Song of Roland. Military costume and weapons in the "Song of Roland" Filolog Quotations of Roland

"The Song of Roland" is one of the most popular and widespread poems, which can be attributed to the heroic folk epic. An unknown author decided to consecrate the heroic feat, while he allows you to look into the past, learn about how truly brave and courageous people lived, ready to fight for their own beliefs.

He is not alone, he is helped by loyal friends who are ready to help. In ancient times, there were many men who had a similar disposition of character and were able to fight to the last. It was they who became the collective prototype of the main character of the poem, which tells about the heroic deed of one of the knights.

The image of Roland has become a collective image of the hero and protector of the French people. A hero warrior who has become the embodiment of a person who can keep his promises and help in trouble. He calls for help from his comrades, who arrive late enough to help the knight in a fierce struggle.

He is described as a true knight, prioritizing the interests of the country he serves. He is a loyal vassal of the royal family, he does not intend to betray the service that he promised to carry, no matter what sacrifices he had to make. The list of positive qualities inherent in a young man can be enumerated for a long time, he is driven by love for his homeland, a sense of patriotism and a desire to fight for justice. He is ready to fight hard until the last minute.

But he is not driven by blind fanaticism, he makes decisions sensibly, does not follow the lead of external circumstances and fights until the last moment. Even when the struggle becomes fierce, his eyes turn black, he still reflects on the duty and the promise given to the sovereign.

He is ready to sacrifice even his own life in order to be responsible for this decision to the last breath. His promises are not empty, he does not throw them to the wind and is ready to answer for the given words. Roland is able to fight, able to show his best qualities in order to win in a fierce confrontation and defeat himself first of all.

Option 2

The image of Roland embodied the idea of ​​the ideal qualities that should be inherent in a European knight.

Count Roland, nephew of Emperor Charlemagne, opposes the conclusion of peace with the Saracens. These are the enemies of Christ and the Franks, with whom you need to continue the war and die valiantly when the time comes.

The Count's desire and his loyalty to the knight's true mission are contrasted with cunning and cunning on the part of the King of the Moors Marsilia and the traitor Count Ganelon. The knight should not go to any diplomatic combinations, his business is to fight the infidels.

Unlike Ganelon, who personifies the unworthy behavior of a knight, who is afraid to go as an ambassador to the Moors, Roland himself volunteers to do this dangerous deed. However, the emperor does not let him go.

When Ganelon, having agreed with the Saracens, caught Roland in a trap, the valiant knight found himself with a small detachment against the main forces of the Muslims. He has no chance to survive. However, despite this, Roland refuses to blow the horn, trying to call for help from the main forces of Christians, led by Charlemagne, who have not gone far yet. Pride commands the knight to engage in the last unequal battle. Roland agrees to blow the trumpet only after the archbishop fighting them says that this will not save them, but will give the emperor an opportunity to take revenge. If they are doomed anyway, then this is not dishonor. The poem exalts the strength and valor of the count, until his enemies resorted to deceit, they could not defeat him.

During the battle, Roland does his duty not only with sword and spear. He several times, addressing the enemies, defends the honor of his emperor, saying that he did not do the right thing, leaving here.

The Song of Roland praises the courage of the Frankish knights, the best of whom is their leader. Roland cuts off King Marsil's wrist and kills his son. The main virtues of a knight, in addition to fidelity to duty, are military skills and courage in battle, the description of which is given a lot of space.

Roland dies with honor in battle, such a death is the best for a knight. He dies as a Christian, turning to God and reaching out to heaven, as if now becoming a knight-vassal of the Most High.

Essay about Roland

The Song of Roland was written in honor of one of the Crusades. The author mainly used real facts, but still reality is in many respects at odds with the events in the poem. Despite the ignorance of those times, the work of an unknown author turned out to be literate and became a national treasure.

In the work, heroes are not divided into good and bad. Each has both positive and negative qualities, each character has a system of values.

"The Song of Roland" is divided into 3 parts, where one of the main characters is Roland himself. He is the embodiment of vassal loyalty. Until his death, he remains loyal to France, the king and the people. His chivalrous ideal is clearly manifested in the scene of death, when Roland lies with his head towards the enemy, remembering before that his native country for which he is fighting. Even the messenger of God, the archangel Gabriel, appears to Roland. The knight holds out a glove to him as a sign of loyalty and devotion to God.

Roland is characterized by such character traits as ardor and recklessness. He refuses to help Olivier when he says that he needs to call the army for help. Roland considers it a shame for himself. 3 times Olivier repeats his request, 3 times Roland refuses him. And then it gets late. Everyone perishes. Selfishness, cruelty and greed are alien to Roland. There is a thirst for achievement in him, blind in faith in the righteousness of his work.

