chanson de roland

English - English

Definition of chanson de roland in English English dictionary

(English; "Song of Roland") Old French epic poem written 1100, the masterpiece and probably the earliest of the chanson de geste form. Its probable author was a Norman, Turold (Turoldus), whose name is introduced in its last line. It deals with the Battle of Roncesvalles (778), a skirmish against the Basques that the poem portrays as a heroic battle against the Saracens. Direct and sober in style, it highlights a clash between the recklessly courageous Roland and his prudent friend Oliver, which is also a conflict between divergent conceptions of feudal loyalty

Hyphenation

chan·son de Ro·land