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

223-225 The eighth colum is from Flemings and Frisia, another 40K. The ninth column is from Lorraine and Burgundy, this time 50K, with spears that are short but strong. The tenth is huge! The best captains belong to the 100K men. They may be grizzled and grey-bearded but they shout, “Mountjoy!” Geoffrey raises the Oriflamme, a blood-red banner flown from a gilded lance. It was said to flame and drive out Saracens.

218-222 Each column has 20K men. Two columns are French. One is Bavarian and Charlemagne believes they will never break. The fourth is formed of Germans (Alymayne) who are well-furnished. The fifth is made of Normans, well-horsed and well-harnessed. The sixth column is men of Brittany, 30K men with painted spears and bright pennons. Naimon forms a seventhg with 40K knights from Auvergne and Poitou.

216-217 Charlemagne sees the assembly of French who are eager to avenge Roland and his men. He makes a comment about making the pagans pay and Duke Naimon adds, “God grant it so I pray!” He nominates two men to take the place of R and O, one with the sword and one with the Olifant. They are to lead the van of 15K men, all brave bachelors. He selects the leaders of a second band of 15K men. Naimon marshal the columns.

Lit Life for the win!!! It totally saw that Roland, Oliver, and the archbishop might be the tripartite soul. Their hearts knit together seem to confirm it!!! How fun is that!!!

213-215 They are laid on wagons and covered with rich oriental material. They head home and up comes the pagans’ vanward guards who carry the emir’s challenge. This is like THEODEN! A man who appears to be broken from grief is going to rage and he tells his men, “To arms!” They quickly arm themselves and gathers their weapons, mount horses, and gallop. A hundred thousand men do the same for they mean to fight.

210-211 Charlemagne is having a royal pity party. He has looked at all the fallen and he wishes he were dead, too. He wishes someone would pull his spirit out of his body so he could lie down with the dead. Naimon (Mr. Obvious) says that Charlemagne is in great distress. Geoffrey d’Anjou tries to calm him down. Rather than do nothing he says to search for their dead and bury them together. Charles says to go for it.

206-209 His men lift up the king and lean his head against a pine tree trunk. He commends Roland and then says his glory is sinking to an end. He swooms again! Get a grip! He laments some more and tears out his hair. Around 100 thousand French grieve as well. Charlemagne is sad because, when he returns to France, he will have to tell them that Roland lies dead in Spain. When the news spreads, invaders will come.

203-205 He takes off his armor and walks around the field, assessing their losses. He leads them as they search for his nephew. He remembers that Roland said at a feast that he would die in a foreign land, lying beyond his men, facing his enemy. He sees red everywhere. He spots the two trees on the hilltop and the three stones marking the spot where Roland lies. Charlemagne runs, grabs his face, and swoons.

201-203 The queen comes running to the emir with her tale of woe. Her king is dying. She falls before him and he lifts her up. They visit Marsilion and he sits up in bed. With his left hand, he gives the emir his gloves and says he’s lost everything. The emir tells him that, while he is sad, he doesn’t want to waste time because he’s going after Charlemagne. The emperor wakes up while Gabriel watches.

199-201 The envoys arrive without Marsilion and the emir is ticked. They give him the keys and give him a summary of what has passed. The emir goes out of his mind with rage and grief. Then they share Marsilion’s advise to strike quickly. The emir tells them to make haste because he wants to avenge Marsilion. He gives one of his minions command of all his troops. Escorted by four dukes, he rides to Saragossa.