John S. Ott
Portland State University
HST 101 : Western Civilizations
Study Questions and Reading Guide : The Song of Roland
(Anonymous author, written down ca. 1100, but elements existed in oral tradition long before)
The Song of Roland is widely considered one of--if not the--most important epic poems of the Middle Ages. It is a chanson de geste, literally, "a song of deeds," a literary genre concerned with the exploits of an individual hero, family, people, or nation. As its name implies, it would have been sung and performed before audiences, most certainly of nobles, but likely before common folk as well. The poem was widely copied (and recited) and thus very well known in western Europe. The exploits of Charlemagne may even have been sung as the Norman army crossed the Channel into England during the famous invasion by William the Conqueror in 1066. The poem seems to be based in part on an event described by a court official and biographer of Charlemagne named Einhard, who described in his Life of Charlemagne the loss of a military baggage train and its defenders at Roncevaux during the Frankish army's return from the Spanish border in 778.
The poem has a "cast of thousands," so focus as you read on the principals: Roland, Oliver, Ganelon, Charlemagne, Turpin, Marsile, Baligant. For those of you who bought the book, there is a glossary of difficult terms and people/places in the back at pp. 160-161, 211-219. There are also text notes on pp. 157-159.
Questions
(1) Are the Muslims represented as uniformly wicked? Does the author betray any understanding of Islam's tenets? How does he describe individual Muslims? Is warfare in the text considered a holy endeavor? If yes, how?
(2) What is the logic behind Ganelon's claim that his actions did not constitute treason, but vengeance?
(3) How would you interpret Charlemagne's unwillingness or inability to prevent Roland's demise? Is Roland a tragic hero?
(4) What are the values of the society as reflected through the characters (e.g., Roland, Ganelon) of this epic? Are these values in harmony or conflict?
(5) What evidence do we have that the Song reflects an emerging national consciousness or identity among the Franks?