The Song of Roland is a description of the image of Roland. The Epic Song of Roland

Olivier is a friend and brother, Roland’s “dashing brother,” a valiant knight who prefers death to the dishonor of retreat. In the poem, Olivier is characterized by the epithet “reasonable.” Three times Olivier tries to convince Roland to blow the Olifan horn to call for help from the army of Charlemagne, but Roland three times refuses to do so. Olivier dies with his friend, praying before his death “for his dear native land.”

Glossary:

– characteristics of Roland

- characterization of Olivier from the song about Roland

– characteristics of Olivier

- Song of Roland characterization by Olivier

– read the whole poem yourself, tell us about its heroes Roland Olivier and Karl

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Option 2

The image of Roland embodied ideas about the ideal qualities that should be inherent in a European knight.

Count Roland, nephew of Emperor Charlemagne, opposes making peace with the Saracens. These are the enemies of Christ and the Franks, with whom we must continue the war and die valiantly when the time comes.

The count's desire and his loyalty to the knight's true mission are contrasted with the treachery and cunning on the part of the Moorish king Marsilius and the traitor Count Ganelon. A knight should not make any diplomatic combinations; his job is to fight the infidels.

Unlike Ganelon, who personifies misbehavior a knight who is afraid to go as an ambassador to the Moors, Roland himself volunteers to carry out this dangerous deed. However, the emperor does not let him go.

When Ganelon, having agreed with the Saracens, caught Roland in a trap, the valiant knight found himself with a small detachment against the main forces of the Muslims. He has no chance to survive. However, despite this, Roland refuses to blow the horn, trying to call for help from the main forces of Christians led by Charlemagne, who have not yet gone far. Pride commands the knight to enter into the last unequal battle. Roland agrees to blow the trumpet only after the archbishop fighting with them says that this will not save them, but will give the emperor the opportunity to take revenge. If they are doomed anyway, then this is not dishonor. The poem exalts the strength and valor of the count, until his enemies resorted to deceit, they could not defeat him.

During the battle, Roland performs his duty not only with sword and spear. Several times, addressing his enemies, he defends the honor of his emperor, saying that he did not do the right thing by leaving him here.

The Song of Roland praises the courage of the Frankish knights, the best of whom was their leader. Roland cuts off the hand of King Marsilius and kills his son. The main virtues of a knight, in addition to loyalty to duty, are military skills and courage in battle, the description of which is given a lot of space.

Roland dies honorably in battle, such a death is the best for a knight. He dies as a Christian, turning to God and stretching out his hand to heaven, as if now becoming a knight-vassal of the Almighty.

Essay about Roland

The Song of Roland was written in honor of one of the Crusades. The author mainly used real facts, but still reality largely diverges from the events in the poem. Despite the lack of education of those times, the work of unknown author turned out to be literate and became a national treasure.

In the work, the heroes are not divided into good and bad. Everyone has both positive and negative qualities, each character develops a value system.

“The Song of Roland” is divided into 3 parts, where one of the main characters is Roland himself. He is the embodiment of vassal loyalty. Until his death he remains loyal to France, the king and the people. His knightly ideal is clearly manifested in the death scene, when Roland lays his head towards the enemy, having previously remembered his native country for which he is fighting. The messenger of God, the Archangel Gabriel, even appears to Roland. The knight hands him a glove as a sign of loyalty and devotion to God.

Roland is characterized by such character traits as ardor and recklessness. He refuses to help Olivier when he says that he needs to call the army for help. Roland considers this a shame for himself. 3 times Olivier repeats his request, 3 times Roland refuses him. And then it becomes too late. Everyone dies. Selfishness, cruelty and greed are alien to Roland. There is a thirst for achievement in him, blind faith in the rightness of his cause.

The knight is religious. The entire poem is filled with religious motifs. The author glorifies Christianity. Roland even exclaims over the corpse of one of the enemies, “Friends, God is behind us!” Forward!".

