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Durendal (review)
Durendal, also spelled Durandal, is the sword of Roland, a legendary paladin and partially historical officer of Charlemagne in French epic literature. The sword is famous for its hardness and sharpness. Sources including ''La Chanson de Roland'' (''The Song of Roland'') state that it first belonged to the young Charlemagne. According to one legend, at the end of the Battle of Roncevaux Roland hurled the sword from him to prevent it being seized by the Saracens, and it came to rest in Rocamadour. A replica sword that was embedded in a rock face there was reported stolen in June 2024. Etymology The name ''Durendal'' arguably begins with the French ''dur-'' stem, meaning "hard", though "enduring" may be the intended meaning. Rita Lejeune argues that the name may break down into + , which may be rendered in English as "strong scythe" or explained in more detail to mean "a scimitar or scythe that holds up, resists, endures". Gerhard Rohlfs suggests + , "strong flame" or " flame ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zulfiqar
Zulfiqar or Zulfaqar (, ), also spelled ''Zu al-Faqar'', ''Zulfakar'', ''Dhu al-Faqar'', or ''Dhulfaqar)'', is the sword of Ali, Ali ibn Abi Talib that was distinguished by having a double blade. Middle Eastern weapons are commonly inscribed with a quote mentioning Zulfiqar, and Middle Eastern swords are at times made with a split tip in reference to the weapon. Name The meaning of the name is uncertain. The word ''ḏhu'' () means "possessor, master", and the idafa construction "possessor of..." is common in Arabic phraseology, such as in ''Dhu al-Qarnayn'', ''Dhu al-Kifl'', ''Dhu al-Qadah'' and ''Dhu al-Hijjah''. The meaning of ''faqār'' (), means "splitter, differentiatior". It is often vocalized as ''fiqār'' instead of ''faqār''; Arabic-English Lexicon, Lane cites authorities preferring ''faqār'' however the vocalization ''fiqār'' still sees more widespread use. The word ''faqār'' has the meaning of "the vertebrae of the back, the bones of the spine, which are set in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Agolant
Agolant or Agolante is a fictional character in Medieval and Renaissance romantic epics dealing with the Matter of France, including ''Orlando innamorato'' by Matteo Maria Boiardo and ''Orlando furioso'' by Ludovico Ariosto. He is a Saracen king from Africa. The character appears in the '' Historia Caroli Magni'', sometimes known as the ''Pseudo-Turpin Chronicle'', a 12th-century Latin forged chronicle of legendary material about Charlemagne's alleged conquest of Spain. In this text, Agolant, briefly, reconquers Spain from Charlemagne. In the subsequent war, several miracles occur, including flowers sprouting from the lances of the knights. Another war has Agolant invading south-western France and besieging the city of Agen, but he is forced to retreat to Pampeluna (Pamplona). In a last war, Charlemagne's great army sieges Pampeluna. After the death of Agolant, Charlemagne's troops pursue the Saracens through Spain. Agolant is a central character in the late 12th century Old ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aspremont (chanson De Geste)
''Chanson d'Aspremont'' (or simply ''Aspremont'', or ''Agolant'') is a 12th-century Old French (before 1190). The poem comprises 11, 376 verses (unusually long for a ), grouped into rhymed laisses. The verses are decasyllables mixed with French alexandrine, alexandrines. In this tale, the African Saracen king Agolant and his son Aumon (Almons,, passim. Eaumond) invade Calabria and defy Charlemagne (Charles) through their messenger Balan (vv. 1ff; 604ff). Charlemagne's troops come to fight them, but Charlemagne's nephew Roland is not allowed to join the battle due to his young age (referred to as "Rolandin", he is not considered a full adult). The armies reach Aspromonte, Aspremont, and Charlemagne's paladins Naimon, Naimes and Girart de Fraite, Girart d'Eufrate prove their worth. Roland joins the battle by arming himself with a rod () and mounting a horse (vv. 4969–71), and later commandeering Duke Naime's horse Morel (vv. 5749–5755). Charlemagne fights Aumon in single comba ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chanson De Geste
The , from 'deeds, actions accomplished') is a medieval narrative, a type of epic poetry, epic poem that appears at the dawn of French literature. The earliest known poems of this genre date from the late 11th and early 12th centuries, shortly before the emergence of the lyric poetry of the troubadours and trouvères, and the earliest verse Romance (heroic literature), romances. They reached their highest point of acceptance in the period 1150–1250.Hasenohr, 242. Composed in verse, these narrative poems of moderate length (averaging 4000 lines) were originally sung, or (later) recited, by minstrels or jongleurs. More than one hundred ''chansons de geste'' have survived in approximately three hundred manuscripts''La Chanson de Roland,'' 12. that date from the 12th to the 15th century. Origins Since the 19th century, much critical debate has centered on the origins of the ''chansons de geste'', and particularly on explaining the length of time between the composition of the ' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Der Stricker
Der Stricker is the pseudonym of a 13th-century Middle High German itinerant poet whose real name has been lost to history. His name, which means "The Knitter," may indicate he was a commoner; he was likely from Franconia but later worked in Austria. His works evince a knowledge of German literature and practical theology, and include both adaptations and works with no known sources.Gürttler, Karin R. (1991). "Der Stricker". In Norris J. Lacy, Lacy, Norris J., ''The New Arthurian Encyclopedia'', p. 434. New York: Garland. . Der Stricker's oeuvre includes the Arthurian legend, Arthurian romance ''Daniel von dem blühenden Tal'' and the epic ''Karl'', a German language, German adaptation of the ''Song of Roland'', based directly on Konrad der Pfaffe's earlier German version but updated for his time. However, he was chiefly a writer of didacticism, didactic poetry and exemplum, exempla or bispel, and was one of the early pioneers of the genre. These poems dealt not only with the relig ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chivalric Romance
