Miyashiro, Adam. "Comparative epics: Teaching La Chanson de Roland." Throughlines. www.throughlines.org/suite-content/comparative-epics-teaching-la-chanson-de-roland. [Date accessed].

Comparative epics: Teaching La Chanson de Roland

The epic as a political and racial tool in the 11th century.

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Adam Miyashiro
Stockton University

La Chanson de Roland, written in the 11th century, recounts the battle of Roncevaux in 778 CE. Teaching this epic functions as a baseline from which to compare and expand on the epic tradition in the medieval world. La Chanson de Roland praises the valiance of crusading and the moral superiority of Christianity, while villainizing an imagined Muslim enemy. Contextualizing the political and racializing mission of the poem offers students a perspective on how epics shaped and were shaped by the values of their historical moment.

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