The Song Of Roland And Ywain: A Changing Society As Viewed Through Its Literature

The vassals promised the lord military services. Military service was their main obligation. This service was usually limited to forty days a year. Vassals also owed payments call aids on certain occasions. When a lord’s oldest daughter married the vassal made special payments as a gift. The vassal also had to pay for the arming of the lords oldest son when he became a knight. Vassals pledged to pay the ransom for their lord in the event of his capture during war.

       From 1805 until the present there have been introduced an abundance of paraphrases, translations, adaptations, summaries, versions and illustrations of Beowulf in modern English and in foreign languages due mostly to two reasons: the desire to make the poem accessible, and the desire to read the exotic (Osborn 341). It is the purpose of this essay to present a brief history of this development of the popularity of the poem and then compare some of the translations with respect to some more difficult passages in the poem Beowulf.

The Song is considered the absolute law of the Yami with no room for gray areas or interpretation and their myths, unlike in western culture where the word myth is understood as false, are considered as the only real truths and never to be questioned. It holds all the taboos, rituals, and social reasoning of the Yami, and the history of the family reciting until present time. This genealogy component of the song is why each family has their own version of creation in the Song.

Within the pages of the well-known epic poem are many extraordinary and warring narratives of the Middle Ages. Beowulf is important because it is one of the most ancient European epics written in the vernacular, or native tongue. The seemingly super natural heroes of this exciting and famous writing have a great impact on the typical roles of their women. As declared through out the many lines of the astonishing poem, the women have many purposes and serve a variety of roles. Wealhtheow, Hygd, Hildeburh, Freawaru, and Grendel’s Mother give examples of the historical roles that are expected of the women of this ancient time. The women in “Beowulf” have the significant roles of hostess, peaceweaver, and mother.

Fame and glory have been the most admirable characteristics in the middle Ages and even before Christ in the ancient civilizations. The epics of Gilgamesh and Beowulf are stories of heroism and immortality gained through fame. The aim of the main characters, Beowulf and Gilgamesh, is to be a good warrior by being courageous, respectful and prudent, a protector and servant to their king (only in the beginning of Beowulf, as he later becomes king and Gilgamesh already is) and their country. In both poems the fights of the main characters

According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, vassalage is defined as a position of subordination or submission to a political power. While a vassal is someone who is under the protection of someone with authority such as a feudal lord. This person (vassal) will feel obligated to vow their loyalty to that person in power. In “The Song of Roland”, Oliver and Roland both have a different definition on what makes a great vassal. This paper will discuss both viewpoints on what makes a “marvelous vassal”, why the poet used Roland and Oliver to balance out vassals, and a brief understanding of vassalage and fief holding.

The Song of Roland and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight both display the influence of Christianity during medieval times. The Christianity presented in The Song of Roland is perverted as Roland's values are rarely considered Christian. However, Sir Gawain of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, reflects the ideal Christian virtues and the struggles of trying to balance some of these virtues.

During the Anglo-Saxon time period, individuals wrote poems about achievements, deaths, emotions, and adventures taken by certain individuals. There were many popular poems during this era including, “Beowulf” translated by Burton Raffer and “The Wanderer” translated by Charles W. Kennedy. Although both these poems were written during this era, “Beowulf” was an epic poem and “The Wanderer” was an elegiac poem. However, both of these pieces shared certain characteristics related to the culture and values of the Anglo-Saxon culture. Many attributes that make up this culture are related to both Pagan and Christian beliefs. This includes many ideals relating to fate and God. The culture and values of Anglo-Saxons through “Beowulf” and “The Wanderer”, suggest that along one’s quest emerges an individuals outlook on ways of life.

In the texts, Ganelon and Lanval are both being accused and put on trial for treason. In The Song of Roland, King Charlemagne’s army goes to war against the pagans. Before the war begins, Roland, Ganelon’s step-son,

In return, his vassals promised to fight to defend the

C.S. Lewis wrote his book The Discarded Image as an introduction to the Medieval Model as it pertained to the literature of the time. He believed in using this model of the world as a tool to better understand medieval literature. The epic poem Beowulf is an example of a work that the model could be used with in order to analyze it. Using The Discarded Image, Beowulf’s personal attributes can be analyzed through the lens of the Medieval Model that C.S. Lewis came up with, particularly in areas of planetary influence, soul makeup, and dominant humours.

The famous literary work of “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” is a classic example of Medieval Romance because it includes quests and tests, supernatural elements, and is set within a vast, fairytale-like landscape.

The popular medieval romance, “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,” explores many aspects of the Arthurian legend, including chivalry, religion, and courtly love. Although the poem does feature many female characters, one aspect that the Gawain poet does not touch upon is the role and place of women in this feudal society; all of whom live under the objectification of a male driven culture. One might say that the women featured in this romance are focused on more heavily than that of other literature during this time period and that might be true; however, after a closer look the reader can see how it’s the little things that the Gawain poet does or doesn’t do that diminish the importance of the four main female characters in this poem.

Roland, an expert military leader shows many different qualities such as his heroicness, his pride, and his loyalty to his uncle King Charlemagne. Roland and Oliver his best friend work through many struggles in this book.