Tammy’s Reviews > The Song of Roland > Status Update

115-117 They encourage Roland and Oliver to face the pagans. If they flee, nobody will remember them. If they stay and fight, they will be remembered in song and heaven will welcome them into the white-robed army of martyrs. All shout “Mountjoy!” There’s a saracen who witnessed Ganelon’s treacherous deed intended to win Charlemagne’s crown. A worthy Gascon goes after him and the Frenchman falls.

113-115 He’s bold and brash. His symbol is the dragon. The archbishop know’s he’s a heretic. It’s like when the witch king shows up. The archbishop goes after him first. He’s riding a beautiful steed who’s fleet of foot. The archbishop nails him and I’m pretty sure the devil dragged his body away! The French cheer for their shepherd with a crook. The French men know their doom has come.

111-113 The tone change2 with Marsilion’s arrival. It’s abut to go down. Roland sees the vast horde and he knows it’s the end. He has no fault that Ganelon lied. Like Samwise and Frodo, he speaks to Oliver of the ballads that will remember this moment. Marsilion sees his slaughtered twelve and he’s ticked. He sends in this evil knight (Abisme). He is not a believer. He’s black as black in his heart. He loves to kill.

108-110 The archbishop kills a guy who visited Hell helped by Jupiter and they crack jokes about him going back. Many spears are broken. The swords have strong strokes and parries. The flower of French youth have already died. Families will never see them again. There is a flashforward. Ganelon’s treachery will cause him to hang as well as thirty people in his family! The peers survive but it will not be for long.

106-108 The banter is like LotR. Oliver slays another pagan. The death toll is 700 for the pagans. His spear finally shatters and Roland teases him for forgetting to draw his sword. Oliver says he hasn’t had time. Everyone is covered in blood. I can’t imagine. He draws his sword and kills another. Roland congratulations. They shout, “Mountjoy!” Attention shifts to two more French peers. They both spear the same guy.

104-106 Roland gets in fifteen great blows with his spear before it splinters and takes his sword. He kills one of the twelve and it’s gory alright. He also talks smack to a dead guy. For a while, the French twelve are glorious in their fighting, slaying one pagan after another. The archbishop notices that the knights are blessed. Another war cry of “Mountjoy!” Oliver goes after a pagan and destroys him.

100-103 Some guy from Bourdeaux kills his man; he tells the devil to take him. Another of the twelve kills a pagan and delivers his line. It’s just as I thought. They’re going after the twelve pagans and ten are dead. Only two are left. One is quite strong and he sets his sights on Olver. I wonder if this will drive Roland to sound his horn. Oliver’s shield is broken but his ribs are not touched. Here it comes.

98-99 Samson goes runs through Almanzor and the archbishop comments on his valor. It’s almost as if the Twelve French are going after the Twelve pages, but then the numbers will overwhelm them. It’s part of the structure of doubles and repetition as well as to show how superior the French are as individuals. Another of the twelve goes down and Roland comments on how valiant he is.

95-97 A Barbary king talks about French having weak numbers. Since Charles can’t come, they will die today. This ticks off the archbishop who takes care of the Barbary king in short order. He cries the French will not flee and he rallies the men with “Mountjoy!” One of the twelve kills a pagan and SATAN hauls his soul away. This reminds me of “The Iliad.” His buddy kills the emir. Oliver notes how well they’re doing.

93-94 One pagan taunts Roland and says that Charlemagne is betrayed and he will lose his right arm (just like the dream). Roland rages on him and he never speaks another word. Roland does not tolerate insults to his uncle. He cries that right is on their side. Marsilion’s brother mourns this death and he goes into battle. Wrath fills Oliver who takes care of this man. More “Mountjoy” cries sound.