Song about Roland

In the heyday of medieval Europe (X - XIII centuries), many peoples began to compose heroic songs, dedicating them to their glorious soldiers and their significant feats. In France, this tradition has gained special distribution. The traditions and legends that arose following historical battles gained a special form “gesture” (from the French Chansons de Geste - songs about deeds).

one of the most famous among them was the "Song of Roland." Its earliest edition was preserved in the manuscript dating from the 1170–1180s, however, according to the researchers, the legends about the exploration of Roland were added earlier. The poem was based on a real event - the battle in the Ronsevalsky Gorge, which occurred between the detachment of the army of Charles the Great, under the leadership of Roland and the allies of the Arabs, the Basques.

Having ambushed at the tops of the rocks, the Basques managed to defeat the army of the francs, many glorious warriors, paladins and aristocrats, including the legendary Roland, fell in battle. In “Songs of Roland”, history changes somewhat: under the influence of the Crusades that took place in Europe in the XI - XII centuries, events acquire a distinctly pronounced religious coloring. The theme of the statement of Christianity is combined with the patriotic theme of the protection of the Motherland. Having gained widespread, the poem gave rise to a number of works built around the image of her capital character (Boyardo’s poem “Roland in love”, Ariosto “Frantic Roland”, etc.), and had a significant impact on European literature.

in This edition “Song of Roland” is published in a retelling for children, performed by a modern poet and translator Mikhail Yasyov.