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The Song of Roland: Who’s Who

The Song of Roland: Who’s Who. Charlemagne (Charles the Great): king of France, uncle of Roland, brother-in-law of Ganelon Roland: feudal vassal of Charlemagne Oliver: ditto; Roland’s best friend; Roland is engaged to Oliver’s sister Aude Archbishop Turpin: warrior priest

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The Song of Roland: Who’s Who

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  1. The Song of Roland: Who’s Who • Charlemagne (Charles the Great): king of France, uncle of Roland, brother-in-law of Ganelon • Roland: feudal vassal of Charlemagne • Oliver: ditto; Roland’s best friend; Roland is engaged to Oliver’s sister Aude • Archbishop Turpin: warrior priest • Naimon: Charlemagne’s vassal • Ganelon: step-father of Roland, feuds with him, betrays French

  2. The Song of Roland: Who’s Who on the “pagan” side • Marsilion: pagan king of Spain already defeated by Charlemagne • Blancandrin: Marsilion’s advisor • Aëlroth: Marsilion’s nephew, he is the first to challenge Roland and to die in battle • Bramimunde: Marsilion’s queen, she will later convert to Christianity and become Juliana.

  3. Roland as part of warrior culture • Feudalism • relation of lord to vassal paramount • Emphasis on heroism in battle • Roland cannot back down from battle • Roland wants to be found dead in Spain, with his head turned towards his enemies • Might is right • Christianity shows itself to be best by winning battles, not converting minds

  4. Roland as part of Christian culture • Emphasis on forms of Christian worship • attending matins and mass • last confessions and absolutions from sin • Oliver and Roland die forgiving one another • Only Roland and Archbishop Turpin survive the battle. • Roland reflects common Christian misunderstandings of Islam • confuse Islam with polytheistic paganism • celebrate crusades against Islam

  5. Roland composed ~ 1100; set ~ 800 written ~ 50 years after oral composition all lines end with same vowel sound, a pre-cursor to end rhyme warrior culture and Christian values Germanic tradition uncle-nephew society Beowulf composed ~ 850; set ~ 500 written ~ 150 years after oral composition sound device in poem is alliteration warrior culture values earliest poem in Germanic tradition of loyalty to group, leader uncle-nephew society Roland and Beowulf

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