As for Roland's character, he is recklessly brave, he does not think about the consequences of his actions and words. His pride sometimes turns into stubbornness, which then leads to irreversible consequences. Without hesitation, he is ready to sacrifice himself for the sake of “dear France,” King Charles and the French people.

Roland is opposed by Ganelon, who is more important than his own benefit. The brave knight's relatives come first, then France and Christians. With Ganelon, everything is completely different. “I” comes first for him, he cares more about his fate, then he will think about the rest of the people.

Thus, both the poem itself and Roland are characterized by reckless faith in the king, loyalty to religion, devotion home country. Roland himself embodies vassal loyalty. He is the ideal of knightly valor.

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Plan

Introduction
Theme: “Songs of Roland”
Epic story
The image of Roland in the work
Charlemagne
Image and epic description of Gwenelon
Women's images
Conclusion
Literature

1. Introduction

One of the most remarkable monuments of medieval literature is considered to be the epic legend of the French people - “The Song of Roland”.

Minor historical fact formed the basis of this heroic epic and over time, enriched by a number of later events, helped the widespread dissemination of tales about Roland and the wars of Charlemagne in many literatures of Western Europe.

2. Theme: “Songs of Roland”

The Song of Roland clearly expresses the ideology of a feudal society, in which the faithful service of a vassal to his overlord was an untouchable law, and violation of it was considered betrayal and treason. However, the traits of courageous steadfastness, military valor, selfless friendship and a thoughtful attitude to what is happening were not given a class-feudal connotation in the poem, as in the remarkable monument of creativity of the Russian people “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign”; on the contrary, these convincing properties of the valiant defenders of the homeland - military leaders-peers and their vassals, were perceived as typical, national. Also in to a greater extent recognition and sympathy on the part of the broad masses were facilitated by thoughts about the defense of the fatherland, about the shame and danger of defeat, which run like a red thread through the entire poem.

Feudal society, with its sharp class struggle, differentiation, with the peculiar pathos of class knightly heroism and features of Christian religiosity, gave rise to dozens of epic tales. It was in France, where feudal relations developed in a classical form, that such a large number of heroic poems arose. Differing in theme, volume and form, these poems did not equally reflect the broad interests of the people. Some of them talked about bloody civil strife, about vengeful and selfish invader barons who recognized the right of the strong as the only law and considered violence and arbitrariness to be the basis of their morality; A convincing example of this kind of poem is the poem "Raoul de Cambrai". Personal interest prevailed in these works, and faithful service to the overlord and the state lost its obligatory character for the “unfaithful barons.” In other epics, the theme of fidelity dominated, and the fate of a traitor, a traitor to the homeland and a violator of the vassal oath led him to retribution and a sad end. This theme is most clearly developed in the poems telling about the wars of Charlemagne, and especially in the “Song of Roland.”

The actual events of the 8th century formed the core of the Song of Roland. In 778, in the Pyrenees, the troops of Charlemagne, who were returning from the Spanish campaign, were attacked by the Basques. They were destroyed in a bloody battle best shelves, the best commanders did not escape the common fate, according to the close biographer Karl Einhard. In the “Biography of Charlemagne” this author says: “In this battle, Eggichard, the royal steward, Anselm, the Count Palatine and Hruodland (i.e. Roland), the head of the Breton March, were killed.” A particular episode of the battle with the Basques, co-religionists of the French (Franks), underwent a significant rethinking: instead of the Basques, formidable Muslim Arabs appeared, who captured significant areas in Spain and more than once invaded France. The defeat at Roncesvalles did not cover the French with shame, but only helped to reveal their courage and ability to stand to the death, defending their homeland and covering the rear of the main retreating forces. The historical governor of the Breton March became the main character of the epic tale - Roland, his clash with his stepfather Gwenelon and the latter's betrayal became the basis of the plot. New details have also emerged characterizing the warring camps and their commanders. The historical Charlemagne was contrasted with the Saracen king Marsilius, a fictitious person. The events and their participants shifted in time and space: the crusades of the 11th century gave a new ideological coloring to the entire poem as a whole. Although historical accuracy in the “Song of Roland” is not observed, the features of the distant past found their poetic interpretation in it.

