Roland
At a glance:
- Series: Magill’s Guide to Military History
- Categories: Literature, Publishing, Military History, Mythology, Folklore
- Subcategories: Legends, Myths, Knights, Knighthood
- Curriculum: Medieval History/Middle Ages, French History, Spanish/Portuguese History
Article abstract: Military significance: The account of Roland’s death became a model of chivalry through a medieval French poem.
Very little is known for certain about Roland. The little information available comes from the romantic poems that were recorded nearly four hundred years after his death. Einhard’s Vita Karoli Magni Imperatoris (eighth century; The Life of Charlemagne, 1880) lists him as having died in a skirmish with the Basques. However, the fullest and best-known account is the Chanson de Roland (twelfth century; The...
[The entire page is 326 words long]