The Song of Roland part 2

This is a transcript for the We're All Stories podcast. This episode can be heard in all it's glory here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1685008/9299080 or on your favourite podcast app.

Welcome back to medieval France. Where we left off last time, Charlemagne and the bulk of the French army had left Spain, passing over Les Pyrénées back into France while a small group of twenty thousand French knights led by Roland, nephew to the king were left guarding the rear when a massive Saracen host appears attack intent on killing Roland which they believe is the key to ending the French desire for conquest and bringing dishonour and defeat to the seemingly invincible armies of Charlemagne.

Aëlroth, nephew to Marsile, is at the fore of the advance guard of one hundred thousand men. He had requested the honour of leading the charge and to be the one to strike Roland down. He chooses 12 companions to match against the twelve peers of France. He hurls out insults at Roland and the French, telling them they have been betrayed, that Charlemagne must have been crazy to have left them behind. Their loss will bring dishonour to France and will cripple the French army.

Roland is pained by this, knowing it is his fault they are in these dire straits but he does not acknowledge these insults with words of his own, his only response to this taunting is to drive his steed into full charge, his lance smashes right through his enemy's shield, ripping through his armour to plunge into the body of Aëlroth.

"Cleaving his breast, he

severs all the bones,

And from the spine

the ribs disjoint. The lance

Forth from his body

thrusts the Pagan's

soul:

The Heathen's corpse

reels from his horse,

falls down

Upon the earth, the neck

cloven in two halves.

Then he responds to the insults that had been thrown at him in his charge, yelling at the lifeless body on the ground, saying:

Go thou, wretch,

and know

Carle was not mad.

Ne'er did he treason love,

And he did well to leave

us in the pass.

To-day sweet France will

not her honor lose!

Strike, Frenchmen,

strike; the first sword

-stroke is ours;

We have the right, these

gluttons have the

wrong!"

Seeing his nephew killed, Falsarun, brother to the king, charges at Roland to take his revenge. This guy is huge. how huge was he? He was so huge that the space between his eyes measured a full half a foot!

"To-day," he cries, "at last

sweet France shall

lose

Her fame!"

Roland meets his charge and in similar fashion lays him low, yelling :

"Wretch,

to me thy threats are

vain!

Strike boldly, Franks!

The victory shall be

ours!

Montjoie!"

There is a Berber king named Corsablis surveying the field, he turns to his men and tells them they have already won, the French just don't know it yet. Turpin the Archbishop hears this and charges at Corsablis, killing him in a single blow in front of his watching men.

The battle continues in this fashion as one by one the twelve peers meet their counterparts from the Saracen horde against them, each slaying his foe in a single, mighty blow.

Roland himself strikes fifteen such mighty blows with his lance before it shatters and he draws his sword, the mighty Durendal.

Likewise Oliver is casting about him, killing men by the hundreds with the shattered stump of his lance. Roland sees him and yells across the battlefield, what are you doing? Draw your sword! Oliver yells back that he hasn't had time because he was too busy winning. But he takes a second and draws his sword, Halteclere, then sets to striking even harder than before. His first blow cutting a person in two as if his armour were made of paper, passing right through him, through his saddle, cutting both man and beast in two. Roland says see, that's better, that's what I'm talking about!

This continues on for some time, with the French defeating their foes. All who meet them on the field are killed, only those that flee from the front survive. But in the back and forth between the two sides the French too are losing men, men they can ill afford to lose, as heavily outnumbered as they are.

Meanwhile, back in France a horrible storm assails the land with rain and hail pelting everything, the thunder so loud that every wall of every house in the land is shaken. The clouds are so thick and dark they block out all light. The French cower in their homes crying that the end of days is upon them, but little do they know it is the sign of Roland's demise.

The battle rages on, the French tearing into the Saracen army so "Not two out of one hundred thousand now Survive."

Just when it seemed things were looking up for the French, like they may actually win the day, Marsile arrives with the main force of the army, all fresh and eager to avenge their fallen.

Seeing this vast host, the French are terrified, screaming for Roland and the twelve peers to save them. The Archbishop calms them, reminding them of why they are fighting. Their courage renewed, they stand firm.

A Saracen lord named Climorin charges ahead, striking and killing Engelier de Gascuigne. He becomes the first of the twelve peers to fall. Oliver rushes in to avenge him, killing Climorin and nine others besides.

Next comes Valdabrun, he is a pagan master of ships who it is said took Jerusalem by treachery and desecrated the temple of Solomon. Are you starting to see why some see this as parallel to the crusades or as inflammatory propaganda? Especially when you remember that in real life, this attack was revenge carried out by the Basque people, not an underhanded sneak attack by the Muslims. Anyway, he charges in and kills duke Sansun whom Roland rushes in to avenge.

