The Song of Roland

On 15 August 778, Charlemagne and his army were crossing the Pyrenees back into France, after a campaign in which they had taken Saragossa and Pamplona. His rearguard, among whose commanders was Roland, duke of the Marches of Brittany, was surprised by a party of Basques, and destroyed. The chronicles of the time duly noted the event.From this tiny piece of historical grit there grew a pearl of medieval literature, The Song of Roland. The story of Roland disappears from history in the ninth century to reappear as an epic poem two hundred years later, transformed into a tale of courage, loyalty and treachery. Charlemagne becomes a god-like figure, while Roland acquires a companion, Oliver, who is almost his equal in prowess. The attack on Roland and his companions is no longer a local ambush, but the result of a conspiracy between a Saracen king in Spain and Roland's stepfather Count Ganelon. The plothas become a classic tale of jealousy and intrigue, and the poet tells it in masterly fashion; he is equally skilled at setting a scene, conveying the mood of his actors, or evoking the drama of the battle.The present translationby D.D.R. Owen is recognised as one of the best modern English versions of the poem: it has been revised for this new illustrated edition, which uses the vivid images of a late medieval manuscript of the legend. The introductionsets the poem in its context and shows how this work has influenced not only later literature, but even our view of history and notably of the Norman Conquest.