Both The Poem of the Cid and The Song of Roland were written in a time period where great new developments were occurring in Europe, but none more crucial than the beginning of the Crusades and the ethnocentric viewpoint they propagated and were propagated by (Quinn). Of great interest is the manner in which both works deal with the nature of pluralism in European history. For the sake of this essay, pluralism will be defined simply as a state of more than one. Both works, written at approximately the same time (1130-1170 for The Song of Roland and approximately 1207 for The Poem of the Cid, as per the book's forewords) have astonishing similarities and stark contrasts, which when put in context are incredibly revealing of their respective author's/culture's attitudes about economic, cultural, and religious pluralism.
An often overlooked place to begin evaluating these stories lies in their depictions of economic systems. The Song of Roland depicts a system that is primarily based on the giving of tribute, namely exotic gifts and treasure; clearly shown when Blancandrin counsels Marsilla to achieve peace with Charlemagne by promising him “bears and lions and dogs, 700 hundred camels and a thousand moulted hawks” (Burgess, page 30). However, it is important to note that the concept of paying with money is not entirely absent from the novel, “you will have enough gold bezants to pay your mercenaries well” (Burgess, page 33). In The Song of Roland we see our first evidence of a plural economy. The dominant system is the giving of lavish gifts in the form of tribute to one's betters or equals like Marsile to Charlemagne; which is followed by the less important/common payment of money to one's inferiors a la Charlemagne to his mercen...
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...rfully with The Poem of the Cid and its multi-cultural and relatively accepting Spanish ideal of “convivencia” (Kahf) that embraced diversity in its many forms. While both works contain strong similarities due to the proximity of their geographic and temporal origins and the struggles that were occurring there, namely the Crusades; subtle nuances and seemingly minor differences between the two works reveal two very different views on pluralism.
Bibliography:
Burgess, Glyn S. The Song of Roland. London, England: Penguin, 1990. Print.
Hamilton, Rita, Janet H. Perry, and Ian Michael. The Poem of the Cid. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1984. Print.
Quinn, William. "The Crusades 1&2." 8 and 13 March 2012. Lecture.
Quinn, William. “Cantar del mio Cid Campeador.” 3 April 2012. Lecture
Kahf, “Medieval Spain, Competing Narratives.” 27 March 2012. Lecture
with the intent of widespread entertainment, elements of comedy and other aspects of entertaining film can, at times, cloud the message and content of the documentary. An anti-war advocate, Terry Jones’ presentation of matter so closely related to strong personal sentiments can also introduce a degree of bias in the presentation and approach taken to analyzing the events detailed in the series. However, the documentary incorporates the input and analysis of several highly-regarded medieval historians, including Jonathan Riley-Smith, Suheil Zakkar, Fikret Isiltan, David Lazenby, and Christopher Tyerman. This group of historians, all highly esteemed individuals in the field, are able to offer a balanced and likely unbiased account of what they believe to be true about the
...eedom was found and cultural boundaries were not shattered, simply battered, the narrator’s path was much preferable to that of her sisters (those who conformed to cultural boundaries). Through this story we can see how oppression in certain cultures changes individuals differently, creates tension between those who do not wish to be subjugated and those doing the subjugating, and we see the integral opposition between the path of Catholicism and that of curandismo.
By the end of eleventh century, Western Europe had experienced a powerful cultural revival. The flourish of New towns provided a place for exchange of commerce and flow of knowledge and ideas. Universities, which replaced monasteries as centers of learning, poured urbanized knowledge into society. New technological advances and economics transformations provided the means for building magnificent architectures. These developments were representative of the mental and behavioral transformations that the medieval world underwent and the new relationships that were brought about between men, women and society in the twelfth century. As in technology, science, and scholasticism, Literature was also reborn with a new theme.3
Stillinger, Jack, Deidre Lynch, Stephen Greenblatt, and M H. Abrams. The Norton Anthology of English Literature: Volume D. New York, N.Y: W.W. Norton & Co, 2006. Print.
Unfortunately, the role of ignorance and jealousy combining to breed fear and hatred is a recurring theme in history ultimately exhibiting itself in the form of prejudice. As demonstrated through the altering of historical events in The Song of Roland, the conflict between the Christian and Islamic religions takes precedence over the more narrow scope of any specific battle and is shaped, at least in part by the blind perception of a prejudice born of the ignorance and envy Christian Europe had for representatives of the non-Christian world. To fully see this prejudice and its effect on the participants, it is necessary to recognize the circumstances of the "real" battle along with the altering characters and settings attributed to its later writing, understand the character and beliefs of the participants, and carefully examine the text itself to see how prejudice comes into play.