Just as they had done in the beginning to their enemies, so are the twelve one by one defeated. But Roland stands firm, killing all around him.

Fearing they will lose, Marsile signals to send in the reserves and the battle is renewed with fresh troops from Spain. Seeing this the archbishop charges in alone, slaying several of the enemy of note. Seeing this, Roland and Oliver rush in to help their friend and what is left of the French army follows suit, inspired by the bravery of those leaders they had left.

It is said this small band slew four thousand of their enemy, beating them back to retreat four times but on the fifth charge they are killed to a man so only Roland, Oliver and the Archbishop Turpin remain to fight.

Roland looks around him, seeing all his friends and companions, brave Frenchmen slain. He begins to feel disheartened. He looks to Oliver saying he wishes Charlemagne and his armies were here fighting with them so that all these men did not have to die. He asks Oliver what they should do to warn their king and fellow countrymen of the danger of attack? Oliver, stand up guy that he is doesn't even give him an 'I told you so' or some sarcastic reply, instead he says, 'I don’t know, but it is better for us to die than to face dishonour.' Now to be fair, as I said before, this was written hundreds of years after the fact so who knows what was really said. I know if it were me I would have probably been like 'oh gee, if only someone had told you before to signal for help…' but anyway.

Roland suddenly remembers he has his horn and is like hey, I've got a great idea, why don't I blow my horn to signal the king to send reinforcements?

But surprisingly, Oliver is against this. These two have switched positions. Now Roland wants to call for help and Oliver is like look, I told you to call for help from the beginning but you chose this instead. If we call for help now we will only bring dishonour on ourselves and our families. The two literally stop and sit there arguing with each other back and forth for a while before the Archbishop comes up and knocks their heads together like a pair of little kids and chastises them. He tells them they are both right. Yes, it is too late for Charlemagne to help them Oliver, but they should still call him in to avenge them and save France from a Spanish attack. Sheepishly (at least I imagine) the two make nice and Roland sounds his horn Oliphant with every fiber of his being. He blows the Oliphant so hard that blood pours from his mouth and his temples burst, mortally wounding him.

Charlemagne hears it all the way in his home and is like, I hear a horn, the rear guard must be in trouble! Ganelon is right there saying nope, I don't hear anything, you're probably just imagining it.

Roland keeps blowing his horn so hard the veins stand out on his temple then burst.

Charlemagne is like wait a second, there it is again, that's Roland calling for help!

Ganelon is like nope, that can't be it. Roland is too prideful to ask for help. Nope, probably him and his buddies are off sporting, chasing down some hare in the woods and having fun. Nothing To worry your kingly little head about. What actually said to his king and emperor, the great and mighty Charlemagne is this: "No fight is there!—you, sire, are old,

Your hair and beard are all bestrewn with gray, and as a child your speech." Not exactly the words of humble respect one would expect when addressing a king.

Meanwhile Roland is still blowing that thing for all he's worth.

One of Charlemagne's other dukes is like wow, that is one long blast from that horn, Roland MUST be in trouble.

Now others were hearing it too, it wasn't just in his head. When Ganelon continues to persuade the king that it is nothing, Charlemagne becomes suspicious. Something is afoot. If Roland is sounding his horn, they must be in huge trouble. The wheels in the King's mind start turning. If Roland was in trouble, why was Ganelon trying to get him to stay home? And who was it who volunteered Roland for the rearguard to begin with? Well, that was Ganelon too… and wasn't it Ganelon who met with Marsile, and got the French army to withdraw back into France…? Suddenly it all clicks into place. The king looks at Ganelon with new eyes, unclouded by deception.

This had all been a trap. Luring the Franks back over Les Pyrénées, isolating Roland, cutting him off from aid so he could be ambushed and killed.

The king calls his army together and signals the advance, back to the pass and Roland in all haste. The horns of the French, the French horns if you will, answering the call of Roland's olifant.

Charlemagne, after getting his posse together and preparing to march. Has the kitchen staff, not sure why he chose the kitchen staff, maybe because he wanted all his fighting men with him to save Roland? He has the kitchen staff seize him. They pluck out his beard and mustache one hair at a time, then all one hundred of them give him four blows each then they really start in on him with lashes and sticks beating him. Then they put a chain and collar around his neck like an animal and lead him around like this.

Charlemagne charges through the mountains with all haste, each of them weeping with concern for Roland and fear for his well being.