The knight is religious. The entire poem is filled with religious motives. The author glorifies Christianity. Roland even exclaims over the corpse of one of the enemies “Friends, God is behind us! Forward!".

As for the character of Roland, he is recklessly brave, he does not think about the consequences of his actions and words. His pride sometimes turns into stubbornness, which then leads to irreversible consequences. He is ready to sacrifice himself without hesitation for the sake of "sweet France", King Charles and the French people.

Roland is opposed to Ganelon, who is more important for his own benefit. The brave knight has relatives in the first place, then France and Christians. With Ganelon, everything is completely different. In the first place he has "I", he cares more about his fate, then he will already think about the rest of the people.

Thus, both the poem itself and Roland are characterized by reckless faith in the king, loyalty to religion, devotion to their native country. Roland himself - embodies vassal loyalty. He is the ideal of knightly valor.

E.M. Remarque went down in history with his works on the subject of the war. To be accurate, thanks to the writings of the First World War.

It was in this way that the angel brought the sword Durendal to Charles the Great, so that he would present it to the best warrior of his army (2319). Therefore, one should not be surprised that the heroes love their sword and talk to it, as with an intelligent friend, with a living and thinking creature ...

But let's move on to the external details. Most likely, the sword of the knights of this poem was quite long. Saracen Turgis says: Veez m "espee ki est e bone e lunge- take a look at this sword, good and long (925). However, this is the only evidence that can be given on this score. The Norman sword, however, had a short and wide blade and had a notch along its entire length. The sword was hung on the left side: Puis ceint s "espee a l" senestre costel- he attaches the sword to the left side (3143). The sword was kept in a sheath, which is mentioned only once in "The Song of Roland". When Marsilius insults Ganelon, he mist la main a s "espee; - cuntre dous deie l" ad del FURRER getee... - puts his hand on his sword and pulls it out to the length of two fingers. (444-445). Oliver complains, in the midst of the battle, that he has no time to draw his sword from its scabbard: Ne l "a poi traire- I can't get it out (1365). About a hundred scabbards are depicted on carpets from Bayeux. The sling is not mentioned anywhere.
The sword is made of steel. Desiring to praise the sword, it is said that it is well polished. Joyeuse, the sword of Charlemagne, shines very brightly: Ki cascun jur muet trente clartez- which (i.e. the sword) changes its shine 30 times a day (2502); ki pur soleill sa clartet ne muet- whose brilliance competes with the brilliance of the sun (2990). One of Durendal's qualities is his "brilliance and whiteness" (1316). Vienna steel, apparently, was especially famous (997), unless - which is quite possible - "Vienna" was not written for the sake of preserving assonance. Also appreciated were French and Spanish blades (3889). The edge of the sword was made by an imperceptible narrowing of the blade. It bore the same name as the spear point: l "amure - De l "brant d" acier l "amure li presentet- he directs the point of his steel sword at him (3918). The sword ends with bows ( helz) and knob ( punt).
The knob is made of rock crystal (1364, 3435); it is gilded: En l "oret punt l" ad faite manuvrer- he ordered the knob to be gilded (2506, 2344). The knob is empty inside and knights usually placed various relics in it: En l "oret punt asez i ad reliques- there are many relics in the gilded head (2344, 2503). Charlemagne placed in the knob of his sword the point of the spear, with which Jesus Christ was wounded on the cross (2503). As for Rolande's sword, Durendal, it contained four relics: a piece of the Virgin Mary's clothing, the tooth of St. Peter, the blood of St. Basil and the hair of St. Denis (2343). In short, the knob is where the reliquary could be set up.
Helz- these are two bows immediately under the handle; they were straight and sometimes curved. They were usually gilded; hence the phrase espeees enheldrees d "or mier- attach swords to the bows of pure gold (3866). Between the bows and the knob was la poignee or la fusee, i.e. lever. It is usually very narrow and thin. This can be seen in the picture, which also gives an idea of ​​the swords mentioned in The Song of Roland.

Charles - Frankish king Charlemagne (768-814), crowned in Rome in 800 by the emperor of the West. During the Spanish campaign, he was not yet emperor.

In 778, Charlemagne, who had certain political and economic interests in northeastern Spain, intervened in the internal strife of the Spanish Moors. Called to the aid of Iba al-Arabi, a Muslim ruler in the north of the country, who was deposed by the Cordoba caliph Abderrahman, who sought to create an independent Muslim power in Spain, Charles undertook a campaign in Spain, which led to the creation of the Spanish marque (border area to the Ebro). Charlemagne's trip to Spain lasted not seven years, but only a few months. However, it is quite possible that even before the composition of "The Song of Roland" these seven years were already filled with some legends about the death of Roland and the twelve peers. Later (in the XIII century) poems describing this period appeared on Italian soil (in a mixed Franco-Italian language): "Entry into Spain" (first five years) and "Taking Pampeluna" (last two years).

