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The Four Sons of Aymon (, , ), sometimes also referred to as ''Renaud de Montauban'' (after its main character) is a medieval tale centring around the four sons of Duke Aymon: the
knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...
Renaud de Montauban Renaud (or Renaut or Renault) de Montauban (Modern ; ; ; or ) was a legendary hero and knight which appeared in a 12th-century Old French known as ''The Four Sons of Aymon''. The four sons of Duke Aymon are Renaud, Richard, Alard and Guiscard, ...
(also spelt ''Renaut'', ''Renault'', , ) and his brothers Guichard, Allard and Richardet, their magical horse Bayard (), and their adventures and revolt against Emperor
Charlemagne Charlemagne ( ; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks from 768, List of kings of the Lombards, King of the Lombards from 774, and Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian ...
. The story became popular throughout Europe, and echoes of the story are still found today in certain folklore traditions.


Medieval and Renaissance texts


French versions

The oldest extant version of the tale is an anonymous
Old French Old French (, , ; ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France approximately between the late 8th -4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ...
''chanson de geste'', ''Quatre Fils Aymon'', which dates from the late 12th century and comprises 18,489 French alexandrine">alexandrine Alexandrine is a name used for several distinct types of verse line with related metrical structures, most of which are ultimately derived from the classical French alexandrine. The line's name derives from its use in the Medieval French '' Ro ...
(12-syllable) verses grouped in assonanced and rhymed laisses (the first 12,120 verses use assonance; critics suggest that the rhymed laisses derive from a different poet).Urban T. Holmes Jr., Urban Tigner .T.Holmes Jr. ''A History of Old French Literature from the Origins to 1300''. New York: F.S. Crofts, 1938, 94. It is one of the longest of all the ''chansons de geste''. Other and later versions of the
chanson A (, ; , ) is generally any Lyrics, lyric-driven French song. The term is most commonly used in English to refer either to the secular polyphonic French songs of late medieval music, medieval and Renaissance music or to a specific style of ...
range from 14,300 to 28,000 verses. Geneviève Hasenohr and Michel Zink, eds. ''Dictionnaire des lettres françaises: Le Moyen Age''. Collection: La Pochothèque. Paris: Fayard, 1992. , 1256. Of the dozen extant versions of the ''chanson'', all are anonymous except for one, ''Histoire des quatre fils Aymon'', attributed to , a 13th-century
trouvère ''Trouvère'' (, ), sometimes spelled ''trouveur'' (, ), is the Northern French ('' langue d'oïl'') form of the '' langue d'oc'' (Occitan) word ''trobador'', the precursor of the modern French word '' troubadour''. ''Trouvère'' refers to po ...
. The Renaud ''chansons de geste'' were transformed into prose romances in the 14th and 15th centuries, and judging from the number of editions, the prose ''Quatre Fils Aymon'' was the most popular romance of chivalry in the late 15th century and first half of the 16th century in France. The tale is generally included in the
Doon de Mayence Doon de Mayence also known as Doolin de Maience, Doon de Maience or Doolin de Mayence was a fictional hero of the Old French '' literatur.html" ;"title="chanson de geste">chansons de geste'', who gives his name to the third cycle of the Charlema ...
"cycle" of ''chansons''.


