The Convoy to Nîmes

King Louis distributes fiefs to his barons but neglects William, his most loyal knight. Rejecting Louis’s subsequent offers, all of which would be detrimental to worthy families or the monarchy itself, William proposes to take Nîmes from the Saracens and hold it as Louis’s vassal. Employing a strategy reminiscent of the Trojan horse, William and his men fill barrels with knights and weapons, and prepare to smuggle them into Nîmes on carts. Disguised as a merchant, William tricks the Saracens and leads the convoy into the city, where he and his men defeat the Saracens and assume control of Nîmes. In this poem, the portrait of King Louis is increasingly unflattering, while his vassal gains in heroic stature. Despite the seriousness of its territorial and spiritual concerns, The Convoy to Nîmes contains a strong dose of the humor that permeates the cycle as a whole.

The Coronation of Louis

Considerably advanced in years, Charlemagne bestows the crown upon his fifteen-year-old son Louis in order to ensure proper succession. William, son of Aymeri of Narbonne, faithfully protects the weak and vulnerable King Louis from a would-be usurper. Shortly thereafter, William sets off on a pilgrimage to Rome, where he is called upon by the pope to repel a Saracen attack. In a fierce judicial combat, the powerful giant Corsolt slices off a piece of William’s nose, but “short-nosed William” is ultimately victorious. He goes on to protect King Louis from a series of rebellious barons. The poem addresses vital questions of hereditary monarchy and feudal succession. When William eliminates the powerful barons who attempt to disrupt peaceful succession, it becomes evident that political stability is guaranteed by the dynastic institution itself, and not the individual occupying the throne. William embodies the ideal of vassalic service, ensuring the preservation of royal authority and the royal domain even for a severely flawed sovereign.

Introduction

The introductory chapter situates the three texts within the tradition of Old French epic poetry or chansons de geste. The reader is first introduced to the formal and thematic characteristics of the genre, with particular attention to formulaic style. Derived from orally transmitted heroic songs, the Old French epics celebrate memorable exploits using a repertory of standard motifs. The chapter also provides an overview of the William of Orange cycle as well as summaries and brief analyses of the three translated poems. A translators’ note explains the principles guiding the translation.