3. Epic story

The time of occurrence of the poem, its origin, possible authorship - all these questions still cause controversy and have not received a final solution. It is reliably known that the events of the 7th century, which are mentioned, along with later ones, in the “Song of Roland”, were recorded in the 12th century, when the church monopoly on writing had weakened somewhat. And secular texts received certain rights to exist along with manuscripts of religious content.

It is quite possible that before the first writing, the version of “The Song of Roland” existed in oral transmission; The juggler-performer did not need a handwritten text at all: in the 9th - 10th centuries, the legend of Roland was still eagerly listened to and sung! The popularity of the tale helped to involve new characters and the emergence of new plot situations. Expanding the volume of the initially small work could not satisfy the curious listener; Thus, in addition to the “Song of Roland,” new poems of a cyclic nature arose, which contained a number of details and additions, both in relation to the main character and other characters.

Along with the question of the time of origin of an epic poem, another always arises - about the place of its origin and possible author. If we agree with the opinion that “The Song of Roland” was born in direct connection with the distant events that are reflected in it, then the author’s problem becomes much more complicated, because the initial origin of the legend can be associated with folk art. And there you have to deal not with one, but with many creators of the poem, as well as singers who transmitted it orally.

An indirect confirmation of this can be the story of the English chronicler William of Malmesbury about the Normans who arrived from France and, participating in the battle against the Anglo-Saxons at Hastings, sang “Roland’s cantilenas”, “so that the example of this man would inspire the warriors.” The value of this testimony from a chronicler who wrote no later than 1125 cannot be underestimated. The dispute about the author of the handwritten text remains unresolved. The most ancient manuscript- Oxford, dates back to approximately 1170 and has reached us in good preservation. At the end of this manuscript it is indicated that the story has come to an end and that "Turoldus was tired." Painstaking research by scientists led to the discovery of data on several Turolds, who in time could claim authorship, or rather co-authorship, of the handwritten text of the “Song”. It is possible that Turold was really a cleric, since a strong religious overtones are characteristic of this poem, but the degree of Turold’s participation in its creation and the nature of his creative work remained unlit.

It is no less difficult to establish the place where the “Song” was composed. The text of the poem itself does not give an exact indication, since the enthusiastic glorification of military virtues is not strictly confined to any one people and the epic praise is addressed to many: the Angevins, Normans, the French of Ile-de-France, the Bavarians (along with recognition of the valiant qualities of the enemy in weapon - Saracen). Based on the peculiarities of the language of the manuscript and the authorship of Turold, then northern France has to be considered a possible place for the development of the legend.

The epic plot of the tale is distinguished by its simplicity and consistency, despite the large number of characters. The impetus for the emergence of disagreements between Roland and Gwenelon is their quarrel, caused by Roland's proposal to send his stepfather Gwenelon as Charlemagne's ambassador to Sargossa. The arrival of the Saracen ambassador Blancandrin, who, on behalf of his father King Marsilius, was supposed to achieve Card's consent to the withdrawal of troops from Spain with false assurances of submission and promises of abundant tribute, necessitated a counter embassy. The honorable and dangerous task, after much wrangling, was entrusted to Gwenelon, but Gwenelon regarded his stepson’s offer as an insult requiring revenge, and in the future all betrayals, including betrayal and betrayal, were put into action by him.

The Battle of Roncesvalles is the pinnacle of the development of the narrative, which is divided into two episodes: the battle of Roland’s rearguard with the Saracens who made up the first army of Marsilius, and the continuation of this battle with the second army, when the Franks were subjected to complete destruction. Roland's disagreements with his friend Olivier, the death of the Frankish peers and Roland's farewell to his death with the sword are here.

It is here, in this central part of the poem, that such important episodes are concentrated as The final part of the poem narrates the crushing blow that Charles’s returning main forces inflict on the hordes of infidels led by Baligant (this episode is considered by many researchers to be inserted and later in origin), and only After this, the story is told about Charles’s return to his capital and about the worthy retribution suffered by the traitor Gwenelon.

