Song+of+Roland

=Song of Roland=

Paige Bjerke- Luxembourg City
The Song of Roland is the oldest surviving piece of French Literature. There are several known manuscripts, the oldest one is currently in the Bobleian Library at Oxford. This one was written in Anglo-Norman from 1129 to 1165. The original version is thought to be written from 1040 with revisions being done until 1115. No one is exactly sure who the first author was, but many historians believe that is was Turold due to his name being at the end of the text. It is considered an epic poem and is made up of over 4000 lines. It is also thought to be a piece written for performance.

The Song of Roland is based on a historical event of a battle in the Pass of Roncesvalles in Northern Spain in 778. This was during the reign of the Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne. Charlemagne and King Marsile, the Saracen King of Spain were in a religious war. Charlemagne wanted to push Christianity through the land and Marsile wanted to push Muslim beliefs. They were the two strongest religions in the region at the time. Though it is a difficult piece of work to read and understand, it seems that the base idea is pretty simple and still carries a lot of meaning today.

Charlemagne told Marsile that he would give him treasures and end the war if he agreed to the Christian ways. Marsile agreed, however Roland the nephew of Charlemagne sent his Step-father Ganelon to Marsile to give the message. Ganelon thought he was being set up and was scared that he would be murdered. He instead told Marsile how to attack Charlemagne’s men through a back passage. Marsile attacked and almost all of Charlemagne's men were killed. Roland blew his battle horn until he died as a martyr. Ganelon was tried for treason and was sentenced to be tied to four galloping horses until he was torn apart.

It is very interesting that religious war is still such a huge part of our global issues. The idea of going to war and killing one another to convince them that one way of belief is superior to another has been a problem since the beginning of history. It also seems to be attached to wealth and power in the poem just as much if not more then the actual religion.