Karl did not reach the sea in 778; but his son, the future King Louis the Pious, during his father's lifetime (801) conquered Barcelona, ​​located by the sea.

Marsil is a name of obscure origin, more Roman than Arabic in form, perhaps fictitious, or perhaps a distortion of the name Amoroz, as was the name, according to Eginhar (IX century), the Moorish ruler of Zaragoza, who asked Charlemagne to help him against the Emir of Cordoba Abderrahman.

Christian preachers tried to portray the Mohammedans as pagans ("non-Christians", atheists). Hence - the veneration of the ancient god Apollo (Apollen) attributed to him and the transformation of Mohammed, the founder of the Muslim religion, into a pagan god.

At the end of most of the tirades is "aoi!", Which has not yet found a completely satisfactory explanation. In those tirades where it is misplaced (sometimes, for example, in the middle), one should see simply the negligence or mistake of the last scribe.

There are several interpretations of this "aoi", of which the following are the most plausible: 1) "aoi" - something like a chorus, an interjection, which is also found in the epic poem "Alyscans"; 2) a conventional notation for musical modulation saeculorum amen (forever and ever) or pax vobiscum (peace be upon you), which reproduces the vowels of these words. This interpretation is less plausible than the first.

By "France" in the poem is meant now the Ile-de-France, now all the possessions of Charles. The epithet "sweetheart" is one of the "stable epithets" and is used even by the enemies of France.

Fade falcons. - that is, those who have already left the molting period, which was considered a very dangerous disease for hunting birds; they were valued much more dearly than those that were yet to come.

French in this poem are called without distinction either the inhabitants of France in the narrow sense of the word, or the subjects of Charles in general (together with the inhabitants of the German parts of the empire - the Bavarians, Alemanni, etc.).

AD 800 was marked by a very curious event - the actual restoration of the Western Roman Empire. It was headed by the eldest son of the Frankish king Pepin the Short, a barbarian and a descendant of the very barbarians who destroyed Rome 324 years ago. The new title approved by the Pope was as follows: "Charles, the most merciful and exalted, crowned by God, the great sovereign-peacemaker, the ruler of the Roman Empire, by the grace of God the king of the Franks and Lombards".

From a legal point of view, the newly formed empire of the Franks, which in 962 was transformed into the Holy Roman Empire, was the direct successor of ancient Rome and existed until 1806 - that is, another 1006 years. This may seem like an incident, but formally the Roman Empire was an operating state continuously from 27 BC (the beginning of the reign of Octavian Augustus), then the imperial title "moved" to Byzantium, then it was revived in the West and was finally abolished only in the 19th century - then is, the history of the Roman Empire dates back to 1833. Let's repeat - strictly legally ...

However, let's return to the city of Rome at Christmas 800, when Pope Leo III crowned King Charles of the Franks with the imperial crown, who by that time had earned a solid reputation as an excellent commander and just ruler who managed to unite many Germanic tribes and lands under his own hand. From a political point of view, this was a turning point in Western European history - the growing papacy, which needed the protection of worldly rulers, now becomes an indisputable spiritual authority, since only the pope had the right to crown new emperors. Charlemagne also received a visible confirmation of the divine origin of his power. The Byzantines, of course, were unhappy, since they claimed the uniqueness and uniqueness of the imperial title and considered the coronation of Charles illegal, but Constantinople was far away, and the Franks did not pay much attention to the opinion of the Caesars there.

Charlemagne (14th century miniature)

So, the Dark Ages and the era of barbaric conquest are over. Here I would like to make a small remark regarding the cultural component of that time. Usually by the words "Renaissance" or "Renaissance" we mean the historical era of the XV-XVII centuries, but in reality there were three European Renaissances - renaissance carolingienne (Carolingian Renaissance), renaissance du XIIe siècle (Renaissance of the XII century) and, of course, the later Renaissance in the traditional sense. The Carolingian Renaissance after a serious decline in the Dark Ages was the first in the history of the former barbarians, a sharp surge in cultural and intellectual activity - the "seven liberal arts" began to develop, schools opened, and rich libraries gathered in monasteries. It is precisely from the time of the Carolingian renaissance that the epic poem "The Song of Roland", which later became a symbol of the nation for the French, follows its genealogy, much like the "Song of the Nibelungs" for the Germans or "Kalevala" for the Finns.

The Song of Roland tells about one of the episodes of Charlemagne's far from successful campaign to Spain, which took place in 778. Let's try to figure out what actually happened then, who is Roland, depicted in the poem as an example of an impeccable knight, and what is the real story of the battle in Ronseval Gorge.

