One of the oldest surviving works of French literature, The Song of Roland tells a bloody tale of the battle of Roncesvals in 778 AD between Charlemagne's rear guard commanded by the knight Roland and an overwhelming horde of Saracens.
The plot, story, and characters are very simple here. What is astonishing is the epic superhero-like violence. Single sword strokes cleave through armor and bodies, from the top of the head to the back of the horse the victim is riding. Single knights slaughter hundreds of opponents before falling themselves. Roland and others take mortal wounds as if they were child's play, only succumbing after receiving about ten or eleven coups de grace. As the heros fall, pathos is evident, especially in Roland's final lament as he goes among the dead, near death himself, and bids goodbye to his fallen friends. The simplicity and barbarity of the tale still manage to convey artistry and emotion.Above everything else, this epic poem reminded me of a period of "Christianity" I like to ignore - the Crusades. Charlemagne is basically waging jihad against the Muslims in the name of Christ. When a Saracen falls, we are told how devils from hell issue up to take his soul down, and the Christian knights are exhorted to earn holy glory by slaying the heathen and sending even more of them to hell. When peace is proposed, Roland is adamant against it, saying that peace and compromise are sin, while continued extermination is the only blessed course. I guess it's good to be reminded of how badly Christianity was misused for political and worldly ends, but talk about your Dark Ages.
Arbitrary rating: 3 out of 5 epic sword strokes
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