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Chanson de Roland - Codex Oxford

Chanson de Roland - Codex Oxford – Club du Livre – MS. Digby 23 (Part 2) – Bodleian Library (Oxford, United Kingdom)

England — Probably second quarter of the 12th century

The oldest and most extensive surviving copy of what is probably the most famous chanson de geste of the Middle Ages: the genre-defining heroic deeds of the Carolingian captain Roland in a 12th-century Anglo-Norman manuscript

  1. In 778, during a battle fought by Charlemagne, the Frankish captain Roland and his troops were ambushed and killed

  2. In the 11th century, the poet Turoldus turned this historical event into a heroic epic that made Roland a trans-regional folk hero

  3. The Bodleian Library holds the oldest, most extensive and therefore most important surviving copy of the Old French poem

Chanson de Roland - Codex Oxford

MS. Digby 23 (Part 2) Bodleian Library (Oxford, United Kingdom)
Chanson de Roland - Codex Oxford – Club du Livre – MS. Digby 23 (Part 2) – Bodleian Library (Oxford, United Kingdom)
Chanson de Roland - Codex Oxford – Club du Livre – MS. Digby 23 (Part 2) – Bodleian Library (Oxford, United Kingdom) Copyright Photos: Ziereis Facsimiles
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  1. Description
  2. Facsimile Editions (1)
Description
Chanson de Roland - Codex Oxford

The so-called Oxford Roland is the oldest and most extensive surviving copy of the famous Song of Roland, one of the oldest literary works in the French language. The chanson de geste was probably written by Turoldus in the 11th century and recounts Charlemagne's Battle of Roncevaux Pass. The heroic narrative centers on the captain Roland, who, as leader of the rearguard, was ambushed in 778 and died a dramatic heroic death. The work shaped medieval epic poetry for centuries, and the figure of Roland soon became a trans-regional folk hero. At the same time, it provides a social and political historical testimony to the spirit of high medieval Europe at the time of the Reconquista and the Crusades. It probably spread via pilgrimage routes and military campaigns and was widely translated. The manuscript in the Bodleian Library is the most important source for exploring the origins of this significant medieval epic.

Codicology

Alternative Titles
Rolandslied - Oxford Codex
Cantar de Roldán
Size / Format
152 pages / 17.5 × 12.5 cm
Date
Probably second quarter of the 12th century
Style
Romanesque
Illustrations
Red initials
Content
Anglo-Norman French version of the Chanson de Roland
Previous Owners
Thomas Allen
Kenelm Digby
Available facsimile editions:
Chanson de Roland - Codex Oxford – Club du Livre – MS. Digby 23 (Part 2) – Bodleian Library (Oxford, United Kingdom)
#1 Chanson de Roland
Club du Livre – Paris, 1962
Limited Edition: 2925 copies
Facsimile Editions

#1 Chanson de Roland

Club du Livre – Paris, 1962
Chanson de Roland - Codex Oxford – Club du Livre – MS. Digby 23 (Part 2) – Bodleian Library (Oxford, United Kingdom)
Chanson de Roland - Codex Oxford – Club du Livre – MS. Digby 23 (Part 2) – Bodleian Library (Oxford, United Kingdom) Copyright Photos: Ziereis Facsimiles

Publisher: Club du Livre – Paris, 1962
Limited Edition: 2925 copies
Binding: The facsimile's brown leather binding with gold tooling is based on the library binding of the original manuscript. The commentary is bound in a decorative leather binding with stamped ornaments and five metalworks. The two volumes come in a matching decorative box.
Commentary: 1 volume by Louis-Robert Plazolles
Language: French

The commentary volume includes a translation and explanations as well as miniatures by Jean Gradassi.
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