Saxon direction

Charlemagne fought a lot, stubbornly and practically without interruptions - we can say that he spent his entire adult life, starting at the age of fourteen, in the saddle. The kingdom of the Franks was threatened by the enemy from many directions, but the main danger came from the east, because of the Rhine, where numerous and aggressive tribes of the Saxons were settled. Some of them, in company with other ancient Germans - Angles, Utes and Frisians - set out to conquer Britain back in the 5th century, in which the Saxons succeeded. However, the core of the Saxon people, which consisted of several large tribes (Westphals, Ostphals, Ingres), remained on the mainland, and, unlike their relatives settled in Britain, categorically refused to accept Christianity, like many other barbarians. The failure of missionary activity in Saxony is partly due to the fact that Romanization did not spread here, and the Saxons did not receive their part of the ancient heritage, like the Franks or Lombards, as well as distances and almost impassable forests - these territories for Europe of the early Middle Ages were real Terra Incognita.

Charles was a Christian sovereign and a deeply religious person, and therefore the neighborhood with the pagans was not only a military-political problem, but also a religious one - the king of the Franks was deeply convinced that he, as the anointed of God, needed to bring the gospel light to the polytheists. It should be added that the Saxons did not stand on ceremony with the Franks - border conflicts and raids on the kingdom did not stop, Charles's subjects were taken prisoner and sold into slavery, monasteries and churches suffered. The Saxon outrages should have ended, which Charlemagne did, starting in 772.

The first raid into the depths of pagan lands was aimed at the large Saxon settlement of Eresburg (now Obermarsberg, south of Paderborn). This wooden and earthen fortification was located on a plateau four hundred meters high with steep slopes - only from the southern side could the army approach the fortress. By the way, this rock has remained practically unchanged to this day. Karl took Eresburg by storm with lightning speed and overthrew Irminsul, who was nearby in the sacred grove - the object of worship of the pagans in the form of the World Tree. A solid garrison was left in Eresburg and a Christian church was founded, but three years later the Saxons recaptured the fortress, destroying all its defenders and, of course, the clergy. Charlemagne was furious and firmly decided to bring the Saxon campaign to its logical end - that is, to conquer and Christianize all the Saxon tribes and include their lands in his kingdom.

Empire of Charlemagne at the beginning of his reign (brown) and with conquered territories (green-blue)

During the 775-777 years, Saxony was defeated - Charles, recalling the ancient Roman tactics, founded fortresses on the conquered lands, which were obliged to serve as strong points of defense and centers of the spread of Christianity. One of the Saxon leaders, Vidukind of the Westphalian tribe, fled north to the Danes, from where he prepared a major uprising against the king's rule - the army of the Franks suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the pagans at the Battle of Züntel in 782, but Charlemagne was an extremely stubborn man. The newly recruited army as a hurricane passed through Saxony to the Weser River - it was a demonstrative act of intimidation, the Franks burned and destroyed villages and burgers, without feeling the slightest remorse: the pagans had previously pretended to be baptized and swore allegiance to the king, but then they betrayed the new faith, and Karl. For this, the most severe punishment should have followed - the tribal leaders gave 4500 rebels to the Franks and, according to one version, they were all decapitated (decollabat), and according to the other, they were resettled (delocabat). A compromise interpretation of these events is as follows: only the ringleaders were executed, and the bulk of the prisoners were indeed sent to permanent residence in the kingdom of the Franks, where they were assimilated.

Another decade was spent on the partial pacification of Saxony, whose lands were distributed among the entourage of Charlemagne and transformed into a duchy, which was inherited by the third son of the emperor Louis II of Germany, which later became one of the most important parts of the kingdom of Germany. Saxony finally subdued in 797, when Charlemagne recognized the political and legal equality of the Franks and Saxons.

Roland and Charlemagne

It should be noted that the epic "Song of Roland" dates back to the 12th century, that is, it describes the events of almost four hundred years ago. The author of the manuscript is considered a certain Turold, whose origin and social status are not known for certain, but there is no doubt that the poem, written approximately in 1170-1180, is only a record of an oral tradition that developed over the centuries.

The short plot is as follows: the king of Zaragoza, Marsilius (bred by a pagan, not a Muslim) decides to take an oath of allegiance to Charlemagne, who heroically conquered Spain for seven years - a usual exaggeration for the epic. The Count of Breton Roland rejects the agreement with the Moors, but his rival Count Ganelon insists on accepting the proposals of Marsilia and decides to treason in order to destroy Roland. Ganelon persuades Marsilia to attack the rearguard of Charlemagne's army, led by Roland. The army is ambushed by the pagans, Roland and his companions die heroically, without waiting for the approach of help. For the betrayal of Ganelon, God's punishment befell, but this did not return the "exemplary warrior", who became an example for many generations of knights.

