(no subject)

I started reading the twelfth-century Anglo-Norman Chanson de Roland at the beginning of the summer, but for various reasons did not get very far. I'm beginning again now, and I think I'm falling in love with the narrative. It has nearly everything I like in a story: treachery, bribery, acts of reckless stupidity, horns, swords, very affectionate men, and complex, morally ambiguous encounters between members of different religious groups.

Certain members of my friendslist (that means you, delamancha, genarti and silveraspen) might be interested in Roland's stepfather Ganelon, who betrays Roland and the French army to the Saracens. When he first appears in the Chanson, Ganelon wears grandes pels de martre, great furs of marten... or, shall we say, a marten broad cloak?

(To the uninitiated -- Marten Broadcloak is a villain and traitor in Stephen King's Dark Tower series, the hero of which is named Roland).

As for the very affectionate men... irisbleu had informed me that Roland and his companion (cumpaignun) Oliver were very close, but I didn't actually realize how close. See Roland's words to the dying Oliver, who, too delirious to recognize him, attacks Roland by mistake: Ja est ço Rollant, ki tant vos soelt amer! (This is Roland, who loves you so much!) Of course, Roland is married to Oliver's sister; there is one point in which Oliver, justifiably angry at Roland's recklessness, swears, "By my beard, if I ever see my sister again, you aren't going to sleep with her!"