Roland and OliverCharlemagne's army is fighting the Muslims. Roland appoints his stepfather Ganelon as an ambassador to Marsilion to make a peace offer.
"I will never, ever forgive Roland for this!" Ganelon mumbled as he spurred his horse away from his commander's tent, the Frankish King Charlemagne. Ganelon had a strong yearning for vengeance. He had always despised Roland, his stepson and Charlemagne's nephew. He despises him much more now. Ganelong was riding towards grave danger, possibly to his death, because of Roland.
Charlemagne had grown tired of fighting after seven years of successful battles against the Muslims in Spain. He desired peace with Marsilion of Saragossa, the only Muslim king he had not defeated.
Charlemagne decided to send an envoy to Marsilion, and Roland offered Ganelon as a possible candidate. Charlemagne concurred.
Ganelon was enraged, but he had no choice but to obey Charlemagne. It was a perilous mission since Islamists were hostile and unpredictable.
The more Ganelon thought about it, the more he realised that dangerous or not, this expedition could provide him with the opportunity to exact his revenge. "I could get rid of Roland permanently if I can get King Marsilion to help me," Ganelon mused.
Notwithstanding his concerns about the perils of his travel, Ganelon arrived safely at Saragossa. Marsilion and the Muslims were initially sceptical of Ganelon but later consented to work with him. In any case, the Muslims desired vengeance as well, having suffered numerous crushing defeats at the hands of the Franks.
"You must send hostages to Charlemagne to demonstrate your sincerity," Ganelon told Marsilion.
Ganelon continued, "When Charlemagne has your hostages, he will take his troops home." Marsilion agreed. He will not, however, leave himself vulnerable as he marches across the Pyrenees' narrowest passes. The pass near Roncevaux is especially perilous. I am confident that Charlemagne will leave a troop of his warriors to protect it."
"How will that help you get rid of Roland, your stepson?" King Marsilion inquired, perplexed.
"You'll see," Ganelon said with a devilish grin. "Just make sure your guys are properly concealed behind the rocks surrounding the pass. "I'll take care of the rest."
When Ganelon arrived with the Muslim hostages and word that Marsilion was eager to make peace, Charlemagne immediately began making plans to return home. The mighty army of Charlemagne set out and marched slowly through the Mountains. There were high peaks on either side and only small, winding mountain routes to navigate. Their movement was slow, and the rumblings and clattering of their carts could be heard from a considerable distance away. As Marsilion's soldiers ran ahead to Roncevaux, they heard the ruckus. They knew they'd get to Roncevaux before the Franks as long as they kept the noise going.
As it turned out. When the Frankish army arrived in Roncevaux, Marsilion's force was hidden behind the rocks and fissures of the surrounding mountains.
"This is a dangerous location," Charlemagne declared, just as Ganelon had. "I shall leave 20,000 knights to defend the pass as it passes through." Charlemagne took a peek around. "Who will lead this rear-guard?" he inquired.
Before anyone else could say anything, Ganelon stepped forward and said, "Roland, Sire. Put Roland in charge. He is deserving of such an important duty."
Ganelon noticed Roland's face light up with joy at his stepfather's idea out of the corner of his eye.
But, Charlemagne was not initially convinced.
"Roland is a magnificent soldier, but he is too young and impulsive," the King responded. "An older, more experienced man is required."
Roland collapsed to his knees in front of Charlemagne.
"Please, Sire," Roland begged. "Please give me this command. I swear I'll be worthy of it. If necessary, I shall defend the pass here at Roncevaux with my life."
Ganelon pleaded with Charlemagne, "Please honour my stepson's request, gracious father. After all, Roland had appointed me as ambassador to King Marsilion. I would gladly return the favour."
Faced with Ganelon's persistence and Roland's desire, Charlemagne eventually caved.
"All right," he answered, "but Oliver and the Twelve Peers shall stay behind with Roland."
Oliver was Roland's wise and steadfast buddy. The Twelve Peers were the most courageous and experienced Frankish knights. Charlemagne prayed that the two of them could prevent Roland from doing anything stupid. And if they were in trouble, Roland could always blow his horn and call Charlemagne and his army to his rescue.
Roland began dispersing his forces after Charlemagne and his army had left. Some were assigned to protect the pass itself, while others were assigned to keep watch on the steep ridges above.
The Muslims remained silent until they were certain Charlemagne was a long way away. Then Roland and Oliver were shocked to hear the sound of a thousand trumpets resounding through the mountains all at once. The roar bounced back and forth between the peaks, and before the echo faded, the sound of horses rushing, and the frightening war cries of the Muslim hordes could be heard. Oliver struggled up a steep hill at the path's side till he could survey the ground on the other side.
To his horror, he beheld the vast army of Marsilion's warriors. Hundreds of burnished helmets shone in the mountain light. Hundreds of spears, shields, and swords gleamed menacingly in the strong sunlight. They were all speeding towards the Roncevaux pass. Oliver dashed down to Roland's location.
"There are at least a hundred thousand of them," he said fearfully to Roland. "We will be completely overwhelmed. Please, Roland, play your trumpet right now. Bring back Charlemagne!"