Roland's battle with the Basques (miniature XIV century)

So, let's take a look at the epic from the other side - and what, in fact, tell us the chroniclers about the Spanish campaign of Charlemagne? First of all, it is necessary to remind that in the V-VI centuries the Germanic tribes of the Visigoths conquered and colonized Spain, creating there the Kingdom of Toledo, which existed until the beginning of the VIII century. The Arab expansion from North Africa led to the defeat of the Visigoth state - only in the north of the peninsula did Asturias stubbornly hold on, later the Kingdom of Leon, which became the main springboard for the future Reconquista.

For the Christian Franks, there was no fundamental difference between the aforementioned pagan Saxons and Arabs-Muslims - only learned monks, but not politicians and military leaders, delved into the subtleties of the theology of the “infidels”. Not a Christian means an enemy, but even with an enemy, if necessary, you can negotiate.

In 777, just in the midst of the Saxon campaign, an embassy of the Moors from the ruler of Zaragoza, Suleiman Al-A'rabiyah, arrived at the court of Charlemagne in Paderborn. The fact is that the Muslim feudal lords of Spain were very dissatisfied with the rule of the emir of Cordoba Abd ar-Rahman from the Umayyad dynasty - the emir sought to annex Spain to the caliphate and diligently suppressed the freedom of the surrounding emirs who did not want to obey Cordoba. Suleiman Al-A'rabiy decided to ask the infidels for help, since he was aware that Charlemagne had a mighty army. Karl agrees despite the ongoing unrest in Saxony.

The plan was as follows: Zaragoza and Barcelona raise an uprising against the Umayyads, the army of the Franks comes to their aid. Smooth, as usual, happens only on paper, and the deepest ravine on the way of Charlemagne was dug personally by Emir Suleiman Al-A'rabiy - the rebellion began too early, while the Franks were still beyond the Pyrenees, and, of course, was suppressed. The emir was expelled from Zaragoza, the inhabitants of the city refused to open the gates to the "Christian Caliph", they had to start a siege according to all the rules. At this very moment, messengers deliver Charlemagne a message about the next uprising in Saxony - it was decided to leave the Saracen alone and hastily return.

On the way to the north, the army passes through the Duchy of Vaskonia, which formally recognized the suzerainty of the King of the Franks, but in reality was independent - it was the state of the warlike and obstinate Basques, whose national character has not changed to this day. Along the way, Karl takes Pamplona and continues to move on. Why exactly the relationship between the Basque Christians and the Frankish Christians went wrong - we will probably never know, but the fact remains - the Basques decided to attack the rearguard of the royal army.

Battle of Ronseval (medieval miniature). Roland's adversary depicted by the Saracens

As the philosopher Wilhelm Ockham said, the simplest explanation is usually the most correct - the rearguard covered the army convoy loaded with booty taken from Spain, that is, most likely, the events in the Ronseval Gorge turned out to be a banal predatory raid. The Franks were commanded by Count Hruodland of Brittany, about whom it is only known for certain that by the time of the battle, which took place on August 15, 778, Hruodland / Roland was 42 years old and he was a relative of Charlemagne - according to legend, a nephew.

Presumably, the ambush was set up by the Basques on the old Roman road leading from Asturias through Pamplona to Bordeaux and passing through the Ronceval Pass in the northern part of the Pyrenees. Modern researchers estimate the number of Franks under the leadership of Hruodland as 10-15 thousand people - almost all of them died, which explains the shock experienced by the Franks after being defeated at the hands of the Basques, who were then considered almost savages. One way or another, after a surprise attack, the Franks were unable to fight back and were killed, the baggage train was plundered, and the highlanders fled with impunity with their spoils. Among the victims of the massacre was not only the Count of Breton, but also other close associates of Charlemagne - the first steward of the king Eggard and the count palatine Anselm.

The sublime story set forth in the later Song of Roland evaporates along with most of the characters in the poem. The detachment of Count Hruodland was attacked not by "pagans" led by "King Marsil", but, one might say, their own - Christians. The insidious traitor Ganelon, whose name in the French tradition has become synonymous with betrayal, lived half a century later - the rather vague and not too detailed history of the betrayal of Archbishop Venilon of Sena (Ganelon) to the grandson of Emperor Charlemagne, King Charles the Bald, in favor of Louis the German is known. The "literary" Ganelon even managed to get into Dante Alighieri's "Divine Comedy", which placed the traitor in Cocytus, the last circle of hell (Canto XXXII):

“... And if they ask who else, then -

Bekkeria is here, brothers are closer,

To which the collar is cut;

There Gianni Soldanier dropped his eyes,

And Ganellon and Tebaldello with him,

The one that Faenzu unlocked in the middle of the night. "

We moved away, and then my eyes

There were two, in a pit of ice;

One, like a hat, was covered with another ...

