Status Updates From Cantar de Roldán

He’d go write up to the gate and play a trick, but Roland laughed in his face.

22-23 Ganelon can’t stand to hear Roland laugh at him and he’s outraged, nearly losing his mind. This is like Hamlet and Claudio. Ganelon complains like a whiny middle schooler. He says it’s going to kill him and he practically makes his will on the spot. Charlemagne says to suck it up, buttercup and Ganelon must go.

Then Roland says to send Ganelon. LOL I wonder if he’s trying to sift his stepfather. Then he stands up, guns blazing, in a very haughty manner and calls Roland a fool and mad! Then he threatens Roland within an inche of his life. Roland flatters him and says that the king needs a good man, but Roland will be happy to take his place.

21 Ganelon says he will go only if Charlemagne commands him.

18 Roland offers, and then Oliver nixes that because he’s a hothead. Oliver wants to go but Charlemagne silences both and the council has nothing to say. The token is a wand and glove. A WAND! How cool is that? It makes me think of how that got morphed in the wizarding world.

19 The archbishop requests the tokens. Charlemagne is angry at him and tell to shut up and sit down. LOL

However, the duke does not attack Roland’s character. Rather he gives many reasons why Marsilion’s back is against the wall and why he might want to settle for peace. The French sees wisdom. It’s almost the way of the will versus the way of reason Will is saying, “Let’s go home!” and Reason is saying, “Let me tell you why.” 17 Then Old Naimon (I keep thinking Nestor) offers to go and Charlemagne nixes that.

After a prolonged silence, Ganelon springs up and says not to trust a brawler like Roland. If we are really Christian, we should accept his peace offering. The old guilt trap that Satan uses against well-meaning people of faith. Ganelon accuses him of being prideful and reckless with a swollen-head.

16 Duke Naimon comes up with many sound reasons to support what Ganelon says.

Roland reminds me of the passion in Boromir’s speech at the council of Elrond. He reminds them of how Marsilion sent 15 men bearing olive branches and his men killed two Frenchmen. He would rather exact revenge for their deaths. As he explained, he’s been fighting for seven long hard years. He has learned the hard way not to trust the pagans.

15 Charlemagne strokes his beard and mustache. Again everyone is silent.

12-14 There seems to be a lot of mirroring. There is another list of men meeting the emperor and they are listed in pairs. Twelve names and one is Ganelon, already noted as treacherous. The council starts which the poet states brought sore grief. The emperor restates the offer and all agree that they need to be guarded. Roland springs to his feet and says not to trust Marsilion.

10 He tells Blancandrin that he doesn’t buy it because Marsilion is his foe. The latter tells him that he will bring 10, 15, or 20 young men, including his son. He will come on Michelmas to be baptized and Charlemagne says that he may save his soul yet.

11 He orders the ten mules to stalls to be fed and to pitch a tent for the party. He sends twelve men to wait on them. He goes to pray and then holds a council.

They sit under a pine near a rose bush. He sits on a red-gold folding stool with his white flowing beard and silver hair. Some messengers arrive and greet him.

9 Blancandrin shows up and speaks in fine words of all the things Marsilion if Charlemagne will spare Sargasso. He has studied the Bible carefully and he will go to France and repent. The king began to brood.

Charlemagne satisfied. His catapults have won the day. He has slaughtered the pagans, except for the ones who chose to convert. He’s bestowed booty on his chevaliers. In a mirror of Marsilion, he sits in an orchard and seven of his best men are named, including Roland and Oliver. In all, 15,00 of his men sit on white carpets. The elders play mental games (drafts and chess) while the younger men play physicial games.

5-9 Marsilion reminds them to bring the olive branch of peace and tell Charlemagne that he will convert and brng a thousand vassals with him when he does. If the king agrees, he will send the sons to secure the treaty. Blancandrin told that it’s a sure thing. The numbers are so bilical and fairy tale! He sends for ten mules as white as snow for the ten men representing him. They believe their fate is to entrap him.