Plot

Renaud and his three brothers were sons of Aymon de Dordone (a fictional location in the
Ardennes The Ardennes ( ; ; ; ; ), also known as the Ardennes Forest or Forest of Ardennes, is a region of extensive forests, rough terrain, rolling hills and ridges primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, extending into Germany and France. Geological ...
, although the name seems to be related to
Dordogne Dordogne ( , or ; ; ) is a large rural departments of France, department in south west France, with its Prefectures in France, prefecture in Périgueux. Located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region roughly half-way between the Loire Valley and ...
near
Montauban Montauban (, ; ) is a commune in the southern French department of Tarn-et-Garonne. It is the capital of the department and lies north of Toulouse. Montauban is the most populated town in Tarn-et-Garonne, and the sixth most populated of Oc ...
). At the Pentecostal feast, Aymon brought them to Paris to be presented to Emperor
Charlemagne Charlemagne ( ; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks from 768, List of kings of the Lombards, King of the Lombards from 774, and Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian ...
and Renaud proved himself a worthy combatant in the royal tournament and won the emperor's favour. In most versions of the ''chanson'', the emperor presented him with the magical horse Bayard (in two versions, it is the fairy Oriande who gives it to him). Renaud kills one of Charlemagne's nephews (Bertolai) in a brawl over a
chess Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...
game and the brothers flee, aided by Bayard who can carry all the brothers on his back and leap across valleys. The brothers decide to hide in the
Ardennes The Ardennes ( ; ; ; ; ), also known as the Ardennes Forest or Forest of Ardennes, is a region of extensive forests, rough terrain, rolling hills and ridges primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, extending into Germany and France. Geological ...
where their cousin, the
sorcerer Sorcerer may refer to: Magic * Sorcerer (supernatural), a practitioner of magic that derives from supernatural or occult sources * Sorcerer (fantasy), a fictional character who uses or practices magic that derives from supernatural or occult sou ...
Maugis, can help them. Maugis constructs a castle for them called Montessor on a peak overlooking the
Meuse The Meuse or Maas is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a total length of . History From 1301, the upper ...
. The brothers are, however, forced to flee from Montessor, and eventually they proceed to
Gascony Gascony (; ) was a province of the southwestern Kingdom of France that succeeded the Duchy of Gascony (602–1453). From the 17th century until the French Revolution (1789–1799), it was part of the combined Province of Guyenne and Gascon ...
to aid King Yvon in his battles against the Emir Begès. Renaud, thanks to his sword "Froberge" (given to him by Maugis), wins a victory, and in gratitude, the king gives Renaud the castle at
Montauban Montauban (, ; ) is a commune in the southern French department of Tarn-et-Garonne. It is the capital of the department and lies north of Toulouse. Montauban is the most populated town in Tarn-et-Garonne, and the sixth most populated of Oc ...
and his sister in marriage. After a series of adventures, Charlemagne is eventually prevailed upon by the noble
paladin The Paladins, also called the Twelve Peers (), are twelve legendary knights, the foremost members of Charlemagne's court in the 8th century. They first appear in the medieval (12th century) ''chanson de geste'' cycle of the Matter of France, wh ...
Roland Roland (; ; or ''Rotholandus''; or ''Rolando''; died 15 August 778) was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the Matter of France. The historical Roland was mil ...
to make terms with the brothers: the four brothers are pardoned on condition that Renaud travels to the
Holy Land The term "Holy Land" is used to collectively denote areas of the Southern Levant that hold great significance in the Abrahamic religions, primarily because of their association with people and events featured in the Bible. It is traditionall ...
on
Crusade The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and at times directed by the Papacy during the Middle Ages. The most prominent of these were the campaigns to the Holy Land aimed at reclaiming Jerusalem and its surrounding t ...
, and that their magical horse Bayard is surrendered to Charlemagne. Charlemagne orders that Bayard be drowned by chaining him to a stone and throwing him in a river, but the horse escapes and lives eternally in the woods (in some versions the horse is killed). Renaud, upon his return from the Crusades, discovers his wife has died. After sending his sons to be educated at the court of the emperor, he abandons his home and goes to
Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...
, where he helps to construct a church. In the end, he is murdered by resentful workers, but his body is miraculously saved from the river and makes its way magically in a cart back to his brothers. Charlemagne is portrayed as vengeful and treacherous in these stories; the sympathy of the storyteller is clearly with the four brothers, but ultimately
feudal Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was a combination of legal, economic, military, cultural, and political customs that flourished in Middle Ages, medieval Europe from the 9th to 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of struc ...
authority is upheld.