Roland takes a last look around the field, seeing his companions laying there still. He offers up a prayer for their souls then turns and rejoins the battle joined by his surviving companions. He charges in killing twenty five single handedly right off the bat yelling "No quarter!"

Roland and friends knew there was no chance for them, that no quarter would be given so with nothing left to lose, their backs to the wall they set about, determined to take as many with them as they could.

Marsile charges in and kills several Frenchmen. Never mind that there were only 3 left just a bit ago. This is epic poetry, not an encyclopaedia. Maybe if you really want to make sense of it those three were the only 3 left of the twelve peers? Similar to how only the 300 Spartans are typically counted among all those fought at Thermopylae. Or maybe some had held back instead of joining the arch bishop's charge?

Regardless, there are more French soldiers fighting and dying. Then along comes Roland like an avenging wind, charging through the Saracen ranks. He cuts off Marsile's hand before beheading the king's son.

This causes Marsile to flee the field, running for his life. Seeing their king fleeing the battle, many of his men likewise turn tail and run. But then, yet again when it seemed like the French would drive them back, Marsile's uncle, Marganice charges in with fifty thousand fresh troops.

Seeing these reinforcements, Roland calls it. Ok boys, it's been great knowing ya but this is the end. But still, we will take as many of them with us as we can. He curses anyone who does not give it their all, he wants to see them give 110% he wants to see some hustle! When Charlemagne arrives with the French army to avenge them, he wants them to see that they sold themselves dearly, each of them taking at least fifteen with them.

The Saracen force, seeing this small handful of Frenchmen charging at them "Are filled with pride and comfort." Marganice charges in and runs Oliver through from behind. Oliver knows his death blow has been struck but he will not go so quietly. He swings his sword Halteclere at his assailant's head, killing him. He then sets about swinging his sword wildly about him, killing anyone who gets too close as his life's blood drains out of him. With his failing breath he calls to Roland for aid, alternating calling for his friend and shouting "Montjoie!" The battle cry of Charlemagne's army.

When Roland arrives at his friend's side, seeing the state he is in he mourns the loss of his friend and swoons.

a note on swooning. To the medieval French chevalier, passion was celebrated as a core aspect of chivalry. so grand displays of passion were the height of fashion among the knights. That is why we frequently see these hardened warriors moved to tears, openly weeping and swooning in an excess of passion. so this is a very common occurrence throughout the narrative.

At this point, Oliver is beyond his last legs. His vision gone, he flails about blindly. Sensing someone drawing near he lashes out at his opponent's head, not realizing it's his friend, Roland. The blow cuts through Roland's helmet, but lacks the strength to wound. Being unhurt, Roland comes up beside his friend and tells him it is Roland who stands next to him. Oliver says he hears his voice but cannot see him and never will again. Oliver turns his unseeing eyes to heaven and confesses his sins and begs God to bless his king and country but most of all, his true friend, Roland. And with that he slumps forward to the ground, still at last, to breathe no more.

Seeing his friend laying there Roland weeps and sobs openly on the battlefield to the point where he swoons again upon his horse but his golden stirrups hold him in place so he cannot fall off, to the hard, blood-soaked ground).

When Roland comes to, there is only himself, the Archbishop and a man named Gualtier whom he had sent away with a small force into the mountains to guard the flank. With all of his men slain, the man had returned to his leader there to make their last stand together. The man calls to Roland, he is dying and scared, pierced by eight darts yet he calls to Roland because he says he could never be afraid in the presence of Roland, his hero.

Roland rushes to meet Gualtier and Turpin. The three of them stand against one thousand foot soldiers and forty thousand horsemen and hold them back so no one dares to draw near.

Instead the men hurl darts, spear and javelins at them, firing arrows at the three companions. Gualtier falls first. Then the Archbishop Turpin, his horse shot out from under him, he falls, transfixed by four spears. The man picks himself up off the ground, saying it's not over as long as he draws breath and charges against his enemies. His sword Almace drawn he deals out more than a thousand blows, according to Charlemagne who arrived to see the spectacle and those with him, the Archbishop left more than four hundred bodies in his wake.

Exhausted near to death, Roland Blows a final, feeble call on his horn. Charlemagne and his men hear it and gallop with all haste to try and reach Roland alive, knowing that with how feeble the horn call was, he must be near the end. They sound their trumpets in answer as the race to reach him.

Hearing the French charge, the Spanish army is taken aback. They cannot win against Charlemagne and the full strength of his army. But they have been convinced by Ganelon that if Roland is left alive, they will lose Spain. So they resolve to kill him quickly and make their getaway before the French army can reach them. They get together a group of four hundred of their elite, charged with the singular task, to bring Roland down.

