Below is a list of online sources for period literature, and my book reviews.
The Song of Roland - a chanson du geste.
The oldest of the French major works of literature, this is an epic poem consisting of several hundred short lais. Originally an oral work, it was composed, and added to, between 1040 and 1115; it tells the story of Charlemagne's most famous knight (and his nephew), Roland, and is based on the battle of Roncevaux Pass in 778.
Two translations into English are out of copyright, and available on-line:
C. K. Scott Moncrieff translation
Dorothy L. Sayers translation - this has a very useful introduction addressing the work, the history it relates, how it was performed, etc.
I find Sayers' translation to be easier to understand, but Scott Moncrieff's has a more period musicality. The chanson itself is very long; much too long for a simple performance at an event (to recite the whole thing takes about 3 hours). However, it has several sections that can be used as "mini adventures" in their own right. I also think it could be edited down and split into 10 minute sections that could be scattered through a long event, as entertainment breaks.
The oldest of the French major works of literature, this is an epic poem consisting of several hundred short lais. Originally an oral work, it was composed, and added to, between 1040 and 1115; it tells the story of Charlemagne's most famous knight (and his nephew), Roland, and is based on the battle of Roncevaux Pass in 778.
Two translations into English are out of copyright, and available on-line:
C. K. Scott Moncrieff translation
Dorothy L. Sayers translation - this has a very useful introduction addressing the work, the history it relates, how it was performed, etc.
I find Sayers' translation to be easier to understand, but Scott Moncrieff's has a more period musicality. The chanson itself is very long; much too long for a simple performance at an event (to recite the whole thing takes about 3 hours). However, it has several sections that can be used as "mini adventures" in their own right. I also think it could be edited down and split into 10 minute sections that could be scattered through a long event, as entertainment breaks.