Renaud de Montauban

Renaud de Montauban, (also spelled "Renaut", "Renault", Italian: "Rinaldo di Montalbano", Dutch: "Reinout van Montalba(e)n") was a fictional hero who was introduced to literature in a 12th century Old French "chanson de geste" also known as the "Quatre Fils Aymon" ("The Four Sons of Duke Aymon"). His exploits form part of the Doon de Mayence cycle of "chansons". The four sons of Duke Aymon are Renaud, Richard, Alard, and Guiscard, and their cousin is the magician Maugris (French: "Maugis", Italian: "Malagi", "Malagigi"). He possess a magical horse Bayard and the sword Froberge (Italian: "Fusberta", "Frusberta").

Medieval and Renaissance texts

The oldest extant version of the anonymous Old French "chanson de geste" "Quatre Fils Aymon" dates from the late 12th century and comprises 18,489 alexandrine (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).Holmes, 94.] It is one of the longest of all the "chansons de geste". Other versions range from 14,300 to 28,000 verses.Hasenohr and Zink, 1256.]

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" (story of the youth of Maugis), "Mort de Maugis" (story of the death of Maugis), "Vivien de Monbranc" (story of the brother of Maugis), "Beuve d'Aigremont" (story of the father of Maugis, Beuve d'Aigremont, brother to Girart de Roussillon and Doon de Nanteuil). [Hasenohr and Zink, 1257-8.]

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 and first half of the 16th century in France. [Authur Tilly. "Studies in the French Renaissance." New York: Barnes & Noble, 1968, p.16.]

The story of Renaud had a European success. It was known in England by the first half of the 13th century. [Combarieu du Grès and Subrenat, preface, 16.] A prose and a verse version of the story called "Rinaldo" existed in Italian in the 14th century. [Combarieu du Grès and Subrenat, preface, 17.] Renaud, as Rinaldo, is an important character in Italian Renaissance epics, including "Morgante" by Luigi Pulci, "Orlando Innamorato" by Matteo Maria Boiardo and "Orlando Furioso" by Ludovico Ariosto.

Renaud in the Old French epic

Renaud and his three brothers were sons of Aymon de Dordone. They flee from the court of Charlemagne after Renaud kills one of Charlemagne's nephews (Bertolai) in a brawl. A long war follows, during which Renaud and his brothers remain faithful to the chivalrous code of honor despite their sufferings, until Charlemagne is prevailed on by his paladins to make terms.

The four brothers are pardoned on condition that Renaud go to Palestine on Crusade, and that their magical horse Bayard, who could expand his size to carry all four brothers on its back, be surrendered to Charlemagne. Charlemagne orders that the magic horse be drowned by chaining it to a stone and throwing it in a river, but the horse escapes and lives forever more in the woods. Renaud, after further adventures on the Crusades, returns home.

He eventually abandons his home and goes to Cologne, where he becomes a builder on a shrine to Saint Peter. 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, and he is fooled by the sorcerer Maugris; the sympathy of the storyteller is clearly with the four brothers, but ultimately feudal authority is upheld.

Rinaldo in "Orlando Furioso"

In "Orlando Furioso", Rinaldo is the brother of Bradamante. Rinaldo and his cousin Orlando (Roland) both fall in love with the beautiful Angelica and a rivalry arises between them. Rinaldo drinks from a fountain which causes him to fall in love with Angelica while she drinks from another fountain which causes her to hate him ("Orlando Furioso" I: 78). He is sent by Charlemagne to Britain where he recruits knights from Scotland and England to aid in the defense of France. He is finally cured of his love for Angelica when he drinks from another magic fountain (Orlando Furioso XLII: 63). He promises his sister, Bradamante to the African knight Ruggiero.

Rinaldo of "Jerusalem Delivered"

Renaud de Montauban should not be confused with Rinaldo, the son of Bertoldo and reputed founder of the house of Este in Torquato Tasso's epic poem "Jerusalem Delivered" (1580), though this second character is made out to be a descendant of the original paladin's sister Bradamante. The second Rinaldo is the son of Bertoldo and Sophia and he lived during the time of the First Crusade. According to legend, Bertoldo is the son of Azzo II, a real person who was count of Este (Orlando Furioso III: 29-30). One of Azzo II's sons was Welf IV, (Welf I, Duke of Bavaria). "Jerusalem Delivered" states that Bertoldo is related to Welf IV. (Jerusalem Delivered XVII: 81).

Modern versions

During the German occupation of Belgium during World War II, the story of "Les Quatre Fils Aymon" was made into a play 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.Fact|date=August 2008

References

*fr icon Hasenohr, Geneviève and Michel Zink, eds. "Dictionnaire des lettres françaises: Le Moyen Age". Collection: La Pochothèque. Paris: Fayard, 1992. ISBN 2-2530-5662-6
*en icon [Urban T. Holmes, Jr.|Holmes, Jr, Urban Tigner [U.T.] . "A History of Old French Literature from the Origins to 1300". New York: F.S. Crofts, 1938.
*fr icon "Les Quatre Fils Aymon". Presentation, selection and translation in modern French by Micheline de Combarieu du Grès and Jean Subrenat. Paris: Gallimard, 1983. ISBN 2-07-037501-3

ee also

* Matter of France
* Medieval literature
* Girart de Roussillon

External links

* [http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/b/bulfinch/thomas/b93cha/index.html Bulfinch's Mythology] - Online edition of "Bulfinch's Mythology: Legends of Charlemagne or Romance of the Middle Ages"