Song of Roland

Song of Roland

The Rolandslied is a 12th century adaptation of the famous heroic epic The Song of Roland created by Konrad der Pfaffe, about whom almost nothing is known. It is a German translation in which Konrad made additions such as passages praising the Bavarian people and their duke as well as frequently mentioning Bavarian names and locations. Although the Crusader spirit is already evident in the original, it is even clearer in Konrad’s version, which also replaces the theme of Frankish patriotism with a more pronounced religious tone. Charlemagne is depicted as the ideal Christian ruler and Roland is the archetype of a Christian warrior, the miles Christi, who happily accepts martyrdom rather than dishonor himself. The oldest and most authoritative manuscript of the work was destroyed in a fire during the Siege of Strasbourg in 1870 and the Heidelberg manuscript, which is presented here, is the most comprehensive and important of the surviving copies and fragments. In it, the 9,094 verses of the text, which is written in rhymed couplets, is illustrated by 39 uncolored but masterful half-page miniatures.

Christian Heroism

The two primary themes of the Rolandslied are the Christian faith and selfless heroism, which are embodied in the medieval Christian concept of what it is to be a hero: courageous, brave, and possessing exceptional strength and skill on the battlefield as well as Christian virtues. Furthermore, Roland acts in the full knowledge that he has been chosen for martyrdom in the service of God, another behavior typical of heroes that is rooted in the ancient Germanic belief in destiny. However, in Konrad’s version, Charlemagne is the true protagonist and as such his text is sometimes referred to as the “Karlslied”. The Emperor is strong, pious, and fearless in battle against the heathens, but does not seek fame for himself and his connections to God are obvious, e.g. the twelve paladins correlate to the Twelve Apostles, Genelun is a Judas figure, and Charlemagne is a wise judge like Solomon. This divine connection underpins his imperial legacy and Charlemagne is presented as the successor of Christ.

Commissioned by Which Duke Henry?

The author identifies himself in the epilogue and writes that he first translated from French into Latin before creating the German text and states that the French original was acquired for him by “Duke Henry”, who commissioned the work. Most scholars identify the patron as Henry the Lion (ca. 1130–95) and claim that the text was written shortly before the manuscript was created in the 1170’s. However, others argue that the original date of composition was ca. 1331, the year in which Henry the Proud (ca. 1108–39) travelled to Paris, where he could have acquired a manuscript of the original French version. Based upon the style of the miniatures and the frequent mention of Bavarian names and places, it is generally agreed that the manuscript originated from Regensburg, an important center for the production of manuscripts.