The Song of Roland

The Song of Roland (ca. the eleventh century) is an anonymous epic poem that tells the heroic deeds of Frankish king Charlemagne’s knights in their battle against Muslim Saracens in Spain. One of them, military leader Roland, bravely leads his men against the enemy – risking death to defend chivalry, honor, and the Christian religion. 

• Fans of epic poetry and ancient literature
• History buffs interested in medieval Europe and early French culture
• Military history enthusiasts wanting to read early accounts of battles

The Song of Roland was composed around the eleventh century, possibly by a poet named Turold. There are several historical manuscripts of the poem, the earliest dating to 1129 and 1165 and written in Anglo-Norman French. Scholars debate whether the poem was inspired by eleventh-century Castilian campaigns or later events from the First Crusade (1096–1099). After the poem’s manuscript was rediscovered in the 1830s, The Song of Roland gained recognition as a French national epic.