The "Chanson de geste"

There are many myths about the chansons de geste, Old French epic narratives, literally, “songs of heroic deeds.” Knowledge of the genre, even among medievalists, is often based on a limited number of early texts. This book addresses some of these myths in the context of recent research, widening the canon, and exploring the transnational nature of these narratives, read across Europe in French or translated into other vernaculars. It is a politically engaged genre, often defined in relation to romance, and perceived as lacking interiority, but emotion is articulated differently in the chanson de geste and it is examined here in the context of the affective turn in criticism. The genre also knew longevity, with recent attention turning to epics of the later Middle Ages, their re-mediation into prose, and their ongoing appearance in prestige manuscripts.

Marianne Ailes is Professor Emerita of French and former Co-Director of the Centre for Medieval Studies at the University of Bristol. A specialist in chansons de geste and chronicles, she is an honorary President of the Société Rencesvals internationale.