Dutch version

''Historie van den Vier Heemskinderen'', the Dutch translation, dated 1508 and held at the University of Munich gives the following version: Duke Aymon, King of Pierlepont, thinks that Charles, his liege lord, has not shown him sufficient gratitude when he is merely awarded
Dordogne Dordogne ( , or ; ; ) is a large rural departments of France, department in south west France, with its Prefectures in France, prefecture in Périgueux. Located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region roughly half-way between the Loire Valley and ...
(Dordoen) with the capital of
Albi Albi (; ) is a commune in France, commune in southern France. It is the prefecture of the Tarn (department), Tarn Departments of France, department, on the river Tarn (river), Tarn, 85 km northeast of Toulouse. Its inhabitants are called ...
for his help in many of Charles's wars. He is even angrier about the fact that his warrior friend Hugh (Huon) de
Narbonne Narbonne ( , , ; ; ; Late Latin:) is a commune in Southern France in the Occitanie region. It lies from Paris in the Aude department, of which it is a sub-prefecture. It is located about from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and was ...
gets nothing at all, and decides to turn renegade until Charlemagne gives him a suitable reward. In the end Charles adds Aymon's weight in gold and his sister Aye. However, Aymon is not yet truly satisfied and swears that he will kill any child born out of his union with the king's sister, a truly curious resolution. Aye brings up her four sons (Richard, Writsaert, Adelhaert and Renout in this version) in secret at Pierlepont until the day that Aymon tells her how he regrets the fact that they have no offspring. She shows him his sons and Aymon is very impressed with Renaud, who is very tall, strong and belligerent. He gives Renaud the horse Bayard. The horse is so large that it can carry all four brothers on his back. When the four brothers are presented at Charles's court in Paris, Renaud kills Charles's son Louis. He and his brothers flee to the court of King Loup de Gascogne who betrays them to Charles. Nevertheless, they escape their pursuers with the help of King Son of Aquitaine, who gives his daughter Claire or Clarisse to Renaud in marriage, as well as the castle of Montauban. Charles attacks the castle, and after months of siege Renaud has to surrender. The cost of their survival is the drowning of his horse Bayard. Charles urges Renaud to go on a
pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...
to the
Holy Land The term "Holy Land" is used to collectively denote areas of the Southern Levant that hold great significance in the Abrahamic religions, primarily because of their association with people and events featured in the Bible. It is traditionall ...
, especially
Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...
. When Renaud comes back he helps to build the shrine of St. Peter in
Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...
. Envious men kill him and throw his body in the River
Rhine The Rhine ( ) is one of the List of rivers of Europe, major rivers in Europe. The river begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms part of the Swiss-Liechtenstein border, then part of the Austria–Swit ...
.


German versions

''Ein schöne und lüstige Histori von den vier Heymonskindern'' appeared in
Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...
in 1604. This was largely an adaptation of the then current Dutch version, based on a French original. A previous German adaptation dated 1535 was based directly on the prose romance ''Les quatre fils Aymon''.
Ludwig Tieck Johann Ludwig Tieck (; ; 31 May 177328 April 1853) was a German poet, fiction writer, translator, and critic. He was one of the founding fathers of the Romanticism, Romantic movement in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Early life Tieck w ...
edited and published the story, but seems to have taken it from a different source.


English version

The story was known in England by the first half of the 13th century. and
William Caxton William Caxton () was an English merchant, diplomat and writer. He is thought to be the first person to introduce a printing press into Kingdom of England, England in 1476, and as a Printer (publishing), printer to be the first English retailer ...
published a prose translation under the name "The Right Pleasant and Goodly Historie of the Foure Sonnes of Aymon". The translation was repeatedly reprinted, as well as dramatised, in the 16th and early 17th centuries, and its popular story was referred to (and used) by persons such as
Thomas Nashe Thomas Nashe (also Nash; baptised 30 November 1567 – c. 1601) was an English Elizabethan playwright, poet, satirist and a significant pamphleteer. He is known for his novel '' The Unfortunate Traveller'', his pamphlets including '' Pierce P ...
and Samuel Rowlands, although by 1673
Francis Kirkman Francis Kirkman (1632 – c. 1680) appears in many roles in the English literary world of the second half of the seventeenth century, as a publisher, bookseller, librarian, author and bibliographer. In each he is an enthusiast for popular liter ...
would call the text a rarity.