Judicious use visual arts, laconicism and clarity of the language and style of the work are based on the exceptional harmony of its construction. The poem, epic in its form, can be classified as a genre of historical songs in which the events of the past, in a highly modified form, are told primarily through a list of military descriptions, bound together by meager data about the fate of individual heroes. The parallelism of ongoing events is combined organically with parallelism in the selection of characters. The twelve peers of France correspond to twelve Saracens; among the commanders equal in courage, the nephews of the sovereigns stand out - Roland and Aelroth, the gray-bearded Roman emperor Charlemagne is close to the Saracen emir Baligant; Gwenelon and the Saracen king Marsilius have some similarities. Undoubtedly, more attention and space is given to those of them that have a stronger influence on the development of the plot, in connection with this, only a few characters in the “Song” are individualized, while the majority are endowed with either only positive or negative properties. It is characteristic that other actors are involved to better identify the characteristics of each of the warring parties.

4. The image of Roland in the work

Roland possesses the valor and determination that helped him become the best commander of Charles's army. However, he is characterized by everyday weaknesses: ardor, reckless imprudence and some boasting. In the first place in the poem is the image of Roland. Nothing is said about his childhood, but the cyclical poems clarify his relationship and family ties with Karl, and also help to understand the reason for Gwenelon’s hostility towards his stepson.

Here, in the poem itself, the folklore theme of the unfortunate fate of a stepson or stepdaughter was not developed due to other ideological tasks. The episodes associated with Roland are distinguished by their lyrical coloring, which is greatly facilitated by the dynamic style of presentation. Ridicule and direct challenge towards Gwenelon are replaced by perseverance and a biased understanding of military honor in a conversation with his best friend, Olivier, when it comes to calling for help from Charles’s troops. Olivier's proposal to blow the horn of Oliphant Roland perceives as an admission of weakness unworthy of a brave knight, and prefers an unequal battle with the Saracens, which threatens the death of the entire rearguard. Disagreements between friends escalate again when Roland, convinced of the hopelessness of the current situation, is ready to blow the horn, but this time Olivier, who perfectly assessed the hopelessness of the situation, considers it unacceptable to turn to Karl, since this discredits the title of a valiant and courageous warrior. Only the intervention of Archbishop Turpin reconciles the friends, although Olivier remains right. The stern character of Roland is endowed with the attractive features of constancy in friendship that knows no boundaries, in loyalty to serving France and its sovereign; This last feature is given special importance, since Roland is characterized as an ideal knight, a faithful vassal of his overlord and a defender of the “true” faith - Christianity. If the theme of friendship is clearly expressed in the character of Roland, then the theme of love does not occupy a prominent place in the poem: Olivier's threat to deny Roland the hand of his sister Alda does not create any particular conflict.

The warrior's weapons and his war horse were the knight's daily companions. One of the most poetic and worthy of attention places in the poem should be recognized as Roland's farewell to his sword Durendal. Particularly revered relics were often placed in the hilt of the sword, richly decorated with jewelry and gold. The sword, shaped like a cross, was not only a symbol of strength and power, but also a religious symbol, embodying the superstitious idea of the miraculous power of the cross and the relics contained in the hilt of the sword. Addressing Roland’s sword with farewell words resembles a lament (lyrical lament, epicedia), in which the main events of the past days associated with the success and glory of French weapons are recalled with friendly confidence. Warriors gave nicknames to swords, their constant companions in battles, reflecting the best qualities of the metal, its hardening and hardness, and the meaning of friendly support. Thus, the name of Roland's sword - "Durendal" indicates its exceptional hardness, the name of Turpin's sword - "Almas" can be understood as a "holy ax", the name of Karl's sword - "Joyoz" translated means "joyful". On a deserted battlefield, where there is not a single living soul left, but only mountains of corpses, Roland, before his death, covers Durendal with himself and lies down facing the Saracen soil, “so that Charles would tell his glorious squad, “That Count Roland died, but won.” The fate of the weapon is not the warrior’s last concern; Roland does not allow the thought that his sword will go to the Saracens. He finds the strength to fight the enemy warrior who tried to take possession of his sword.

