). Throughout the poem Roland’s vassalage to the King mirrors that to the God, as he fights wars for both the King and God, and they both avenge Roland’s death.
Still, arguably the most important aim of the poem is to convey the idea that Christianity is the right service, and faithful Christians are rewarded by God (whereas Muslims are not rewarded by theirs). Crucial to demonstrating this point is the poem’s choice of establishing the Muslims as the Christians’ evil twin: in every single respect they are the
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same, with religion being the only difference. For example, Marsilion’s “twelve lords” mirror Roland’s “twelve peers,” the pagan deities “Mahound, Apollyon, and Termagant” mirror the Holy Trinity, and the Mulisms are equally pious too (“Mahound their idol high on the tower they raise, and every Paynim adores and gives it praise” (68)). In fact, while describing Baligant the poem explicitly says “were he but Christian, right knightly he’d appear” (72.899). The evident parallelism between Muslims and Christians supports the idea that the pagans lost to the Franks not because they are less capable or pious, but simply because they chose the wrong service: whereas the Christian God actively intervenes to make sure that the Christians triumph in the end, the pagan God is utterly indifferent to the fate of his servants. For example, God makes sure that Charlemagne wins over Baligant and that Thierry wins over Pinabel, whereas pagan gods simply sit back and “let disaster befal” their “faithful servants” (187.2583–2584). Furthermore, when Roland dies Gabriel bears his soul to Paradise (176.2395–2396), whereas when a pagan soldier dies it is Satan who “comes and hales his soul away” (96.1268). Aside from religion, the pagans are in everything the same as the Christians, so the fact that they lost horribly to the Franks is due to the single fact that they chose the wrong service, as the pagan gods, unlike the Christian God, do not care about their wellbeing.
The Song of Roland, as one of the oldest epic poems, tells us a lot about the medieval European civilization. In terms of values, we know that honor is deeply appreciated and often outweighs life. This could be honor of kings, country, or religion. In terms of the political aspect, we know that medieval Europe features a feudal structure and places a emphasis on vassalage. Both the vassal and the lord are subject to certain responsibilities toward each other. The vassalage could also be toward the God, which is the same in nature as that to the King. Finally, in terms of religion, it is believed that Christianity is the right religion and all others is pagan, and by divine intervention all Christians will triumph in the end.
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Works Cited
The Song of Roland, trans. Dorothy Sayers (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1978) [ISBN 9780140440751]
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