Over the centuries that have passed since the events in the Ronseval Gorge, the characters of the heroes have adapted in accordance with the spirit of the times. The vulgar robbery of a convoy and the senseless death of a large Frankish detachment in the poem was transformed into a battle of the noblest knights with the forces of evil (treacherous pagans), and the image of Roland becomes so idealized that even now, when this name is mentioned, the concepts of “honor”, ​​“loyalty to the king "And" selfless courage "- that is, the most important virtues of the nobles in feudal society.

Charlemagne mourning the deceased Roland (medieval miniature)

Finally, it is worth noting that the Basques did not receive any punishment from Charlemagne - he was in too much haste to return to Saxony. Roland's name eventually became an integral part of the mythology of the Pyrenean peoples, including the Basques, which was reflected in toponymy - Pas de Roland, Salto de Roland, Brecha Rolando and so on. Apparently, the Battle of Ronseval at one time turned out to be a very high-profile event - mainly because of the terrifying number of Franks who died - which was the reason for the emergence of a beautiful, but not very reliable legend ...

(perhaps - an insert borrowed from the epic), which tells that in 778, when Charles was returning from a campaign in Spain, his rearguard in the Pyrenees gorge was attacked by the indignant Basques and exterminated him in the Battle of Ronseval; at the same time several peers died, including Hruodland, prefect of the Breton mark ( Hruodlandus britannici limitis prefectus).

Roland's story

Orlando

Later Italian poems, praising the military and love affairs of Roland - "Morgante maggiore" L. Pulci, "Roland in Love" M. Boyardo, especially "Furious Roland" Ariosto - They stray far from the original French poem. In both French and Italian poems, Roland is chaste and completely uninvolved in the world of love conflicts. Only Boyardo removed this epic rudiment.

"Roland in Love"

Roland goes in search of Angelica. He kills the Sphinx, unable to solve the riddle - the same one that was asked to Oedipus. On the Bridge of Death, he engages in battle with a giant. The giant is smitten, but at the dying moment he sets in motion a trapping net. Roland, restrained from head to toe, awaits death or help. A day passes, a monk appears and offers spiritual help to Roland. The talkative monk tells how he had just miraculously escaped from the one-eyed man-eating giant. Immediately the giant himself appears, cuts Roland with his own sword, but cuts only the net: Roland is invulnerable to weapons. The freed Roland kills the ogre, striking him in the one eye, and releases his captives.

Roland drives to the castle. On the wall of the castle is a lady: this is the Dragonina fairy, inviting the count to drink from a goblet. The unsuspecting Roland brings the cup to his lips and instantly forgets his love, the goal of his path, himself, becomes a blind slave of the fairy. Angelica uses a magic ring to dispel the enchantment of Dragonina. Roland and eight of his fellow prisoners gallop after Angelica to Albracca.

Roland goes to fight Agrikan. The duel was interrupted by the darkness of the night. Dismounted in the meadow, the knights converse peacefully: Roland, admiring the prowess of Agrican, tries to persuade him to change his faith. Agrikan, declaring that religious disputes are not his business, that he is not a priest and not a book reader, starts a conversation about chivalry and love, in the end he learns that Roland is his rival. Jealousy brings tears out of him; he demands that Roland renounce his love for Angelica. and when he heard a refusal, he takes up the sword. Continuation of the fight. Agrikan is mortally wounded and praises Christ with his last breath.

The Lake Island Fairy offers him an unprecedented multi-stage feat. Roland tames two bulls, plows a field on them, kills a fire-breathing dragon, sows a plowed field with his teeth, and slays warriors who have grown from teeth. The reward for the feat is the golden-horned deer of the Morgana fairy. He who possesses it takes possession of innumerable treasures. But the paladin rejects the treasure with contempt.

Roland returns to Albrakka and engages in battle with Rinald. The battle was interrupted by the onset of darkness. Angelica, having found out who is fighting against Roland, asks permission to be present at the fight. Continuation of the fight. Roland takes over, but Angelica saves Rinald from death by sending Roland to the enchanted garden of the Fairy Falerina. On the way, Roland sees a lady tied to a pine tree by the hair, and an armed knight guarding her. The knight, as is evident from his story, was in love with a tied lady. Her name is Origilla. Out of a natural love for villainy, she set three of her admirers and one more knight against each other, and by her own father was sentenced to the execution that Roland witnessed. Four of her victims must, with weapons in hand, ensure that the execution is carried out without fail. Roland nevertheless frees the criminal lady, defeating all four knights, and immediately pays for his nobility. The insidious Origilla captivates the paladin's heart and steals from him the horse, the incomparable Goldoude.

