The Crusades The Song Of Roland
The Crusades
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How did the Song of Roland reflect the ideals of the time? What was important to Crusaders?
The Song of Roland depicts disregarding the actual history, Charlemagne capable of conquering all of Spain. The account is legend. Roland, a Frankish lord and Charlemagne's own nephew. The "treachery" of the Christian Basques becomes transformed into the treachery of a single man, Ganelon, and the Basques themselves are replaced by Moslems, whom the poet calls Saracens or pagans. The battles are epic and grand, worthy of intervention by God himself, and most of the historical defeats and inaccuracies are ignored.
The Song of Roland is a poem about the battle between good and evil. The poem suggests that War is great, even glamorous while the heroes pay a heavy price. The thought is clear; villains deserve neither compassion nor grief. The Franks represent pure good for they are moved by the will of God. The Saracens are evil and as they die, their souls are dragged down to hell by devils. The war in The Song of Roland is seen as a holy mission just as the holy mission for fighting in the Crusades.
Heroism in the poem is based on feudal ideas. Even the pagans in the poem can be considered heroic, when they are evaluated in terms of the feudal system which links lords and vassals by a series of obligations and loyalties. A vassal gave his total loyalty in exchange for protection and vengeance should the vassal be killed in service of his lord.
Closely connected to the themes of vassalage and the will of God and man's place, duty is one of the key values of the poem. It is for duty, not love of war that Charlemagne continues to battle against the forces of Islam. It is out of a sense of duty that Roland fights to the death at Roncesvalles. Duty causes Charlemagne to avenge Roland's death. In the poem, duty is often linked to love. The bonds between Charlemagne and Roland, or between Roland and his men, are marked by deep respect and affection.
Top of Form
How did the Song of Roland reflect the ideals of the time? What was important to Crusaders?
The Song of Roland depicts disregarding the actual history, Charlemagne capable of conquering all of Spain. The account is legend. Roland, a Frankish lord and Charlemagne's own nephew. The "treachery" of the Christian Basques becomes transformed into the treachery of a single man, Ganelon, and the Basques themselves are replaced by Moslems, whom the poet calls Saracens or pagans. The battles are epic and grand, worthy of intervention by God himself, and most of the historical defeats and inaccuracies are ignored.
The Song of Roland is a poem about the battle between good and evil. The poem suggests that War is great, even glamorous while the heroes pay a heavy price. The thought is clear; villains deserve neither compassion nor grief. The Franks represent pure good for they are moved by the will of God. The Saracens are evil and as they die, their souls are dragged down to hell by devils. The war in The Song of Roland is seen as a holy mission just as the holy mission for fighting in the Crusades.
Heroism in the poem is based on feudal ideas. Even the pagans in the poem can be considered heroic, when they are evaluated in terms of the feudal system which links lords and vassals by a series of obligations and loyalties. A vassal gave his total loyalty in exchange for protection and vengeance should the vassal be killed in service of his lord.
Closely connected to the themes of vassalage and the will of God and man's place, duty is one of the key values of the poem. It is for duty, not love of war that Charlemagne continues to battle against the forces of Islam. It is out of a sense of duty that Roland fights to the death at Roncesvalles. Duty causes Charlemagne to avenge Roland's death. In the poem, duty is often linked to love. The bonds between Charlemagne and Roland, or between Roland and his men, are marked by deep respect and affection.