“The Song of Roland” illustrates very clearly the impact, efficacy and consequences of the feudalism as a political and social system. Feudalism is rightly pointed on ordering the social classes in the text by distributing the power gradually in each of them. A good example to make this clear is when the pagan king, Marsile, tries to trick on Charlemagne (Charles the Great) and offers to be his vassal and the reign of Spain. This giving would actually never happen, as he will still continue to be Spain’s king just as he has been before the “deal”, except the occasional situations when Charles may find appropriate to intervene. This is how the deal mildly organized the social order through power, giving Charles freeway and absolute power to do as he wishes, giving the Muslim king significant power, giving the others that follow immediately under him a little less power, and so on.
El Cid and the Christians in The Poem of the Cid display crusader-like qualities, which band them together against their enemies as they pursue honor, glory, and faith.
Since this paper is my reflection, I will be honest by stating that I am nineteen years old, white, a male, and have been raised in a Catholic family just outside of Louisville, Kentucky. Now why is this important? This is important because the only viewpoint of the crusades that I have studied, prior to my experience with Maalouf, has been from the Christian point of view. Until now, I have yet to place myself in the shoes of those on the opposite end of the sword, shields, and Jihad. History is a touchy subject for me because I have come to learn there is always another side of the story to learn from. This fact leads to the first main thesis of Maalouf’s adventure.
God’s Battalions: The Case for the Crusades by Rodney Stark, will cause readers to question much of what they know about the Crusades, the Crusaders themselves, and the formidable Muslim forces they encountered along the way in liberation of the Holy Land. Stark gives compelling reasons for the Crusades, and argues that readers should not be too quick in following the lead of historians who cast the Crusaders in less than positive light. Stark makes his case supported by evidence that vindicates the valiant struggles of the Crusaders who accomplished the task of keeping Christianity alive through troubled times.
In the poem The Song of Roland, the author relates the spectacular fight between King Charlemagne’s army, the Franks, and the Muslim Saracens. The poem tells a story of blood, death, loyalty and honor. Around 1095, the year in which the First Crusade was initiated, we find the first extant version of this great French epic. While there is truth deeply rooted in the poem, much was emphasized and embellished to attract followers in the crusades. Despite appearing as propaganda, the author succeeded in assembling thousands of volunteers for the launch of the crusades. In The Song of Roland, the author created the poem to gather troops through Roland’s character, the Good vs. Evil theme, and the theme of loyalty.
Marshall, Carol. “The Charge of the Light Brigade.” Poetry Out Loud. School Library Journal, 2005: 59. Elibrary.Web. 31 March 2011.
The Song of Roland inherently is an epic about the values of knights. The courage, selflessness, respect, honor, and devotion are key characteristics of Roland, Oliver, and Thierry. Lord and vassal relationship occupied a significant place in the chivalric code: and Roland, Oliver and Thierry serve as examples of faithful vassals, who primarily things about his promise to serve the king. Indeed the honor of the knight lies in allegiance to his word and valor. Thus, Roland, Oliver, and Thierry put all of their lives on the altar of serving their
Greenblatt, Stephen. The Norton Anthology Of English Literature. 8th. A. W W Norton & Co Inc, 2006.
The Song of Roland was formally recorded around the 12th century, near the beginning of the Crusade period. As the Crusades developed within European Christendom, The Song of Roland inspired christian soldiers and justified the purpose of the Crusades: to promote Christianity, by force, and reclaim the Christian lands. In other words, the mission of crusaders was to rid the lands of “Pagans,”similar to the Saracens of The Song of Roland. It is in no way surprising that this epic would contain much biblical symbolism. Some overt symbolism involves visits from angels and miracles as enacted by God. Deeper, however, these symbols hold an even greater significance than their surface level appearance.
After being exiled, The Cid conquers Moor cities, but not because of any righteous zeal to prove the might of Christendom over the barbarians. Instead, he fights to gain wealth for himself and to pay his vassals and their knights. The Cid says outright, “We are exiles in a foreign land. Let us see now who earns his wages” (48), and the knights “willingly obey him” (21) – a statement followed closely by The Cid always promising them much “booty.” The narrative repeatedly emphasizes that that The Cid only takes a fifth of the spoils of each city and divides the rest fairly among his knights (24, 35), suggesting that his men’s loyalty is in direct proportion to their sense of fair recompense from each adventure.