Charlemagne's Throne

Charlemagne was a very successful king and ruler in the 8th century. Known for being humble and kind, he was as revered then as he is now. At the beginning of the 800s, he constructed a palace in Aachen, Germany, which he used as his sort of "home base" between his military campaigns. He had many guests come and visit him there, and forged many frienships there. In the cathedral of his palace, he had a throne erected for himself. 

It is unadorned, and very simple. However, the marble slabs used for the seat itself, and the steps, were brought directly from the holy city of Jerusalem.  The throne is set up on four pillars, which allowed room for pilgrims to crawl under the Frankish king and Roman emperor on their knees. It sounds strange, but was done as an act of humility. And as Charlemagne was also viewed by some as a saint, this would have been an honor. 

The throne was built in the western end of the chapel, so that the king's gaze might fall to the east, where the Last Judgment would come from. It has not changed positions since it was first built, and has been used to crown at least 30 kings from 936 to 1531. 

Work Cited:

Bekker, Henk. "See the Throne of Charlemagne (Karlsthron) in Aachen Cathedral." European Traveler, 2014. Web. Retrieved 30 September, 2017. https://www.european-traveler.com/germany/see-throne-shrine-charlemagne-aachen-cathedral/

"Throne of Charlemagne." Wikipedia, 2017. Web. Retrieved 30 September, 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Throne_of_Charlemagne

A Fourteen Foot Advantage

In the Song of Roland, there are a few battle scenes where Roland and Olivier use a lance to kill the enemy before them using their gloriously named swords described in a previous post. At one point the author says, "Count Roland pays no heed to his own safety, but plies his lance as long as its shaft holds with fifteen blows its splintered and useless" (p.95). A lance was an effective weapon but was not one that seemed to last very long in a battle; however, there must have been a reason for its use.

According to several historical blogs and websites, a lance was a long wooden shaft with a metal tip that was used from atop a horse. The lance itself would measure from nine to fourteen feet, which, when compared to a sword, gives the rider a longer reach and could be devastating in battle if the rider was properly trained. The lance was usually made from ash and would thus eventually splinter or crack, especially if used like Olivier who broke his lance to the hilt and battled with just a stump.

The lance was a weapon that was used well before knights, but was popularized in the medieval tournaments of jousting.
The lance was a powerful weapon and a great addition to battle and the story of Roland. At nine to fourteen feet you would have to be a true and glorious vassal in order to hurl a man off your lance nine feet!

Resources

http://www.lordsandladies.org/lance.htm

https://www.britannica.com/technology/lance-weapon

Harrison, Robert. The song of Roland. New York, NY, Signet Classic Printing, 2002.

Hauberk, A Knight's Best Friend

Image 1

During the initial fight between Roland and his force and those of Marsilla and the pagans, the reader gets a vivid sense of the brutality that occurs during the fight. The two sides trade vicious blows that end the fight and lives for many fighters on both sides. The epic puts one fighter against another at the beginning, which all end with one knight able to cut or pierce through the hauberk of the other knight, destroying it and dealing a lethal blow to him. At one point during the fight between Engelier, a knight of Roland, and Escremiz, a knight of Marsilla, the poem states:

He cracks his shield and knocks it from his neck,
and rips into his hauberk at the gorget,
and hits his throat (Harrison, 94)

The fight between Engelier and Escremiz and many other instances in The Song of Roland makes reference to the hauberk and its destruction in battle. The hauberk was one of the most important parts of a knight's gear proving just as important as a sword or shield. Although not common among all warriors of the time and not entirely full proof protection, the hauberk, a type of mail that stretches to the knee, provided essential protection to a knight from potential damaging and lethal blows from other knights and gave the knight wearing it a distinct advantage. This makes it even more fantastical but still impressive to listeners, that the warriors in The Song of Roland sliced through them like butter, but this helps to add a special mythological quality that for sure inspired those who heard the epic poem before battle.

Image 2

Sources:
Harrison, Robert. The Song of Roland. Signet Classic, 2002

McDonald, James. "Medieval Warfare Armour & Shields." Web blog.  Medieval Warfare, n.d. Web. accessed Sept. 28 2017 LINK

Excaliber: The Sword of Roland



This is the sword is believed to be Durandal itself

When I picture a Knight, I picture shining armor, a huge shield, and of course a shining sword. To me, swords are an ideal weapon for a Medieval Knight, as it was ideal for close range combat. In The Song of Roland, the hero Roland is described as having cut down thousands of Muslims on the field of Roncevaux with his sword "Durandal," before finally dying on the battlefield. Although I have a hard time believing he cut down thousands of foot soldiers by himself, its still fun to visualize just how effective he was with his legendary sword.

According to Ancient Origins, not much is known about the origins of the sword. The Song of Roland says it was given to Charlemagne by an angel, with instructions to give it to one of his counts. The Italian epic Orlando Engaged, says the sword belonged to the Greek hero Hector, and was given to Roland by an enchantress. The story of the sword remains unclear.

What also remains unclear is what happened to the sword after Roland died. According to the same article, some say he hid it under his body when he died. Some also say that he flung it, and it landed in the crack of the rock pictured above. The rock is in Rocamadour, which is a pilgrimage site 160km away from the battlefield. The rock is above a door leading into a chapel, with the sword stuck in the  rock. To make sure no one steals it, it is chained to the rock.

Although this is only a legend, the sword in this rock has to be hundreds of years old, and is no doubt a Medieval European sword. Personally, I don't think it is the real sword, but you never know...

Source(Hyperlinked):

http://www.ancient-origins.net/artifacts-other-artifacts/durandal-legendary-sword-roland-002869