Roland
Roland
Roland is the legendary Frankish hero of The Song of Roland, an Old French epic poem from around 1100 and one of the earliest major works of French literature. The poem is inspired by a historical event: in 778 the rear guard of Charlemagne's army was ambushed at Roncevaux Pass in the Pyrenees, and among those who fell was a Frankish noble named Hruodland. In the legend, Roland is Charlemagne's nephew and bravest knight, bearing the sword Durendal. Betrayed by his stepfather Ganelon, he leads the rear guard against overwhelming odds and, out of pride, at first refuses to sound his horn to call for help; when at last he does, it is too late. His story became a model of loyalty, courage and Christian knighthood, and it inspired the Italian epics Orlando Innamorato and Orlando Furioso.
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Heroes of the Middle Ages
Charlemagne was crowned emperor in 800, and Roland, one of his commanders, became the hero of the epic Song of Roland. During the Third Crusade, Richard the Lionheart and Sultan Saladin faced each other as rivals who earned each other's respect. William Wallace led Scotland's struggle for independence, and Joan of Arc rallied the French during the Hundred Years' War.
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