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Chanson de Roland

 
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: Chanson de Roland
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Old French epic poem written c. 1100, the masterpiece and probably the earliest of the chanson de geste form. Its probable author was a Norman, Turold (Turoldus), whose name is introduced in its last line. It deals with the Battle of Roncesvalles (778), a skirmish against the Basques that the poem portrays as a heroic battle against the Saracens. Direct and sober in style, it highlights a clash between the recklessly courageous Roland and his prudent friend Oliver, which is also a conflict between divergent conceptions of feudal loyalty.

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Archaeology Dictionary: Chanson de Roland
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An Old French epic poem, in its present form dating from c.ad 1100, based at considerable remove on an account of the Frankish defeat of Roncevaux (ad 778). The poem is of interest for the representation of attitudes to chivalry in the 11th century ad. Its influence on later medieval writers was considerable but its value as an aid to understanding the events of the 8th century ad is minimal.
 
 

 

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Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Archaeology Dictionary. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology. Copyright © 2002, 2003 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.  Read more