Roland continues on his way to the garden of Falerina on foot: a procession will meet him, at the head of which he sees the Griffin and Aquilanth connected and Origilla with them on Goldousse - they are intended to be sacrificed to the dragon. Roland frees them, again cannot resist the beauty of Origilla and, noticing that she is exchanging eloquent glances with the Griffin, hastily leaves with her. An awkward attempt to express their feelings is interrupted by the appearance of a lady, announcing that they are near Falerina's garden. From the lady Roland will receive a book explaining the wonders and dangers of the garden. The garden can only be entered at dawn. At night, Origilla steals the horse from Roland for the second time, now together with the sword. The paladin goes to the feat on foot and unarmed. The gate is guarded by a dragon, and Roland kills him with a club. In the palace, he finds a fairy, she puts the last spells on a magic sword, before which any spell will be powerless. This sword, Balizarda, was made by her specially for the destruction of Roland, who is invulnerable to conventional weapons. The paladin takes away the sword, and for the time being he ties the fairy to the tree. Kills the siren after plugging her ears with rose petals. He kills the bull about one iron and one fiery horn. Kills a monstrous bird. Kills a donkey with a tail as sharp as a sword. Kills a half-virgin-half-snake named Faun. He kills the giant, and when two more rise from his blood, he ties them up. Roland destroys Falerina's garden, but has mercy on the fairy, who promises to free all her captives.

Roland, along with Falerina, approaches the lake where Rinald has sunk. Falerina explains that this is the lake of the Morgana fairies, while the villain who drowns travelers in it is called Aridan and it is impossible to defeat him, for his strength is miraculously always six times greater than the strength of the enemy. Roland enters into battle with him and, like all his predecessors, finds himself in the lake. At the bottom of the lake there is a flowering meadow, the sun is shining, and here Roland, freed from the embrace of Aridan, kills him. After long wanderings through underground grottoes and labyrinths, Roland sees the prisoners of Morgana, imprisoned in a transparent and indestructible crystal. To free them, you need to get the key from Morgana. To do this, you need to catch her. Roland sets off in pursuit of a fairy who looks like the goddess of Fate: bald head, the only strand for which she can be caught, etc. Roland catches up with Morgana, and she is forced to give freedom to all her captives, asking, however, permission to keep the young Zilianta, son of King Manodant. Among the captives is Dudon, sent by Charles to summon Roland and Rinald under his banner. Roland, crazy about Angelica, is deaf to the emperor's call: he hurries back to Albrakka, accompanied by the faithful Brandimart (who was also captured by Morgana).

Roland and Brandimart find themselves at the bridge where Rinald and his companions were captured. A little earlier, Origilla (once again forgiven by Roland) arrived at the bridge. Roland fights Balisard and falls into the same trap as his predecessors; but Brandimart kills the warlock. The helmsman tells the knights that Balisard was placed here by order of King Manodant, who hoped to return his son in this way. The king had two sons, one in infancy was kidnapped by a servant, the other was captured by Morgan and agrees to return him only in exchange for Roland. Balisard did not miss a single passing knight, hoping that sooner or later this knight would be Roland. Roland goes to the king, pretends to be another and promises to get Roland for him.

Origilla informs the king that one of her companions is Roland, and for this denunciation the king grants her freedom along with the Griffin and Aquilante. Roland and Brandimart are thrown into dungeon, but Brandimart impersonates Roland, and the real Roland is released and hurries to the kingdom of the Morgana fairy. Astolph, unaware of the reasons for the deception, reveals it, and Brandimart is sentenced to death. Roland returns to the familiar lake and takes Ziliant from Morgana. Together with him and the met on the way Flordelise, he sailed to the island of King Manodant. Upon arrival, it is revealed that the eldest son of the king, kidnapped in infancy, is none other than Brandimart. The king acquires both sons at once. Roland, with whom Brandimart did not want to be separated, again rushes to Albracca.

Roland and Brandimart are approaching the place where Narcissus died in ancient times, clung to his reflection. The story of Narcissus, it turns out, has a continuation: the fairy Silvanella, having fallen in love with the dead Narcissus, enchanted the source in such a way that everyone who looks into it will be captivated by a beautiful female image and die the same death as Narcissus. The bridge leading to the fatal spring is guarded by Isolier, and Sacripant enters into battle with him, hurrying to the kingdom of Gradassa. Roland separates the combatants.

Roland and Brandimart finally reach Albracca. Angelica, hearing that Rinald has left for his homeland, abandons the fortress to the mercy of fate and, accompanied by Roland and Brandimart, rushes after the object of her passion. The besiegers gallop in pursuit, stopped and scattered by Brandimart, and Roland has to deal with the Laestrigons, a wild people of cannibals. Roland reaches Syria and sails with the king of Damascus Norandin to Cyprus, where a tournament is to be held for the possession of the beautiful Lupina's hand. Norandin has a rival, the Greek prince Constants. Roland is distinguished among the knights of Norandin in the tournament, among the knights Constant Griffin and Aquilante. Constant, having found out who is helping his rival, resorts to deception and forces Roland to leave the island.

