Friday, August 29, 2014

Word of the Day -- Paladin

The paladins, sometimes known as the Twelve Peers, were the foremost warriors of Charlemagne's court, according to the literary cycle known as the Matter of France. They first appear in the early chansons de geste such as The Song of Roland, where they represent Christian valor against the Saracen hordes. The paladins and their associated exploits are largely later fictional inventions, with some basis on historical Frankish retainers of the 8th century and events such as the Battle of Roncevaux Pass and the confrontation of the Frankish Empire with Umayyad Al-Andalus in the Marca Hispanica.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

And when they accepted hospitality but were set upon within the hall, they drank the blood of the fallen to sustain themselves during the protracted battle. (I don't remember which story that's from. I read it in the Castles art book.)

--Jeff

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