Legends of the Road

LEGENDS OF THE ROAD: CHANSONS DE GESTE

THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE COMPOSTELAN PILGRIMAGE COINCIDED WITH THE PERIOD OF THE CRUSADES. STORIES OF EPIC BATTLES FROM THE TIME OF CHARLEMAGNE BETWEEN CHRISTIANS AND SARACENS WERE CLOSELY TIED TO THE ROADS TO THE SHRINE OF THE APOSTLE AT COMPOSTELA. A SINGLE WORD, PELERIN, DESCRIBED BOTH PILGRIMS AND CRUSADERS AND THESE LEGENDS FUELLED THE IMAGINATION OF BOTH.

Legends of the Road: Chansons de Geste

Franks and Saracens: Two comets appeared around the sun, striking terror into all who saw them. A swarm of Saracens ravaged Gaul with horrible slaughter

Constantine and Charlemagne: As the knowledge of one God was imparted to all men, a single sovereign arose for the entire Roman empire and a deep peace took hold of all

The History of Roland and Charlemagne

Charlemagne’s Dream: Observing the starry way in the heavens through Spain to Gallicia, wherein till his time lay undiscovered the body of St. James

The Legend of the Last Roman Emperor: This will be the end and the consummation of the Empire of the Romans and the Christians

The Legend of Roland: Roncevaux

The Alyscans: In no cemetery anywhere, except in this one, can one find so many and so large marble tombs set upon the ground

Girart de Roussillon: How the relics of blessed Mary Magdalene came to the French town of Vézelay ought to be commented on briefly

Guillaume d’Orange: Saint Guilhem le Désert

Béziers: With the rest of the gold and silver that he brought from Spain he constructed another church of Saint James in the city of Beziers

Estella: The fourth days’ journey from Estella to Najera is to be made, to be sure on horseback

The Legend of the Last Roman Emperor and the Prophecies of Daniel on the Pilgrimage Roads to Compostela

The Romanesque Rider: Charlemagne solemnly vowed to pursue the Pagans

The Cross of Charlemagne

The Battle of Roncevaux

The Road of Charlemagne

The Miracle of the battle of Monjardin

The Miracle of the battle of Sahagún

Roland

Roland and Roncevaux

The Olifant and the tombs of the Frankish warriors at the necropolis of Saint-Seurin

The tombs of the Paladins at the Alyscans

The Burial Grounds of the fallen of Roncevaux

The tomb of Roland at Blaye

Roland and Ferracutus