Roland and Angelica find themselves in the Ardennes forest: Angelica drinks from a spring that kills love, and disgust comes to the place of the passion that chained her to Rinald. Rinald appears, having just drunk from a source with the opposite effect. Paladins take up swords. The duel between Roland and Rinald was interrupted at the behest of the emperor.

Under Montalban, Roland confronts Rodomont. With a monstrous blow, Rodomont stuns Roland, but at this time Bradamanta's regiment emerges from an ambush. Bradamante fights with Rodomont, and Roland, waking up from a swoon, watches their duel and is the first to see the countless hordes of Agramant. He thanks God for this good fortune, which, he hopes, will allow him to distinguish himself in the eyes of the emperor and earn a precious reward, Angelica. Roland, inflamed by Ferragus's tale of Rinald's exploits, rushes into battle. His fight with Ruggier is interrupted by Atlanta, who distracts Roland with a magical mirage. Roland again finds himself far from the battlefield and, looking into the source, sees a magnificent hall made of transparent crystal, full of beauties. The paladin jumps into the water.

Brandymart, instructed by Flordelyse, brings Roland out of the source, and together they ride to Paris. Roland and Brandimart arrive at the decisive moment, free the captured paladins and strike at the Saracens from the rear. The night separates the combatants.

Furious Roland

In the besieged Paris, a yearning Roland sees a prophetic dream about Angelica and rushes in search of her. Roland is looking for Angelica in the enemy camp, and then all over France. He learns about the execution of girls on Ebuda and rushes there, but he is carried to Flanders. Here Olympia tells him how she loved Biren, how the Frisian Kimosch wanted to marry Olympia for her son, how she killed the groom and must die to save Biren. She asks the knight for help. Roland immediately hurries to Holland and challenges Kimoschus, crushes his ambush, rushes into the city and slays Kimoschus. Roland continues on to Ebuda.

He sails to Ebuda, engages in battle with the dragon and defeats him. The islanders attack Roland. Having beaten them off, he frees Olympia and continues to search for Angelica. He sees Angelica as a prisoner of the horseman and after them falls into the castle of Atlanta. Angelica escapes with the ring, Roland and Ferragus engage in battle; meanwhile Angelica steals Roland's helmet and is captured by Ferragus. Angelica continues on to Cathai, while Roland meets two Moorish troops and defeats them. Continuing on his way, he comes to Isabella's cave.

Isabella tells how she fell in love with Zerbin, how he instructed Odorik to kidnap her, how Odoric himself encroached on her and how she was beaten off by the robbers. Roland deals with the robbers and drives on with Isabello. He rescues Zerbin and returns Isabella to him. Then Mandricard rides on them, fights with Roland, but the horse carries him away. Roland breaks up with Zerbin, drives on and ends up in the orphanage of Medora and Angelica. By the inscriptions, he learns about their love, and the shepherd tells him what happened. Roland suffers and falls into madness.

In a frenzy, Roland rushes across France, Spain and Africa, killing people and animals. Finally, under Bizerte, he stumbles upon Astolph and his comrades, who returns him to his sane mind, brought from the moon. Together they take Bizerte with a seizure. Agramant, Gradass and Sobrin send a challenge to Roland. On the island of Lipadusa, a triple duel begins between the three Saracens on the one hand and Roland, Brandimart and Olivier on the other. Roland stuns Sobrin, attacks Gradass, Brandimart rescues Olivier. Gradass stuns Roland and kills Brandimart. Then Roland kills Agramant and Gradass, and Sobrin is carried away by the wounded.

see also

• Orlando (disambiguation) - arising from the poems "Roland in Love" ( Orlando innamorato) Matteo Boyardo and "Furious Roland" (Italian Orlando furioso) Lodovico Ariosto, from Italian. Orlando.
• Durendal is Roland's illustrious sword.
• Olifan is Roland's horn that he sounded to summon King Charles.
• Roland (company) - production of synthesizers and other electric musical instruments under the Roland ™ brand.
• Roland is a legendary hero in the series of computer games "Heroes of Might and Magic"

Literature

• Einhard... The life of Charlemagne // Historians of the Carolingian era / comp. Timofeev M.A. - M .: ROSSPEN, 1999. - S. 9-34. - ISBN 5-86004-160-8.
• Gaston paris... Histoire poétique de Charlemagne. - P., 1865.
• Leon gautier... Les épopées française. - P., 1878-92. - 2nd ed.
• Buslaev... Song of Roland. // "Notes of the Fatherland". - 1864, no. 9.
• F. W. Schmidt... Ueber die italienischen Heldengedichte aus dem Sagenkreis Karls der Grosse. - B., 1820.