We don't really have any internal monologues in this firm. Do you think this is ta weakness? Nodit the nineteenth century scholars who praised these songs for their stirring qualities and wanted to make them a national epic, as e miranda mentioned. But what we in fact see in in the songs is that the positions of individuals are fully spelled out. They are just expressed outwardly. So when ganelon nominates roland to the rear guard, we have two in a row that say, when roland heard he was nominated, he spoke nobly and said, of course i will fulfil this mission. Couldnt we also say that interiority of that kind is
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss an early masterpiece of French epic poetry, from the 12th Century. It is a reimagining of Charlemagne’s wars in Spain in the 8th Century in which Roland, his most valiant knight, chooses death before dishonour, guarding the army’s rear from a pagan ambush as it heads back through the Roncesvalles Pass in the Pyrenees. If he wanted to, Roland could blow on his oliphant, his elephant tusk horn, to summon help by calling back Charlemagne's army, but according to his values that would bring shame both on him and on France, and he would rather keep killing pagans until he is the last man standing and the last to die.
The image above is taken from an illustration of Charlemagne finding Roland after the Battle of Roncevaux/Roncesvalles, from 'Les Grandes Chroniques de France', c.1460 by Jean Fouquet, Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris, Ms Fr 6465 f.113
With
Laura Ashe
Professor of English Literature and Fellow in English at Worcester College, University of Oxford
Miranda Griffin
Assistant Professor of Medieval French at the University of Cambridge and Fellow of Murray Edwards College
And
Luke Sunderland
Professor in the School of Modern Languages and Cultures at Durham University
Studio producer: John Goudie