The image of the medieval warrior Olivier helps to clarify the appearance. The characters of the two friends are contrasted by the words of the song itself: “Olivier is wise, and Count Roland is fearless.” This wisdom helps Olivier look at things soberly, understand the situation and correctly assess the qualities of his comrades and enemies. He not only helps Roland in the difficult Battle of Roncesvalles, but it is he who manages to correctly understand Gwenelon’s insidious plan and all its consequences. The qualities of personal courage are combined in Olivier with great military talent. There is no ostentatious panache in him and no amount of arrogance that his friend possesses. He is sharp and direct in his judgments, and the final verdict on Roland’s recklessness is put into his mouth:

“Only you, Roland, are the culprit of the misfortune!

The one who is wise is more worthy than the one who is mad!

Our madness has destroyed us all, -

We will no longer serve Karl!..."

The scene in which the mortally wounded Olivier, not recognizing Roland, mistakes him for an enemy and cuts his helmet with a heavy blow of his sword, is particularly dramatic. IN last minutes the life of his friend Roland, he is imbued with tenderness for him and finds expression of his grief in lamentation over a lifeless corpse. Thus, the lyrical form of lamentation for the dead seems to violate the unity of the epic tale. Roland and Olivier are among the twelve best generals of the Frankish peers. But the non-typical features that are characteristic of both of them are not repeated in the images of the other commanders of Charles. Their courage, valor, ability to wield weapons and fight, both on horseback and on foot, do not have a distinct individual association. They are more distinguished by their appearance, weapons, and the opponents with whom fate brings them together, than by the personal qualities unique to them. Nemon of Bavaria and Odger the Dane, although they have some features, their images are not as significant as the images of Archbishop Turpin.

There are many cyclical epics in which Turpin occupies a greater place than in the Song of Roland. In medieval literature one can often find images of cleric knights; they performed their pastoral duties equally well and wielded spear and sword. Turpin is a hero. His image stands out clearly in literature.

Along with his general military qualities, Turpin has great moral authority, and even such a stubborn and headstrong warrior as Roland should listen to his words. In the heat of battle, this minister of the church does not forget his rank, supporting the cheerfulness and courage of the soldiers not only with the power of the sword, but also with words of appeal, consolation and promises of “afterlife bliss.” He is an impartial judge in a dispute between two friends, and before his death he has to give absolution to all Christian soldiers. However, his Christian virtues do not receive primary importance: his military valor and courage are placed higher. In some versions of the tales of the Caroline Wars, Turpin was the only one of the rearguard who survived the Battle of Ronsenval Gorge. It is impossible not to say that subsequently, with a comic interpretation of the plot, it was the character of the knight-cleric Turpin that underwent a thorough alteration; V new role, the role of a comic character, he is depicted in the famous poem “Great Morgante”, owned by the Italian poet of the 15th century - Lugi Pulci.

5. Charlemagne

The image of Charlemagne is of great importance for the Frankish camp. His appearance, exceptional longevity, and traits of moral and physical superiority make him a typical figure of an epic tale. His inherent wisdom does not interfere with the passion with which he treats his nephew Roland (it must be taken into account that in some versions Roland is considered the son of Charles), and the arbitrariness that manifested itself in his decision about the embassy to Marsilius. What is especially difficult for Charles is not the huge losses that the rearguard suffered in the battle with the Saracens, but the death of twelve peers and, above all, Roland, for whose death he is ready to take revenge on the Saracens, regardless of new victims. His affinity for his nephew is so strong that Charles goes ahead of the army to find the fallen hero.

Karl will not escape doubt and momentary hesitation, which are also characteristic of more ordinary soldiers. Swords and spears again cross, armor and helmets crack, Franks and their opponents of different tribes fall from their war horses - the picture of the battle is complicated by the build-up of similar episodes.