As a literary genre, the chivalric romance is a type of prose and verse narrative that was popular in the noble courts of high medieval and early modern Europe. They were fantastic stories about marvel-filled adventures, often of a chivalric knight-errant portrayed as having heroic qualities, who goes on a quest. It developed further from the epics as time went on; in particular, "the emphasis on love and courtly manners distinguishes it from the ''chanson de geste'' and other kinds of epic, in which masculine military heroism predominates." Popular literature also drew on themes of romance, but with ironic, satiric, or burlesque intent. Romances reworked legends, fairy tales, and history to suit the readers' and hearers' tastes, but by they were out of fashion, and Miguel de Cervantes famously burlesqued them in his novel ''Don Quixote''. Still, the modern image of "medieval" is more influenced by the romance than by any other medieval genre, and the word ''medie ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wayland The Smith
In Germanic mythology, Wayland the Smith (; , ; Old Frisian: Wela(n)du; ; ; (); from ', lit. "crafting one") is a master blacksmith originating in Germanic heroic legend, described by Jessie Weston as "the weird and malicious craftsman, Weyland".Weston, J. (1929). 'Legendary Cycles of the Middle Age', in Tanner, J.R. (ed.), ''The Cambridge Medieval History'' Vol. VI, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, p. 841f. Wayland's story is most clearly told in the Old Norse sources '' Völundarkviða'' (a poem in the ''Poetic Edda'') and '' Þiðreks saga''. In them, Wayland is a smith who is enslaved by a king. Wayland takes revenge by killing the king's sons and then escapes by crafting a winged cloak and flying away. A number of other visual and textual sources clearly allude to similar stories, most prominently the Old English poem ''Deor'' and the Franks Casket. Wayland is also mentioned in passing in a wide range of texts, such as the Old English '' Waldere'' and ''Beow ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Matter Of France
The Matter of France (), also known as the Carolingian cycle, is a body of medieval literature and legendary material associated with the history of France, in particular involving Charlemagne and the Paladins. The cycle springs from the Old French '' chansons de geste'', and was later adapted into a variety of art forms, including chanson de geste">chansons de geste'', and was later adapted into a variety of art forms, including Renaissance epics and opera">Renaissance">chanson de geste">chansons de geste'', and was later adapted into a variety of art forms, including Renaissance epics and operas. It was one of the great European literary cycles that figured repeatedly in medieval literature. Three Matters The Matter of France was one of the "Three Matters" repeatedly recalled in medieval literature, the others being the Matter of Britain, relating to the legends of Great Britain and Brittany, and the Matter of Rome which represented the medieval poets' interpretations of Anc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Olifant (instrument)
Olifant (also known as oliphant) was the name applied in the Middle Ages to a type of carved ivory hunting horn created from elephant tusks. Olifants were most prominently used in Europe from roughly the tenth to the sixteenth century, although there are later examples. The surviving inventories of Renaissance treasuries and armories document that Europeans, especially in France, Germany, and England, owned trumpets in a variety of media that were used to signal, both in war and hunting. They were manufactured primarily in Italy (from either African elephant, African or Indian elephant tusk), but towards the end of the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, they were also made in Africa for a European market. Typically, they were made with relief carvings that showed animal and human combat scenes, hunting scenes, fantastic beasts, and European heraldry. About seventy-five ivory hunting horns survive and about half can be found in museums and church treasuries, while others a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Marsile
Marsile (variously spelled Marsilie, Marsilius, Marsilio, Marsilion, Marsiglio, Marcilie, Marsille, Marsilies, Marsilun, or Marsiluns) is a character in the French heroic poem ''The Song of Roland''. He is the Muslim king of Arabs, conquering Saracens and of Saragossa. He first appears in Stanza 1, asking his barons for counsel because he is losing the war against Charlemagne. He readily accepts Blancandrin's proposal of surrender (Stanzas 1–6), and agrees to Ganelon's scheme after testing his worth and persuasion from his wife Bramimonde and his nobility (32–52). He takes part in the Battle of Roncevaux Pass, kills Bevon, Lord of Beaune and Dijon, Yvoire, Yvon and Gerald of Roussillon, before Roland cuts off Marsile's right hand and the head of his son, Jurfaleu the Blond, and Marsile is forced to flee (142) to Saragossa (187). Bound to his bed with his injuries, he summons help from Baligant (189), places Spain in Baligant's care (202), and later dies of his wounds, his arm ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mary, Mother Of Jesus
Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity of Mary, virgin or Queen of Heaven, queen, many of them mentioned in the Litany of Loreto. The Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern and Oriental Orthodox, Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, Reformed Christianity, Reformed, Baptist, and Lutheran churches believe that Mary, as mother of Jesus, is the Theotokos, Mother of God. The Church of the East historically regarded her as Christotokos, a term still used in Assyrian Church of the East liturgy. Other Protestant views on Mary vary, with some holding her to have lesser status. She has the Mary in Islam, highest position in Islam among all women and is mentioned numerous times in the Quran, including in a chapter Maryam (surah), named after her.Jestice, Phyllis G. ''Holy people of the world: a cros ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