Italian version

A prose and a verse version of the story called ''Rinaldo'' existed in Italian in the 14th century.


Sequels and related texts

From the 13th century on, other texts concerning separate elements of the extended Renaud de Montauban story were created. Together with the original, these are termed the "Renaud de Montauban cycle". These poems are: ''Maugis d'Aigremont'' (describing Maugis's childhood), ''Mort de Maugis'' (describing Maugis's death), ''Vivien de Monbranc'' (the story of Maugis's brother), ''Beuve d'Aigremont'' (the story of Maugis's father, Beuve d'Aigremont, brother to
Girart de Roussillon Girart de Roussillon, also called ''Girard'', ''Gérard II'', ''Gyrart de Vienne,'' and ''Girart de Fraite'', (c. 810–877/879?) was a Frankish Burgundian leader who became Count of Paris in 837, and embraced the cause of Lothair I against Char ...
and Doon de Nanteuil). Renaud, as Rinaldo, also became an important character in Italian Renaissance epics, including ''
Morgante ''Morgante'' (sometimes also called , the name given to the complete 28-canto, 30,080-line edition published in 1483See Lèbano's introduction to the Tusiani translation, p. xxii.) is an Italian romantic epic by Luigi Pulci which appeared in ...
'' by
Luigi Pulci Luigi Pulci (; 15 August 1432 – 11 November 1484) was an Italian diplomat and poet best known for his '' Morgante'', an epic and parodistic poem about a giant who is converted to Christianity by Orlando and follows the knight in many adventu ...
, ''
Orlando Innamorato ''Orlando Innamorato'' (; known in English language, English as "''Orlando in Love''"; in Italian language, Italian titled "''Orlando innamorato''" as the "I" is never capitalized) is an epic poem written by the Italian Renaissance author Matte ...
'' by
Matteo Maria Boiardo Matteo Maria Boiardo (, ; 144019/20 December 1494) was an Italian Renaissance poet, best known for his epic poem ''Orlando innamorato''. Early life Boiardo was born in 1440, at or near, Scandiano (today's province of Reggio Emilia); the son of G ...
and ''
Orlando Furioso ''Orlando furioso'' (; ''The Frenzy of Orlando'') is an Italian epic poem by Ludovico Ariosto which has exerted a wide influence on later culture. The earliest version appeared in 1516, although the poem was not published in its complete form ...
'' by
Ludovico Ariosto Ludovico Ariosto (, ; ; 8 September 1474 – 6 July 1533) was an Italian poet. He is best known as the author of the romance epic '' Orlando Furioso'' (1516). The poem, a continuation of Matteo Maria Boiardo's ''Orlando Innamorato'', describ ...
. (For more info on the character and his appearance in other texts, see
Renaud de Montauban Renaud (or Renaut or Renault) de Montauban (Modern ; ; ; or ) was a legendary hero and knight which appeared in a 12th-century Old French known as ''The Four Sons of Aymon''. The four sons of Duke Aymon are Renaud, Richard, Alard and Guiscard, ...
.)


In other media


Literature

Proust Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust ( ; ; 10 July 1871 – 18 November 1922) was a French novelist, literary critic, and essayist who wrote the novel (in French language, French – translated in English as ''Remembrance of Things Pas ...
briefly makes use of this tale in " Swann in Love" by describing chemical workers in France toiling among sculptures of this tale's characters.


Visual arts

Jacques Laudy illustrated a
comic strip A comic strip is a Comics, sequence of cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often Serial (literature), serialized, with text in Speech balloon, balloons and Glossary of comics terminology#Captio ...
version of the tale for the weekly Franco-Belgian comics magazine ''
Tintin Tintin usually refers to: * ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé ** Tintin (character), the protagonist and titular character of the series Tintin or Tin Tin may also refer to: Material related to ''The A ...
'' from 1946 to 1947 (including several covers).


