Huon de Bordeaux

Chanson de geste of the early 13th c., combining the theme of barons in revolt (Huon spends most of the 10, 000-line text in exile) with marvels and faerie: his chief companion is Auberon, later to become the Shakespearean Oberon. The poem was extremely successful and soon became the core of an epic cycle, its immediate neighbours being Auberon (which serves as its prologue) and Esclarmonde (its sequel).

[Sarah Kay]