Aspremont (chanson de geste)

Chanson d'Aspremont (or simply Aspremont, or Agolant[1]) is a 12th-century Old French chanson de geste (before 1190[2]). The poem comprises 11, 376 verses (unusually long for a chanson de geste[3]), grouped into rhymed laisses. The verses are decasyllables mixed with alexandrines.

In this tale, the African Saracen king Agolant and his son Aumon (Almons,[4] Eaumond[5]) invade Calabria and defy Charlemagne (Charles) through their messenger Balan (vv. 1ff; 604ff).[6][lower-alpha 1] Charlemagne's troops come to fight them, but Charlemagne's nephew Roland is not allowed to join the battle due to his young age (referred to as "Rolandin", he is not considered a full adult). The armies reach Aspremont, and Charlemagne's paladins Naimes and Girart d'Eufrate prove their worth.

Roland joins the battle by arming himself with a rod (Old French: tronçon)[lower-alpha 2] and mounting a horse (vv. 4969–71), and later commandeering Duke Naime's horse Morel (vv. 5749–5755). Charlemagne fights Aumon in single combat, initially protected by a helm with a jewel on the nasal that even sustains blows from Aumon's sword Durendal (vv. 5894–95, 5937–47). But Aumon strips this helm away and Charlemagne is in mortal danger, when Roland arrives (v. 6009). Roland defeats Aumon, and saves Charlemagne. Roland captures Aumon's sword Durendal and his horse Viellantif ("Wideawake", OF: Vielantiu[6]), and his olifant (laisse 309, vv. 6075–80).[8][lower-alpha 3] Charles knights Roland, girding him with Durendal (laisse 377–8, vv. 7480–7510).[10][5]

In the end, Agolant dies and Charlemagne returns in triumph, although future battles with a disloyal Girart d'Eufrate are predicted.

Versions of this chanson were extremely popular in England, Italy (see the adaptation by Andrea da Barberino) and even Scandinavia.

Explanatory notes
  1. The name spellings will follow Newth's translation, given in the glossary,[7] except "Charlemagne" will be used instead of "Charles".
  2. "waving for a spear a wooden picket" v. 4971 (Newth tr.).
  3. A painting of this dubbing occurs on British Library ms. Lansdowne 782, 23v.[9]

References
Citations
  1. Ward, H. L. D. (1883), "Royal 15. E. vi. f. 43–69b: Aspremont", Catalogue of Romances in the Department of Manuscripts in the British Museum, 1, pp. 601–602
  2. Hasenohr, 106.
  3. Holmes, 83.
  4. Brandin (1919–1921), passim.
  5. Ward, H. L. D. (1883), "Lansdowne 782: Chanson 'Aspremont", Catalogue of Romances in the Department of Manuscripts in the British Museum, pp. 601–602
  6. Brandin (1919–1921).
  7. Newth (1989), pp. 269–271.
  8. Newth (1989), pp. 146–7.
  9. British Library Images Online fol. 23v
  10. Newth (1989), p. 180.
Bibliography
  • Geneviève Hasenohr and Michel Zink, eds. Dictionnaire des lettres françaises: Le Moyen Age. Collection: La Pochothèque. Paris: Fayard, 1992. pp. 106–7. ISBN 2-253-05662-6 (in French)
  • Holmes, Jr, Urban Tigner [U.T.]. A History of Old French Literature from the Origins to 1300. New York: F.S. Crofts, 1938. p. 83.
  • Newth, Michael A. (tr. & ed.) (1989), The Song of Aspremont (La Chanson d'Aspremont, New York: Garland
  • Brandin, Louis (1919), La Chanson d'Aspremont: chanson de geste du XII ̇siècle: Text du manuscrit de Wollaton Hall, 1, Paris: Honoré Champion; volume 2 (1921).
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