Chapter 4

THE OLD FRENCH EPIC

(_CHANSONS DE GESTE_)

Lateness of the extant versions 287

Competition of Epic and Romance in the twelfth century 288

Widespread influence of the _Chansons de geste_--a contrast to the Sagas 289

Narrative style 290

No obscurities of diction 291

The "heroic age" imperfectly represented 292 but not ignored 293

_Roland_--heroic idealism--France and Christendom 293

William of Orange--_Aliscans_ 296

Rainouart--exaggeration of heroism 296

Another class of stories in the _Chansons de geste_, more like the Sagas 297

_Raoul de Cambrai_ 298

Barbarism of style 299

_Garin le Loherain_--style clarified 300

Problems of character--Fromont 301

The story of the death of Begon 302 unlike contemporary work of the Romantic School 304

The lament for Begon 307

_Raoul_ and _Garin_ contrasted with _Roland_ 308

Comedy in French Epic--"humours" in _Garin_ 310 in the _Coronemenz Looïs_, etc. 311

Romantic additions to heroic cycles--_la Prise d'Orange_ 313

_Huon de Bordeaux_--the original story grave and tragic 314 converted to Romance 314