Music and performing arts

Franz Joseph Glæser, a
Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus *Czech (surnam ...
/ Danish composer, wrote a work called ''Die vier Haimonskinder'' (1809). ''Les quatre fils Aymon'' (1844) is an
opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...
by
Michael William Balfe Michael William Balfe (15 May 1808 – 20 October 1870) was an Irish composer, best remembered for his operas, especially ''The Bohemian Girl''. After a short career as a violinist, Balfe pursued an operatic singing career, while he began to co ...
, written for the
Opéra-Comique The Opéra-Comique () is a Paris opera company which was founded around 1714 by some of the popular Théâtre de la foire, theatres of the Parisian fairs. In 1762 the company was merged with – and for a time took the name of – its chief riva ...
(also popular in German-speaking countries for many years as ''Die Vier Haimonskinder''). During the
German occupation of Belgium during World War II The German occupation of Belgium (, ) during World War II began on 28 May 1940, when the Belgian army surrendered to German forces, and lasted until Belgium's liberation by the Western Allies between September 1944 and February 1945. It was ...
, the story of ''Les Quatre Fils Aymon'' was made into a
play Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...
that was banned by the German authorities, because of the sympathy it displayed for resisting authority; the play was performed underground and became quite popular. ''La Légende des fils Aymon'', a stage work by Frédéric Kiesel, was created in 1967 in Habay-la-Neuve. ''Les Quatre Fils Aymon'' is a
ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...
by
Maurice Béjart Maurice Béjart (; 1 January 1927 – 22 November 2007) was a French dancer, choreographer and Theatre director, opera director who ran the Béjart Ballet Lausanne in Switzerland. He developed a popular expressionistic form of modern ballet, tac ...
and Janine Charrat from 1961.


Sculpture

The four brothers - usually represented all together seated on their horse Bayard - have inspired many sculptures: * The oldest extant statue is on a tomb in
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
(dated the first half of the 12th century). * A bronze statue (''Ros Beyaert'') depicting the four sons of Aymon (Reinout, Adelaert, Ritsaert and Writsaert) on their horse Beyaert (Bayard), was erected on the central approach avenue to the
Exposition universelle et internationale (1913) The Ghent International Exposition of 1913 (, ) was a world's fair held in Ghent, Belgium, from 26 April to 3 November 1913. History A number of buildings were completed for the occasion. Notably, Gent-Sint-Pieters railway station was complet ...
held in
Ghent Ghent ( ; ; historically known as ''Gaunt'' in English) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the Provinces of Belgium, province ...
,
Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
. This statue was created by Aloïs de Beule and Domien Ingels. * One of the most famous representations was created by Olivier Strebelle for the
Expo 58 Expo 58, also known as the 1958 Brussels World's Fair (; ), was a world's fair held on the Heysel/Heizel Plateau in Brussels, Belgium, from 17 April to 19 October 1958. It was the first major world's fair registered under the Bureau Internati ...
. Situated by the
Meuse The Meuse or Maas is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a total length of . History From 1301, the upper ...
in
Namur Namur (; ; ) is a city and municipality in Wallonia, Belgium. It is the capital both of the province of Namur and of Wallonia, hosting the Parliament of Wallonia, the Government of Wallonia and its administration. Namur stands at the confl ...
, Belgium, the horse appears to be on the point of jumping across the river with all four brothers on his back. * Another statue created by Albert Poncin, showing the four brothers standing beside their horse, can be found at Bogny-sur-Meuse, France. * There are several statues representing the brothers in
Dendermonde Dendermonde (; , ) is a city in the Flemish Region, Flemish Provinces of Belgium, province of East Flanders in Belgium. The Municipalities of Belgium, municipality comprises the city of Dendermonde and the towns of Appels, Baasrode, Grembergen, M ...
(Belgium). * The statue ''Vier Heemskinderen'' (1976) by Gerard Adriaan Overeem was placed in the Torenstraat in
Nijkerk Nijkerk (; Dutch Low Saxon: ''Niekark'') is a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality and a city located in the middle of the Netherlands, in the province of Gelderland. Population centres Some people state that ''Groot Corlaer'' is a ...
, Netherlands. * In
Köln Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...
, Germany, since 1969, a bronze sculpture by Heinz Klein-Arendt depicts them. File:Bogny quatre fils aymon 05.jpg, ''Monument des Quatre Fils Aymon'' in Bogny-sur-Meuse, France File:Orp-le-Grand 050809 (5) copy.jpg, ''The fountain des Quatre Fils Aymon'' in Orp-le-Grand (near
Orp-Jauche Orp-Jauche (; ; ) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On January 1, 2008, Orp-Jauche had a total population of 8,400. The total area is 50.50 km² which gives a population density of 159 inhabita ...
), Belgium File:Le cheval Bayard portant les quatre fils Aymon - Olivier Strebelle 1958.jpg, ''The horse Bayard'' in
Namur Namur (; ; ) is a city and municipality in Wallonia, Belgium. It is the capital both of the province of Namur and of Wallonia, hosting the Parliament of Wallonia, the Government of Wallonia and its administration. Namur stands at the confl ...
, Belgium File:Gent.standbeeld02.jpg, ''Ros Beyaert'' in
Ghent Ghent ( ; ; historically known as ''Gaunt'' in English) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the Provinces of Belgium, province ...
, Belgium File:Dendermonde Ros Beiaard Jan Desmarets 01.jpg, Statue in
Dendermonde Dendermonde (; , ) is a city in the Flemish Region, Flemish Provinces of Belgium, province of East Flanders in Belgium. The Municipalities of Belgium, municipality comprises the city of Dendermonde and the towns of Appels, Baasrode, Grembergen, M ...
, Belgium File:Ros Beiaard Grembergen.JPG, Sculpture in Grembergen, Belgium File:De-4-heemskinderen-nijkerk.jpg, ''Vier Heemskinderen'' in
Nijkerk Nijkerk (; Dutch Low Saxon: ''Niekark'') is a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality and a city located in the middle of the Netherlands, in the province of Gelderland. Population centres Some people state that ''Groot Corlaer'' is a ...
, Netherlands


