Tammy’s Reviews > The Song of Roland > Status Update

108-110 The archbishop kills a guy who visited Hell helped by Jupiter and they crack jokes about him going back. Many spears are broken. The swords have strong strokes and parries. The flower of French youth have already died. Families will never see them again. There is a flashforward. Ganelon’s treachery will cause him to hang as well as thirty people in his family! The peers survive but it will not be for long.

106-108 The banter is like LotR. Oliver slays another pagan. The death toll is 700 for the pagans. His spear finally shatters and Roland teases him for forgetting to draw his sword. Oliver says he hasn’t had time. Everyone is covered in blood. I can’t imagine. He draws his sword and kills another. Roland congratulations. They shout, “Mountjoy!” Attention shifts to two more French peers. They both spear the same guy.

104-106 Roland gets in fifteen great blows with his spear before it splinters and takes his sword. He kills one of the twelve and it’s gory alright. He also talks smack to a dead guy. For a while, the French twelve are glorious in their fighting, slaying one pagan after another. The archbishop notices that the knights are blessed. Another war cry of “Mountjoy!” Oliver goes after a pagan and destroys him.

100-103 Some guy from Bourdeaux kills his man; he tells the devil to take him. Another of the twelve kills a pagan and delivers his line. It’s just as I thought. They’re going after the twelve pagans and ten are dead. Only two are left. One is quite strong and he sets his sights on Olver. I wonder if this will drive Roland to sound his horn. Oliver’s shield is broken but his ribs are not touched. Here it comes.

98-99 Samson goes runs through Almanzor and the archbishop comments on his valor. It’s almost as if the Twelve French are going after the Twelve pages, but then the numbers will overwhelm them. It’s part of the structure of doubles and repetition as well as to show how superior the French are as individuals. Another of the twelve goes down and Roland comments on how valiant he is.

95-97 A Barbary king talks about French having weak numbers. Since Charles can’t come, they will die today. This ticks off the archbishop who takes care of the Barbary king in short order. He cries the French will not flee and he rallies the men with “Mountjoy!” One of the twelve kills a pagan and SATAN hauls his soul away. This reminds me of “The Iliad.” His buddy kills the emir. Oliver notes how well they’re doing.

93-94 One pagan taunts Roland and says that Charlemagne is betrayed and he will lose his right arm (just like the dream). Roland rages on him and he never speaks another word. Roland does not tolerate insults to his uncle. He cries that right is on their side. Marsilion’s brother mourns this death and he goes into battle. Wrath fills Oliver who takes care of this man. More “Mountjoy” cries sound.

91-92 My heart goes out to him. He knows they are going to die but he speaks to them with courtesy. He has to speak softly. He knows that it’s his fault. Oliver has nothing to say. He’s angry and he feels sorry for Charlemagne who would have bailed them out had he known. He tells the men to be resolute and hit with firm blows. They give the war-cry “Mountjoy!” They charge and hand-to-hand combat begins.

89-91 They kneel and bow their heads and the archbishop confers a blessing. Their penance is to strike firmly. WOW They leap to their steeds. Before they go, Roland admits the truth to Oliver. Ganelon sold them out for gold and treasure. He’s counting on Charlemagne to avenge their deaths. It might be a sleeping giant moment. His face changes expressions: meek and mild to his men and proud and tough to the Saracens.

87-89 Roland calls him a coward. He sees the hord and says brave words because he knows they’re all going to die. The archbishop gives a death for king and country speech. It’s one thing to give up one’s life for a cause. It’s another to give it up because of a bad decision made by a leader. He gives them absolution before they go into battle. They will need it for they are joining the white-robed army of martyrs.