The duel with Baligant ends with the victory of Charles, the victory of the Franks over the enemy. We must remember one more trait in the image of Karl - callousness and a certain insensitivity towards people. Upon returning to Aachen, Karl meets Alda, who lost her brother Olivier and fiancé Roland in the Battle of Ronsenval. The girl’s grave grief does not touch the Karl, and he tries to console her by offering her a more profitable, in his opinion, marriage with his son Louis.

Karl seeks retribution against Gwenelon with exceptional persistence. In the person of Thiedry, he finds the defender of the deceased Roland. Although the French army suffered irreparable damage as a result of the death of many commanders, this does not prevent Charles from not only quartering the traitor Gwenelon, who received retribution as he deserved, but also from hanging all his relatives, brave and experienced warriors. Karl, like Roland, receives help and support from the “heavenly forces” heavenly powers at the end of the poem they again call on Charles for war against the Saracens. "The heroes have a relationship with them that is in many ways reminiscent of the complex connections between the overlord and his vassals.

6. Image and epic description of Gwenelon

The image of the traitor Gwenelon stands out brightly and assertively in the poem. The typical properties of a brave warrior are fully inherent in Roland’s stepfather, but in his character one can see the traits of that unfaithful baron who puts personal, selfish interests above all else and goes to direct betrayal of his homeland.

He causes irreparable damage to France, driven by a thirst for revenge and selfish well-being. His behavior at the court of Marsilius is either courageous and honest, then, in connection with the plan that had already been hatched earlier, it is hypocritical and criminal. His condemnation does not meet with universal support; the power of blood and family mutual responsibility helps Gwenelon and allows him, despite the humiliation he has experienced, to hope for a successful outcome of the trial. His relatives almost achieve success, but objections from Thiedry, who defends the glorious name of Roland, force Pinabel to enter into a duel with him. The decision of Gwenelon's fate now began to depend on the result of the duel; the defeat of Pinabel entails severe punishment for the traitor.

With the consistency of a man convinced of his right, several times in the poem Gwenelon cites as justification for his treacherous role the personal motives of revenge and retribution, which he stated at the beginning of the poem.

Most Saracen warriors have the entire list of necessary fighting qualities. The images of the Saracens are not much different from the images of the Franks. The main contrast that is steadily carried out here is the establishment of the true religion - Christianity and the humiliation of the false (pagan, in the understanding of the epic legend, religion) - Islam. Their weapons and war horses are not inferior to those of the Franks, and it cannot be otherwise, because only in a battle with a worthy opponent can the superior traits of the Franks be revealed.

It also cannot be said that minor characters Saracen camp are completely leveled, they have their own negative traits. Among the enemies of France, the Saracen king Marsilius, Baligant and Aerolt stand out. Among them is the traitor Abizm, the giant Falzaron, and the unrivaled Malprim.

If Emir Baligant is not inferior to the King of the Franks in many of his actions and behavior, being depicted and in the poem itself quite similar to Charles, then King Marsilius is much more independent. Traits of hypocrisy, cunning, and deceit inform the ruler. Zaragoza has memorable and personal properties. In the person of Blancadrin, King Marsilius finds he needs a diplomat who can successfully cope with a difficult mission. Marsilius fails in his political plans not because he underestimates the courage and tenacity of Roland’s army. The Saracen king has the necessary military skills, but the Battle of Ronsenval was the last in which he participated. "The Song of Roland" tells of his loss in this battle right hand and the loss of white power as a warrior and sovereign. His complaints and lamentations about sad fate bring something new to the image of the Saracen warrior. Baligant's attempt to defeat the troops of Charlemagne ended unsuccessfully, and with it the fate of King Marsilius, who tried to treasonably deceive the leader of the Franks, ends.

