The Medieval Hero

Within The Song of Roland we see a mythification of a historical event ad although at this point in society Charlemagne is the hero figure, in the text the hero becomes Roland. Although there is an argument, that I will address, that Oliver is also a hero figure and is the other half of Roland. However since the text is titled after him I will be mainly focusing on the horn blower himself - Roland.

 

Pride: This is pride in his own and his companion's abilities as fighters. It is also tied in with his own reputation, to accept help or defeat would be harmful to his reputation as a leader and a fighter. Roland's pride can be seen the most when he refuses to blow the horn to call to Charlemagne for help. He says "'That any man alive should say that / Pagans made me blow the horn; / My kinsmen will never have to bear that reproach" (Roland 63). It is debated whether this is Roland's flaw or simply part of their culture. On the one hand having Roland portray pride could teach other soldiers to accept help if the odds look grave and there is nothing wrong with that. On the other hand it could be part of the concept of a warriors death - it is better to go down in battle protecting your king than to die at home. I am more inclined to believe the later due to the fact that there is more to suggest a warriors death was well respected.

 

Loyalty: In this text the only loyalty that matters is that unwavering faith in your king or superior. Roland is a perfect example of remaining faithful to the king's wishes because he believes in Charlemagne and his cause. Oliver is another example because he remains by Roland's side (Roland 54), even when he knows it is certain death. It was important to inspire loyalty within the ranks of an army, to make sure no one would run away if asked to go into battle. It also helped bolster belief in anything the king decided to do, like try to defeat the Pagans. A king, lord or leader would need to know that their troops were behind them and thus by embodying loyalty within their literary heroes they promoted this trait in their soldiers.

 

Faith/Belief: Not only is loyalty to your king promoted through Roland but so is the importance of having a strong belief in God to look after you. Many times Roland shows his faith to God by calling to him and in the en Roland's soul is taken to heaven by angels (104-105). The fact that Roland is taken to heaven by angels shows how he is rewarded for keeping faith with God throughout the whole ordeal. In Christian society that is trying to Chrsitianize others, it was important to show how Christianity was the right religion to hold. Through Roland and this death, they are able to show the audience how God will protect you if you have faith and thus validating their religion.

 

Honour: This is the reputation of yourself, family and comrades - it was very important that you do not bring shame through dishonour to yourself or kinsmen. If you did you would be views as a bad soldier and a bad person. This is one of the reasons that Roland doesn't blow the horn, because he doesn't want to dishonour his kinsmen and have them live with their shamed reputation due to his own actions (Roland 63). It was important to instill the value of honour within their citizens, so that they would have something to fight for. If they didn't believe in their king or what he was doing at least they would feel compelled to fight for their own reputation and family honour.

 

Courage: The ability to face down near impossible odds with confidence and bravery. Roland shows this when Oliver tells him the odds are not in their favour and he should blow the horn (Roland 61-62). Many of the times in war or battle the odds would not be favourable, so by showing the trait of courage in their literary hero they hoped the soldiers would emulate it. Courage was just as important as loyalty in battle because it ensured that your soldier's could face the enemy and have confidence in their ability and faith in their leader to win.

 

Strength: Being skilled and strong enough to take down your enemies. Roland possesses great strength throughout his battle with the Pagans; his strength almost seems supernatural. It was important for a literary hero to have strength in order to defeat his enemies, or at least give him a fighting chance. They used Roland's strength to encourage their soldiers to be as strong and skilled as they could be. The message was if they could wield Roland's strength and skill, then a hoard of Pagans would be no match for them. It encouraged their soldiers to work hard and try to be the best.

 

Warriors Death: The concept that it is better fighting for a worthy cause then to die of old age. Roland refuses to blow the horn at the beginning because of pride, but later dies blowing the horn so his fellow men can have a warrior's death (Roalnd 85-86). He wants Charlemagne to come back and see how his companions have died defending their king. By blowing the horn so that the king can see what they have died for he is giving his companions a warrior's death, which is a great honour. This is encouraged because it teaches the soldiers not to fear death. By promoting the importance of a warriors death through Roland, it teaches soldiers that it is the greatest honour to die in battle. This in turn helps them stay faithful and courageous in battle, since they are not afraid of death if it means they are always seen as valiant.

 

Incomplete/Oliver: Although Roland is our primary literary hero, there is something to be said about Oliver. He seems to be Roland's character foil and is regarded in high esteem like Roland. Roland is full of pride, valor and a hot head; whereas, Oliver is said to be wise, noble, and valiant. The fact that Oliver is the one that suggests Roland blow his horn because they are outnumbered (Roland 62-64) and he turns out to be right shows he is also a hero in a way. I think including both of these characters in the text, both with their admirable qualities, suggests that one must both be passionate and reasonable. As much as it was important to have a strong and prideful knight, it was also important that they promote rational and intelligent thinking in their soldiers. In battle they cannot be watched all the time so they needed the soldiers to be able to think for themselves within battle.