When Roland declined, Oliver was shocked. "I shall not call for help," Roland insisted adamantly. "We ought to die as cowards if we can't throw back the Muslims!"
Oliver was gripped by dreadful despair. Charlemagne was correct in not wanting Roland to lead his rearguard. Oliver begged Roland to summon Charlemagne twice more. Roland declined three times more. In any event, it was too late. Marsilion's Muslims were closing in on them. Nothing could be done but confront them and battle to the death.
The Muslims were on them in a matter of seconds. Roland and his knights charged into the fray, their swords and spears cutting around them.
With one powerful stab, Roland pierced a Muslim's shield and helmet. Then he forced his way into a throng of Muslims, killing fifteen of them before the shaft of his spear snapped. Undaunted, Roland grabbed his mighty sword, Durendal, and charged against a Muslim fighter.
With one fast stroke, he murdered the man and his horse.
Few Muslims remained alive for long. The rest had succumbed to the Franks' thrusting spears, slicing swords, and pounding blows. Even though several of his men had been murdered, Roland felt confident that he had achieved a major victory. He was going to hoist Durendal to proclaim his victory when he was interrupted by the sound of trumpets.
Roland recognised it right away. "A second Muslim army!" he exclaimed.
The hills above the Roncevaux pass appeared to be covered in a new mass of Muslim soldiers seconds later. They swarmed down on Roland and the tired, battle-stained survivors of his force like a huge wave.
Roland and the Franks charged against this new, powerful foe, but they were quickly overwhelmed. Five of the Twelve Peers were killed by a Muslim, another two were slaughtered, and there were soon only sixty Frankish knights left alive.
Roland gazed around at his men's dead scattered across the ground. Finally, he realised he needed to blast his horn and summon Charlemagne. Roland's horn was encrusted with gold and beautiful stones, and its high, clear note could be heard from a great distance.
Roland lifted the horn's mouthpiece to his lips, but Oliver ran forward and stopped him.
"That would be a disgrace if you asked for aid right now!" Oliver yelled loudly. "It's better to die here than live in shame!"
"No, I HAVE to summon Charlemagne right now," Roland responded. "This calamity would not have occurred if I had listened to you and done so earlier."
Roland lifted the horn to his lips and blew with all the might he had before Oliver could say anything else. He blew harder and harder till he felt a break and a terrible ache in his head. Blood began to gush from his mouth all at once. Roland had blasted so hard that a vein on the side of his head burst.
The sound of the horn flew into the sky and across the mountains, echoing until it reached Charlemagne's ears thirty leagues away. In great anxiety, Charlemagne jumped into his saddle.
"Oh, God!" he exclaimed. "Roland was attacked!" Charlemagne twisted his horse's head to ride back quickly to Roland's rescue. "Please God, let us reach him in time," he mumbled frantically.
Ganelon laughed mockingly as he heard this. "Don't bother yourself, Sir!" he mocked. "It's just one of Roland's ruses. There is no threat. Come on, let's go - we're a long way from home."
Charlemagne realised what Ganelon had done at that time.
"Roland has been deceived by you! You've let me down!" The King yelled. "Seize him!" he commanded.
A swarm of Frankish knights, as enraged as Charlemagne at Ganelon's deceit, jumped on him, chained him, and threw him into one of the baggage carts.
"You shall perish for this heinous betrayal!" Charlemagne made a pledge to Ganelon. Charlemagne kept his pledge since Ganelon was later executed.
The entire Frankish army quickly turned and returned the way it had come. They rode as fast as the rugged terrain and twisty mountain roads permitted. The Franks occasionally heard Roland's horn resounding across the mountains. In response, Charlemagne's trumpeters blew.
It took a night and a day for them to be heard in Roncevaux.
When they saw Charlemagne was returning, the Muslims fled in terror. They abandoned Charlemagne to discover a terrible scene of sorrow and death.
The bodies of soldiers and horses were strewn throughout the battlefield at Roncevaux. Oliver's face was ghastly white as he lay lifeless. A Muslim spear had struck him in the back and pierced his body through to his chest. All twelve Peers had been assassinated. As he took a leisurely glance around, Charlemagne realised that all of the knights he had left with Roland were dead in front of him.
The bereaved King of the Franks then came upon Roland. He was sprawled on a grassy bank beside a rock. Charlemagne noticed three deep sword cuts in the granite.
Roland's gorgeous, bejewelled horn and his blade Durendal lay beneath his body. Roland had tried to destroy Durendal by striking it on the rock, knowing he was dying because he had lost so much blood from constantly blowing his horn. Durendal, on the other hand, had remained unbroken, and Roland lacked the strength to try a fourth time. Instead, Roland had placed Durendal on the ground to prevent it from falling into Muslim hands.
He had then laid upon it and died there. In anguish, Charlemagne tore his beard. He sobbed and cried forth the names of his fallen knights. He vowed to exact his vengeance. While it was getting dark, Charlemagne knelt and prayed for the sun to stop moving so he could chase the fleeing Muslims.
The petition of Charlemagne was granted. The sunset and the night fell only after he and his soldiers had slaughtered all the Muslims and left their dead strewn along the road to Saragossa or in a nearby river.
