Chanson de geste

The genre of the chanson de geste (from Latin gesta " exploits " ) is one of the oldest narrative genres of French literature. Their formation falls in the 11th or even 10th century, but its heyday in the 12th The term " chansons " explained by the fact that they were not intended for written distribution and thus for reading or reading aloud, but to free speech in a kind of sing-song. Speakers were usually professional traveling minstrels who accompanied themselves with a (string ) instrument, or were accompanied by such. The texts were directed (unlike the slightly later Courtly novel ) to a sociological unspecified audience, ie. To listeners from all population groups

Formally, there are the songs from any number of verses, called laisses. This usually each represent an action sequence or episode that is repeated sometimes slightly modified in the following Laisse. The number of lines of verse per Laisse was not fixed and will vary between about 5 and about 20, the individual lines of verse mostly consist of ten, twelve rare and very rarely of eight syllables, and are linked by assonance.

The French literary history knows well received in writing 80 songs, including some appearing in differing, for example, as extended or shortened versions. Most are without author's name, that is, anonymous, handed down and appear to be based on older, long time only orally transmitted templates or precursors. Often they are told similar series novels are one and the same heroic figure, which is why even contemporaries (see below) began to divide them into groups, such as the king - or Karl cycle by Emperor Charlemagne and his son Louis the Pious or the Wilhelm cycle by Guillaume and / or his nephew Vivien, which are in 24 of the obtained epics in the center.

The content is mostly to victorious military campaigns of the Frankish kings and emperors and / or its military leaders, such as William, against the " pagans ", ie the Arabs or " Moors ", which since its invasion of Europe in the year 711 / 12 Southern and Central Spain dominated, from about 1000 but were pushed back by the remaining christian northern Spain forth. But the run to 800 submission wars of the Franks are treated against the still pagan Saxons remained. Later, the subject of 1095 beginning Crusades was added.

The genre of the chanson de geste, into which elements of contemporary legends of the saints have gone, seems to have been especially cultivated in the monasteries along the pilgrim routes through France to Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain, for entertainment and edification of there each have eight pilgrims. However, the songs were also at fairs or in castles to the lecture.

The latest songs emerged in the 13th century, however, the materials and central figures of the long-lived species served until into the 15th century as a literary material.

The cycles

Beginning of the 13th century divided Bertran de Bar -sur -Aube in his Girart de Vienne, the chansons de geste into three cycles: First the king cycle (cycle de Charlemagne), is one of the such as the Song of Roland ( Chanson de Roland ); 2 the rebels and Empörerepen, such as Gormond et Isembart Third cycle on the family of Garin de Monglane, which also belongs to Guillaume d'Orange. Major examples of this cycle are the Chanson de Guillaume, Le Charroi de Nîmes and Aliscans.

The modern history of literature distinguishes three more cycles:

• The crusade cycle (cycle de la croisade ), with works such as Le Chevalier au cygne or the Chanson d' Antioch
• The Lorraine gesture ( gesture of Loherains ), with, eg, Garin le Loherain
• The Nanteuilgeste ( geste de Nanteuil )