Aspremont (chanson de geste)

In this tale, the African Saracen king Agolant (var. ) and his son Aumon invade Calabria (v. 318) in Italy (with a force of 600,000, vv. 338–9), defying Charlemagne (Charles) through their messenger Balan (vv. 1ff; 604ff). and eventually renames himself Guitekin[s]. Charlemagne musters his troops to fight them. The invading army reaches Aspremont (literally "bitter mount") (vv. 1116–8), and the French traverse hills and plains, "broken bridges and strange waterways" so they are not able to maintain their ranks intact when they reach the mountain of Aspremont (vv. 1662–5). The French are suffering a great disadvantage in numbers. Charlemagne dispatches couriers and obtains reinforcements of 10,000 men from King Gondelbuef of Frisia, King Bruno of Hungary, and King Salemon of Brittany, respectively (vv. 926–960). He also writes to Didier of Pavia, which is relatively nearby, asking for provisions (v. 990–4). Now Archbishop Turpin tells the king one man is still crucially missing as ally, namely, Duke Girart d'Eufrate, though the man is antagonistic towards the monarch. Turpin as his kinsman offers to be an envoy to try to recruit him (v. 1008–23). Girart, despite being such a "rebel baron", will fight well for the Christian cause, and play a decisive role in defeating the Saracen king and prince. Charlemagne's nephew Roland (referred to as "Rolandin/Rollandins") is not considered a fully an adult, so that he and other youngsters are forbidden from joining the battle (vv. 1053–9) and kept under guards at Montloon/Monloon (vv. 1066, 1072) i.e., Laon (cf. image right). Roland of course will not be kept back, and will enter the fray. Turpin on his mission reaches Girart's city of Vienne (nominally Duchy of Burgundy), and interrupts his whole extended family having their meal, i.e., Girart attended by 4 knight, his son Ernault, his nephews Beuvon and Claron and Milon their father. But Girart rages at the suggestion he should pay "homage to the midget's son (i.e. of Pepin)", and points a deadly knife (cf. image right) and Turpin attempts to grab it away (vv. 1079–1145). But Turpin rides off, thinking he failed to recruit Girart (vv. 1214–6). The poem turns to Roland Roland and the youths, locked away at Laon, while they hear the noise of Charlemagne's troops marching by. The youths beg the porter to let them out to go see (cf. image left), but in the end, club them with applewood sticks and escape. They come across soldiers from Brittany and steal their horses. But Roland is forgiven by the King Salemon of Brittany (vv. 1239–1370). While Charlemagne reaches Rome (1404), Girart is still in an irksome mood, and gathers his two sons, Renault and Renier, and nephews Claron and Beuvon (vv. 1420–21) and begins to spew his wrath over how Charlemagne dares to call for his help, and delivers a speech not to be beholden to Charles by land title or service once he is dead, His wife Emmeline is there to dissuade him, but her reprimands quickly escalate to her saying she is amazed God lets him breathe for all His laws Girart has breached, and for all the villainy he's committed, if she were him, she'd go straight to St. Peter's in Rome and be shriven, then go help Charles at Aspremont. Girart is now persuaded, readies for war, but first knights his nephews (vv. 1529–48) and dubs his sons Renier, then Ernault (vv. 1555–66). Young Richer () also deserves mention; this nephew of Count Berenger (vv. 1776–8) volunteers to act as envoy, but a griffin (v. 1825; cf. image right) of Aspermont devours his horse. Naimes scolds him and takes over Charlemagne's letter and the mission to deliver it (vv. 1891–7). Naimes later says he spoke to harshly to Richer after he meets the griffin and manages to its taloned feet; the object is on display at Compiègne, as the poet tells it (vv. 1195–1217). Turpin holding up the crucifix containing a piece of the True Cross, which starts glowing. The work turns to the second half or Book Two. The French have taken over Aumon's tent and camp, and there is held a ceremony distributing spoils and promotions. Girart d'Eufrate motions to have some 3000 men dubbed knights, and the crowd (led by Girart's sons Girart's Miles and Ernault, who are already knights) head for Charlemagne to get properly armed (7399–7429). Charles knights Roland, girding him with Durendal (laisse 377–8, vv. 7480–7510). and on the occasion, holds a cross which held a portion of the "Blest Beam" where Christ was wounded by Longinus (7671-4) This crucifix containing a piece of the True Cross will play a key highlight role below. Meanwhile, back in Reggio, the Saracen king Agolant does not know the fate of Aumon, and is irked his son has not reported. He is aware the four idols have been taken by the French (vv. 7688–95), as well as gold and arms, so that Mandaquin counsels exercising great caution against the fortified French (7699-7706), while another counters the Saracens should demand the return of the idols, conversion to Mahometism, as well as tributes including virgins (7707-22) Agolant dispatches the envoys Uliens and Galindres bearing an olive branch as envoys (vv. 7723–34) who communicate the latter, high-handed diplomacy demanding capitulation against overwhelming forces, as Charles is "trapped as surely as is the bird in lime!", as well as the aforementioned conversion, reparations/tribute. With renewed battle a certainty, Pope Milon tries to find someone to carry the Blest crucifix into battle (v. 8375ff.), and finally Turpin of Reims to do so (vv. 8490–3). The Frenchmen once again drop on their knees to worship the Cross. Soon, they see three knights come down the ridge of Aspremont. When Ogier approaches, the one mounted on a white stallion (v. 8512) identifies himself as St. George (, v. 8517). As the African contingent arrives, among them the huge-statured Mandaquin, the Saint bids Roland not to fear, but to invoke his name for luck, and thereon, the Christian battle-cry of "St. George" (Crie «Sains Iorge») stuck (vv. 8528–41). The cross in Turpin's hand glows bright and keeps Saracens at bay. The Pope's words explains how it "blazes forth/ And bars approach by any Infidel" (vv. 9295-6). Turpin then temporarily returns custody of the cross back to the Pope in order to enter the fray with his weapon (vv. 9312-16). But later Turpin again takes possession of the holy cross, its radiance blinding the Saracens (cf. fig. right) and sapping their morale (, v. 9402). The infidel complain "A curse upon this gonfalonier!" (v. 9755). In the end, Agolant is killed in battle (beheaded by Clairon/Claires at vv. 10479–484) and Charlemagne returns in triumph. Girart d'Eufrate in open speech submits to the king Charles, but sotto voce mutters that his pride will not tolerate it (vv. 11349–355). == Analysis ==