To sweeten the deal, he’ll even offer to accept Christ at Michaelmas.

5 (Not on the Anthony Quayle recording, which is vinyl at archive.org and so well done). He names nine men (eight are paired up) to go with Blancandrin to Cordova. So, SEVEN full years and TEN matchless villains, and men going two by two. They are to bring an olive branch and, if they forge a treaty, he will reward them with gold and silver.

He suggested making a promise to bring to Charlemagne tribute (treasure and animals, fifty wagons in all). They will send their sons with him (ten or twenty) as proof of intent and they will arrive in France on Michelmas (celebrating when Satan got kicked out of heaven)--timed around harvest and the fall equinox. When they don’t show up, he’ll slaughter their sons but, at least, Saragossa will be spared.

I-4 Charlemagne has spent seven years in Spain and he has pushed out the pagans in all but one place (Saragossa), which is located in the highlands. Its leader Marsilion ponders what to do. He goes to his orchard and lies down on the marble dais, surrounded by 20,000 vassals. He calls on his dukes and lords to give him advice. All was quiet until Blancandrin spoke up.

She also describes the military costume. And away we go!!! “Get on with it!” LOL

Sayers shares scholarly points about why she did what she did. I say, “Good for you!” Now let’s read! LOL

I do understand this. The French are proper French of France while the Franks are men from German provinces. I can understand that.

She graciously acknowledges people who helped her.

Sayers describes the clothing that nobility and peasants wore. She says hairstyles were short but I never see that in movies.

She gives a few examples but I think I’ll wing it. Nobody really knows what the AOI means. It appears after lines sometimes. Sometimes a line is repeated two, three, or four times because it’s like a ballad or a carol. It’s hard to know if the action occurred. The poet drew from folk tradition and oral legend but what he did with it is artistry. We don’t know who the poet isl the last line has confused everyone.

The poem has lines with ten syllables and the same assonance in the final syllable of every line (Charles, barb, France). The verses have different numbers of lines. Lines that rhyme are pure coincidence. Then she goes into some complicated explanations and, if it turns out to be important, I’ll revisit it. LOL She imitiates it as best she can but sometimes needs an archaic word to make it work. It’s a bit rough.

Some of the peers come in pairs for this reason. I’m thinking of dwarves in The Hobbit or even the High Kings and Queens of Narnia.

As we see in Narnia and Middle Earth, horses and swords are treasured. Since his life depends on both, he takes good care of them. It was a disaster to lose either. She provides a list for both sides on pg. 32.

Attacking from behind was considered cowardly and that is how Oliver died. I’m looking forward to reading about the fight between Peter and Caspian and compare notes.

One custom was for a vassal’s son to live with the lord so that his son could be raised with him. They could learn and train together and forge a strong friendship. It’s like Jewel and Tirian. Roland has many examples of this kind of relationship.

* Mutual Summons to Surrender - in prolonged combat, they are given a breather and both have the opportunity to surrender. If not, they will have to continue.
* The Death-Blow - They fight until someone is able to deal a death blow. The loser is allowed to surrender. In Roland, every fight was to the death.
* The Victor’s Boast - The victor insults the body (it was proper, even if we think it’s below the belt).

The old-fashioned way (as shown on the tapestry) was to hurl the spear, but that was not described in Roland.
* The Encounter with the Sword on Horseback - If spears were shattered and victory undecisive, they went to swords on horseback. It was a one-handed weapon unless a heavy blow was needed. The side, not the point, was the focus of the blow. A knock on the head was the best. If unhorsed, they did this on foot.

It was possible to faint and stay put due to the saddle’s construction. If the girth burst, the rider fell to the ground. A fight was made of four movements:
* Defiance - The two combatants meet face-to-face. One threatens or insults the other.
* Encounter with the Spear - Just as we imagine, combatants tuck the spear under the right arm, ride, and hope to unseat one another. This is shown on the Bayeux Tapestry.