Folklore


Locations and place names

While the
Ardennes The Ardennes ( ; ; ; ; ), also known as the Ardennes Forest or Forest of Ardennes, is a region of extensive forests, rough terrain, rolling hills and ridges primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, extending into Germany and France. Geological ...
region (divided today between
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
,
Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
and
Luxembourg Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...
) only plays a fairly minor role in the medieval tale, the story of the four brothers has been very present there.
Joseph Bédier Joseph Bédier (28 January 1864 – 29 August 1938) was a French writer and historian of medieval France. Biography Bédier was born in Paris, France, to Adolphe Bédier, a lawyer of Breton origin, and spent his childhood in Réunion. He was a p ...
considered the Abbey of Stavelot-Malmédy to be the origin of the legend of the four brothers, but this has since been disproved. A study by the
University of Liège The University of Liège (), or ULiège, is a major public university of the French Community of Belgium founded in 1817 and based in Liège, Wallonia, Belgium. Its official language is French (language), French. History The university was foun ...
in 1976 found a dozen sites in the Ardennes that claimed to be the fortress Montessor (or Montfort) constructed for the brothers by Maugis. The château of Amblève is one of these. Dhuy (near Éghezée) possesses an old castle called "Bayard" in 1770, that was also called "Montessor des fils Aymon". There is a castle named after the four brothers in Cubzac-les-Ponts in the
Dordogne Dordogne ( , or ; ; ) is a large rural departments of France, department in south west France, with its Prefectures in France, prefecture in Périgueux. Located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region roughly half-way between the Loire Valley and ...
region. Bertem, near
Louvain Leuven (, , ), also called Louvain (, , ), is the capital and largest city of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipality itself comprises the sub-municipalities of ...
, claimed to possess the
relics In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains or personal effects of a saint or other person preserved for the purpose of veneration as a tangible memorial. Reli ...
of one of the sons, Saint Aalard (or Alard), for 600 years. Bogny-sur-Meuse has a number of sites referencing the four brothers: four rocky crags on a mountain peak near the town are said to symbolise the four brothers on Bayard's back, and the castle of Château-Regnault has been proposed as a possible site for Montfort/Montessor. The Castle of the fairies at Le Waridon in the commune of Montcy-Notre-Dame has also been proposed. According to a tale told by (among others) Claude Seignolle, the village of Francheval owes its name to the legend of the brothers: "Having shown great bravery to help Renaud and one of his brothers, the latter said to Bayard: 'Tu es un brave, Bayard, franc cheval!' ('You are a brave one, Bayard, noble horse!'), and at this site the village of Francheval was established". A similar legend relates to the creation of the village of Balan: as the brothers, all astride Bayard, were being pursued, the horse made a huge leap and fell to the ground; Renaud cried out to his brothers, "Balan!", ("Get back in the saddle!"), and the village was thus named. In
Dinant Dinant () is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia located in the Namur Province, province of Namur, Belgium. On the shores of river Meuse, in the Ardennes, it lies south-east of Brussels, south ...
there exists the "Bayard Rock" (''Rocher Bayard'') that was said to have been split by the giant hoof of Bayard while carrying the four sons of Aymon on their legendary flight from Charlemagne through the Ardennes. The ancient
County of La Marche The County of La Marche (; ) was a medieval French county, approximately corresponding to the modern ''département'' of Creuse and the northern half of Haute Vienne. La Marche first appeared as a separate fief about the middle of the 10th cen ...
was the fief of the lords of La Roche-Aymon who claimed to have descended from the four brothers.