7. Female images

Female images in the epic tale of Roland occupy a modest place, while in a number of other poems on this plot they play a significant role. Attractive and feminine character Aldy affirms the idea of fidelity and devotion to his chosen one no less than Roland, who serves his overlord in the name of fidelity and selflessness. Olivier remembers Alda in his dying hour and considers her a worthy companion to his beloved friend. However, the double loss of her fiancé and brother in the Battle of Ronsenwald deprives Alda of any desire to live, and in response to Charles’s proposal to make her the wife of his son and heir, Alda severely reproaches the king of the Franks and dies before his eyes.

Bramimonda - second female image, is depicted more clearly than Alda, and represents to a certain extent a contrast to her husband. Gwenelon's arrival excites her as a woman, although the full development of their relationship is reflected only in cyclical poems. She is characterized by courage in her actions and that human dignity that the wounded Marsilius loses at the end of his life. If the Saracen warriors accept Christianity under duress, then Bramimonda does it voluntarily, and her baptism takes place, at the end of the campaign, in Aachen, where she is given a new name - Juliana. Motives of religious intolerance and Christianity, how better faith, are widely pretended in the events and characters of the "Song of Roland", but there is no doubt that it is the conversion of Bramimonda that is the main proof of the superiority of Christianity.

In the poem, the main characters are in the foreground; further - secondary ones, while ordinary soldiers are spoken of as tens and hundreds of thousands of brave fighters, or a list of numerous regiments, famous for their courage as commanders, is given. Those nameless participants in the war with the Moors who decided its fate remained without any assessment. The epic poem of the feudal Middle Ages depicted mainly warrior knights, speaking only in general, insignificant words about the main thing acting person big events - to simple, unpretentious people.

8. Conclusion

All stanzas reflect the features of the epic narrative of “The Song of Roland”. In it, along with the parallelism of events and characters, one can find epic repetitions in the description of the battle, in laments for the dead, in listings of countries and peoples, cities and geographical names rivers and mountains Sometimes fictional characters that do not have direct historical prototypes overshadow those who are bred under historical name, although it has lost the properties inherent in the carrier. In the poem, hyperbole was widely used when describing battles, physical strength and the endurance of warriors, in listing unknown countries and peoples. It should also be noted the use of a stable, constant epithet, which invariably accompanies the mention of France (beautiful, beauty), Charlemagne (the gray-bearded leader), etc.

The Song of Roland has been translated into Russian several times. Of all the translations, two should be highlighted: de la Barta and B. Jaho. Various principles were used as the basis for these translations.

For epic poems of medieval France, the meter is quite typical, although the use of eight- and twelve-syllable verses is common. The poem is written in ten-syllable verse, observing assonance. The poem is divided into stanzas of unequal size, which is explained by the general assonance and unity of content. These stanzas are called tirades, or loess. There are 291 such tirades in the original text. The epic arbitrariness was reflected in the inconsistent use of concepts and names that are difficult to compare. The more ancient goes hand in hand with the recent past, but this does not interfere with the integrity that is achieved thanks to the unity of poetic understanding of heterogeneous elements.

9. Literature

Song of Roland - song of songs.// Pod. ed. M.V. Kireeva: M.: Education, 1997. – 45 p.
Evsey A.E. // Epic works. – L.: Magmif, 1998. – 104 p. ill.
Priestley George. Poetics of the Song of Roland // Artistic styles, 1992. No. 5.s. 38-41.