Agolant seems to be modeled on the historical Banū Aghlab (Aghlabids) of Tunisia. Gautier quotes from Guessard's version on Duke Naimes that "He gave no advice, neither great nor small, that would cause an honest man to be disinherited, nor would he harm widows or young children". Oddly, in the edition edited by Brandin (translated by Newth), Girart d'Eufrate makes a very similar speech to Charlemagne that an ideal king should, among other things, "..help orphans and feed them from his purse. Look after widows and their safety preserve" (vv. 7166–7) near the beginning of the second book of the work. More such speech comes from Duke Naimes which Gautier characterizes as a prime example of largesse: Naimes counsels Charles "Do not be stingy in your expenditure, even though not a farthing may remain" in the treasury, offering his own wealth to be used first, to be distributed preferentially to the "poor knights, so that their wives may benefit", with the result that the "poor vavasours" leave like (dukes) and counts. Gautier's idealization is somewhat taken out of context, because Naime's counsel explicitly states that this is to ingratiate themselves to warriors especially while they are poor, so that in time of military need they will respond to call for help. On the youthful exploits of Roland in this work, it is pointed out that there is a general taboo which forbids the underaged heroes not yet knighted from wielding edged weapons. Although Ogier, Vivien de Monbranc, and Garin breached this rule, other heroes such as the young Guillaume d'Orange refused his weapon until properly dubbed, as id Renier (father of Oliver). Young Roland somewhat follows the pattern of using a stick (a of applewood) as weapon, rather like Guillaume d'Orange's brother-in-law using a . Newth says "There are several examples of clerical and anticlerical humor in the poem", and while the fighting archbishop is treated favorably, Girart's defiance even at Turpin's threat of excommunication is anticlerical in tenor. Girart threatens Turpin with a knife when the archbishop came as emissary to recruit him, later Turpin avenges the dagger episode by recording on parchment every detail of Girart's moment of humiliation paying homage to King Charles. But this was just a slice of feudal court life, according to commentators. This poem claims that Turpin rose from the monastery of Jumièges in Normandy to become ordained at Reims (vv. 8436–42), though historians suppose Tilpin to have trained at St. Denis. == Manuscripts and editions ==

The base manuscript used by Louis Brandin in his 1919–1921 edition (11376 lines) was the "Wollaton Hall" manuscript, which he designated as W, now Nottingham, University of Nottingham Library, Wollaton Library Collection, shelfmark Mi LM 6. Michael A. Newth's English translation also used the Wollaton Hall manuscript, matching Brandin's edition. Mandach's study excerpted text using Add MS 35289 (L3, Brandin's N) as base text, with the Franco-Italian Venice VI (V6, or Roepke's V2) used as control, considering it to be very close to his base text. There were 17 manuscripts (including Franco-Italian texts) known to Fritz Roepke (1909); there were 20 identified by Moisan (1958) with actually four additional mss. are tabulated by Monfrin (1958) in a comparison chart listing the different sigla used by various editors. Of these, the purely French (non-Italian) manuscripts (denoted using basically Roepke's abbreviations) are: P1P2P3P4P5 are Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, français, 2495, 25529, 1598; BnF nouvelles acquisitions françaises, 5094, and 10039. L1L2L3 are London, British Library, Royal 15 E vi. (aka The Talbot Shrewsbury Book, at fol. 43r-69v); E (fragment) Erfurt; ; R is Rome, Vatican Library, Reginensi latini, 1360 (but later another Vatican Library manuscript, Palatini latini, 1971, V, was identified). Other mss. recategorized as versions of the ''Cantari d'Aspramonte'', i.e., the Franco-Italian reworking (; ) are Roepke's V1V2 Venice Biblioteca Marciana ms. fr. 225 (olim fr. IV) and ms. fr. 226 (olim fr. VI) abbreviated as V4 and V6 by de Mandach. Likewise Roepke's F (single leaf) Florence, cl. IV, Nr. 932 belongs here, and the P3 is cross-categorized here also. The manuscript Cha Chantilly (Chateau de Chantilly) Musée Condé library ms. 470 is another addition to this Franco-Italian category. ==Reception==

Versions of this chanson were extremely popular in England, to the extent that copies were manufactured or commissioned by the English and many copies made in Anglo-Norman). ==Adaptations==

The work was adapted into Italian prose by Andrea da Barberino. In Scandinavia, this poem and the Pseudo-Turpin (PT) were combined into Karlamagnús saga Branch IV, Af Agulando konungi ("King Agulandus") The combining of the sources in the Norse saga has forced Aspremont to be located in Spain, rather than in Calabria, Italy as properly occurs in the original French poem. Saga appropriated the first part of PT (first 18 chapters) and translated the Latin-version of the battle with Agolandus but skipped Agolandus's death; then it switch source, drawing now from the ''Chanson d'Aspremont'' about a 1/3 of the way in. It was from the poem that the saga introduced Agloandus's son Jamundr (not present in PT). ==Explanatory notes==