'Rolandskvadet' - Medieval Song of Roland

This is just a small excerpt of the 4000 lines contained with in the ballad of Roland, a Frankish nobleman and army commander returning from Iberia, where he and his men were ambushed and killed. It is worth noting that this song was originally written in French and not Norwegian, where the first record of this song in French was in the 1100s, while the Norwegian translation sprung up in the late 19th century.

[jodofe]

A Norwegian rendition of a French epic written in England about a Breton fighting in Spain in service to a Germanic king likely born in Belgium.
Truly a beautiful piece of European heritage.

[Egonsraad]

For those wanting context for the some of the lines:
*_The Heathens fell at Roland's sword, like plants fall for a good scythe_*
The name of Roland's sword, Durandal, begins with a French dur- stem, meaning "hard". It breaks down in Frankish into durant + dail, renderable in English as "strong scythe" or explained in more detail to mean "a scimitar or scythe which holds, up, resists, endures".

[Helmholtzwatson]

Just occurred to me that the death of Boromir is an homage to Roland.

[MechaRommel]

The Frankish Empire has always fascinated me. It just feels so mysterious and alien, just one step away from being a more more familiar Europe. In addition, it spawned these almost semi-legendary heroes like Roland and Charles Martel. Thanks for uploading this piece of history!

[MaylocBrittinorum]

For the Americans, the trees speak Vietnamese. For the Russians, the snow speaks Finnish. For Rolland, well, the mountains spoke Basque.

[sauronmordor]

Germany: Charlemagne is Germain
France:No is French
Charlemagne:Calm my kids

[octavianeandracles]

Roland : so you are telling me even vikings gonna sing my epic death...

all of us : yeah

[glishev]

This is a short Norwegian ballad about Roland. The Old French epic poem "Chanson de Roland" ("Lay of Roland") is a completely different and far longer text. The Norwegian ballad may be inspired by the epic poem but is a piece of art in its own right.

[ricotaline]

Somwhere in the French Pyrénées, you can see the mountain cut in the middle by Roland, nammed la Brèche de Roland.

[wargriffin]

"Roland blew his eyes out of his skull, so hard that he penetrated the enemy's too."


*METAL*

[pusillirex]

Virgin EU Flag:
Generic, twelve little stars, unoriginal blue, average rectangle, lame
Chad Frankish Oriflamme:
Unique, one blazing sun, beautiful red, super long, epic

[tiernanwearen]

Fun fact the man who betrayed roland was said to be torn apart by wild horses

[veljko]

"Roland blew so hard he penetrated the enemy's head too"
Madlad

[HaniSiKucing]

Props to anyone that recorded this song in the medieval times

[morevidepscomingsoon]

I was driving in Norway this summer and it was so epic listening to this song while driving through the Norwegian nature with fjords lakes mountains and forests

[Kehaan]

I am here because of "A Knight" from "Reverse: 1999" xD

[MaelPlaguecrow]

When you are so cool that some Norwegians sing about you.

[ferretman]

Summary: French general blows a horn so hard his eyes pop out like a cartoon.

[megumin]

2:16 For those who have come because of A Knight from Reverse: 1999

[Akurstan_Rep]

How did a 1200 year old song become of one of my favourite songs