The Saracens in the thirteenth-century chansons de geste and romances

Abstract

As the twelfth century progresses, there is a tendency to show the Saracen of the chansons de geste in a better light. The aim of this thesis is to decide whether the tendency continues and develops in the thirteenth century, and, if so, how and why. A study of the Saracens in the chansons de geste of the thirteenth century reveals tolerant and sympathetic treatment by the French writers. Several characters are favourably described, who remain pagan. An examination of the general relations between Christian and Saracen strengthens the feeling that the Saracens have been accepted as a people with a code of honour and chivalry. The agreements reached between the two sides are described, and the way in which they were respected. In contrast, a survey of the religious, social, and military details reveals little change. There is hardly any evidence of first-hand knowledge of Moslem habits. Some comments are accurate, probably because of the similarities between French and Moslem culture, but many are inaccurate and come from the earlier chansons de geste. This would seem to indicate that the poet kept the stock epithets and traditional formulas of the early chansons de geste for general background material, but that he allowed himself to be influenced by the period in which he was living for his characters. The West was beginning to appreciate the Moslem and desired to convert him by peaceful means. The romances tend to bear out this hypothesis. They too contain many examples of agreements between Christian and Saracen, and in some, though not all, religious fanaticism has abated, and the two peoples have clearly learned to accept each other and to tolerate the religious differences between them.