Roland for his part charges in after his friend the Archbishop Turpin. When he catches up to him, he sees him charging on foot. You will remember his horse was killed in that initial barrage of missiles which took Gualtier. Roland dismounts to fight beside his friend so they might share each other's fate.

The Saracen army at this point is freaking out. Charlemagne is just around the corner now and Roland has killed so many of them that they think no mortal can push him back. Someone says we should have just shot him from a distance to which someone else says yeah, why didn't I think of that? Only we just did that, remember? It didn't work. His shield and armour were damaged by the attack but he emerged unscathed.

In terror the enemy flees before Roland but being now without his horse, Roland does not give chase. Instead he rushes to the side of Turpin who is mortally wounded. Seeing His Friend Is about to die, Roland determines to gather his comrades, the twelve peers so they could all be together in death and receive blessing from the Archbishop one final time. He scours the battlefield alone, finding each of his companions and laying them in a row at the feet of Turpin. Last to be found is Olivier, his dearest friend. Seeing his friends all laid out like this, Roland is again overcome with grief and swoons. Seeing Roland so moved, the Archbishop is overwhelmed. He takes Roland's olifant to fetch water from the stream nearby to revive his friend. The priest takes some few shuffling steps in that direction when his heart finally gives out.

Roland comes to and sees his friend the Archbishop laying lifeless there some distance away. Roland makes his way weakly over to him and folds the man's bloodless hands in the form of the cross on his chest and prays for him, commending him to the God whom he had lived his whole life in service of.

Feeling his own death coming nigh, Roland confesses his sins to heaven then grasping his olifant in one hand, his sword Durendal in the other he charges. He gets some distance when he falls in a swoon again.

Nearby is a Saracen soldier who had smeared himself with blood and hid among the corpses of his comrades, playing dead. He sees Roland go down and leaps at the opportunity to seize the legendary Durendal for himself. He jumps up and rushes over to Roland's body to take the sword from his hand.

This was apparently just what was needed to revive him because at feeling someone trying to take his sword he opened his eyes he smacked the guy upside the head with his olifant so hard helmet and head alike were crushed. He just looks at the guy and basically says 'now look what you made me do. Now my olifant is broken.' The horn of Roland had been split in two with the force of the blow.

Knowing that he is about to die, perhaps inspired by this man trying to steal his sword while he was unconscious, Roland finds a large stone and strikes with his sword against it repeatedly but the sword remains completely unblemished or broken. He prays to Saint Mary for help. No one who is unworthy will wield this mighty blade. He tries again and still cannot damage the blade. He tells the story of how an angel came from on high, commanding Charlemagne to present this sword to a count and valiant captain. It was then that Charlemagne presented it to Roland. Roland used this sword on many worthy adventures, winning much land for his king. Again Roland cries, calling on God to help him destroy the blade so it could never fall into the hands of the enemy to be used against Christendom. Again he strikes the rock, shattering it but the sword is still completely undamaged. Roland begins to realize that this sword cannot be broken. He reveals it is a holy object and it contains a number of relics. A tooth from saint Pierre, blood from saint Basile, hair from saint Denis, and a piece of the robe of Sainte Marie. This holy sword must not be wielded by a pagan. He stumbles and falls, still with his sword and horn. He sits under a pine tree, his back braced against a stone, facing Spain and he confesses his sins.

As Roland relives his glory days, friends come and gone, memories good and bad he weeps and begs God to save him from his sins. The heavens open up and the angels come to be with this fallen warrior at his time of dying. Roland offers his glove to God. It is accepted by Gabriel who has come to Roland's side, along with Raphaël and Michael to bring this brave and noble soul to heaven. With this Roland lets himself let go, his spirit leaving his body to be borne by the heavenly retinue that had come down to claim him. At that his mortal shell breathed its last.

The Frankish army led by Charlemagne would arrive only to see their friends, sons and brothers dead, so many corpses there were that not an inch of ground was not covered. They would get their revenge though. Driving the army into the river Ebro. As they are unarmed, mourning and burying their dead, a second Saracen army would come, only to be driven back and dispersed. The Franks, their enemies defeated, would take Zaragoza before returning home.

Ganelon would be tried for his treachery, having each of his limbs tied to a different horse, then each beast is goaded into a frenzy, each charging full speed in a different direction, tearing the man apart. In addition to this , thirty of his family would hang to pay for his crime.

And that, My friends, is the Song of Roland.