Processions and festivals

The sons of Aymon are included among the "giants of the north" in Belgian folk festivals. A procession in
Namur Namur (; ; ) is a city and municipality in Wallonia, Belgium. It is the capital both of the province of Namur and of Wallonia, hosting the Parliament of Wallonia, the Government of Wallonia and its administration. Namur stands at the confl ...
has been attested in 1518. The procession of "giants" - which is held annually on 2nd July - represents Charlemagne, the nine worthy peers, the four sons of Aymon upon their horse, and their cousin Maugis. Attested before 1461 in
Dendermonde Dendermonde (; , ) is a city in the Flemish Region, Flemish Provinces of Belgium, province of East Flanders in Belgium. The Municipalities of Belgium, municipality comprises the city of Dendermonde and the towns of Appels, Baasrode, Grembergen, M ...
, the " Ommegang of Dendermonde" is a procession concerning the four brothers and their horse, who is said to have drowned where the
Scheldt The Scheldt ( ; ; ) is a river that flows through northern France, western Belgium, and the southwestern part of Netherlands, the Netherlands, with its mouth at the North Sea. Its name is derived from an adjective corresponding to Old Englis ...
meets the
Dender The Dender () or Dendre () is a long river in Belgium, the right tributary of the river Scheldt. The confluence of the two rivers is in the Belgian town of Dendermonde. The Western or Little Dender is long and begins in Barry near Leuze-en-Hain ...
.Société de mythologie française, Bulletin, numéros 181 à 184, 1996, p. 43 Image:Plaque des 4 fils aymon.jpg, A plaque for the "château des quatre fils Aymon" in Cubzac-les-Ponts Image:Rocher bayard 02.jpg, The "Bayard rock" of
Dinant Dinant () is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia located in the Namur Province, province of Namur, Belgium. On the shores of river Meuse, in the Ardennes, it lies south-east of Brussels, south ...
Image:Ros beiaard 00.jpg, The horse Bayard of
Dendermonde Dendermonde (; , ) is a city in the Flemish Region, Flemish Provinces of Belgium, province of East Flanders in Belgium. The Municipalities of Belgium, municipality comprises the city of Dendermonde and the towns of Appels, Baasrode, Grembergen, M ...
in 1990, ridden by four riders depicting the sons of Aymon


References


Sources

* * * *


Further reading

* Reigniez, Pascal (2009). ''Cubzac et le chateau des 4 Fils Aymon''. Paris: éd. Les Indes Savantes. . 406 pp and col ill maps . *
Caxton's 1489 translation of ''Quatre Fils Aymon''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Four Sons Of Aymon 12th-century books Belgian folklore Chansons de geste Chivalric sagas Cultural depictions of Charlemagne Epic poems in French French folklore French poems