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Roland - characteristics literary hero(character) Roland ROLAND (French Roland; Italian Orlando; German Hrodlant - crowned with glory) - 1) the hero of the French epic poem “The Song of Roland” (among the ten main manuscripts that have come down to us, the most ancient and famous - i.e. n. Oxford edition 1170). Question about historical prototype R., in the poem - the nephew of Charlemagne, remains open, since the first mention of him in the historiographic tradition, namely in Einhard’s “Biography of Charlemagne” (IX century), may have been caused by the growing popularity of the epic tale. It follows that R. is purely artistic character. However, there is a hypothesis by B.I. Yarkho, according to which R. is a real historical person, but not a nephew, but the son of Charlemagne from his incestuous relationship with his sister Gisla. R. - chief positive hero songs, first of all, Charles’s loyal vassal, who loves “sweet France”. He first appears in the “Song” at the council of Charlemagne, where the question of who to send on a dangerous ambassadorial mission to the Moors is being decided. R. does not hesitate to offer himself, showing boundless courage and determination to serve Charles and his country. However, the emperor, knowing his nephew’s hot temper, prefers to leave him in the Frankish camp. R. is noble, valiant, fearless and tireless in battle; thanks to him, Charles was able to annex many lands to his empire, and therefore it was R. who he entrusted to command the rearguard during the return of the Frankish army from Spain to France. However, in the Ronseval Gorge, R., together with twelve peers, fall into a trap set up by R. Ganelon’s stepfather: a small detachment of Franks attacks a huge army of Moors. In the Battle of Roncesvalles, R. behaves like a fearless, invincible, but daring warrior, prone to overestimating his own strengths and to “epic immensity”: three times his friend Olivier, seeing hordes of enemies, persuades R. to blow the horn of Oliphant to call for Karl’s help, and three times R. refuses, considering it shameful to “blow the trumpet because of the Moors” and not wanting to “disgrace his family” and himself in this way. His persistence costs the lives of the entire rearguard, including Olivier and the twelve peers of France. Realizing that he is guilty of their death, R., although belatedly, blows the horn, and with such force that the veins in his temples burst and blood streams down his face. R. can atone for his tragic guilt only by accepting death along with the rest of the defenders of Ronceval. That is why he dies, although there is not a single wound on his body. Before his death, R. smashes his sword Durandal against a rock so that no one gets it, and lies down facing the enemies as a sign that he did not submit to them and valiantly defended France. R. served as the prototype for the hero of the Spanish romanceros, L. Pulci's poem "Blink" (1483), M. Boiardo's poem "Roland in Love" (1494) and L. Ariosto's poem "Furious Roland" (1532). In Russian literature, the “theme of R.” is used in the poem “Roland’s Horn” by M. I. Tsvetaeva (1921). Source: 2) The hero of the unfinished poem by M. Boiardo “Roland in Love” (1476-1494) and the poem by L. Ariosto "Furious Roland" (1516-1532), which is a continuation of the first. In the poem, Boiardo R. appears passionately in love with Princess Cathay, the beautiful Angelique. Rather, he forgets about his vassal duty and is absent from Paris when Charlemagne is attacked by the Saracen king Gradas, who wants to conquer R.’s sword and horse Rinaldo. For the sake of Angelica, R. performs fabulous feats: he kills evil dragons, a mad donkey covered with golden scales, tames the fairy Morgana and frees the knights and ladies languishing in her captivity. However, R. fails to win the favor of Angelica, who, after drinking from a magical spring, fell in love with Rinaldo, Rinaldo's main rival. In the pose of Ariosto, R. first continues the unsuccessful search for the constantly disappearing Angelica, simultaneously killing the Diva-fish and saving the daughter of the King of Holland Olympia, as well as helping Isabella to unite in love with each other and Zebrina. But one day he finds himself in a valley where Angelica was making love with her new lover, Medor, and, learning this from the signs they left, loses his mind. Like Levin, he runs wild and, naked and black, like an Ethiopian, prowls the world, attacking people and animals. As the Apostle John informs the knight Astolph, God took away R.'s reason because he fell in love with a pagan. Astolf flies with John to the Moon, where everything that people lose on earth is located, and takes away the mind of R., imprisoned in a bottle. When suddenly R. appears in Astolf’s camp, killing everyone with his club, the knights pounce on him, with difficulty tie him up and restore his sanity. From now on, R. only fights with the infidels and kills the main enemies of Charles - Gradas and Agramant, turning into a stern warrior and a purely epic hero. A century later, it was the madness of the frantic Roland that inspired Don Quixote in the Sierra Morena.

The Song of Roland is a description of the image of Roland. The Epic Song of Roland

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Essay about Roland

Several interesting essays