Year: 1980
Type: article
Abstract: Roland's "Vermeille Pume"o BETTER ILLUSTRATION of Ganelon's grant saveir is to be found in the Oxford Roland than his conduct whilst on the diplomatic mission to the court of Marsile.Saveir in this work denotes a quality of which the poet appears mistrustful.It is used three times of the pagans with fairiy clear negative connotations (see vv. 74, 369, 3279) and when it is used by Naimes it is qualified in such a way as to suggest that some ambiguity attaches to the term. 1 Commenting on Ganelon's argument in favor of peace, Naimes warns: "Saveir i ad, mais qu'il seit entendud" (v.234).Ganelon's treacherous negotiations with Marsile are introduced with a narratorial comment which may suggest habitual deviousness:Mais li quens Guenes se fut ben purpensét.Par grant saver cumencet a parler Cume celui ki ben faire le set.(vv. 425-7) 2During the journey to Marsile's court Ganelon has already plotted treachery with Blancandrin by capitalizing on Roland's reputation for bellicosity to present the idea that Roland represents the one serious obstacle to peace (Ganelon, of course, is unaware of the treacherous nature of the pagans' peace proposals).Ironically, the first treacherous step is taken in response to Blancandrin's raising of the issue of advice: Dist Blancandrins: 'Francs sunt mult gentilz home, Mult grant mal funt e [cil] duc e cil cunte A lur seignur ki tel cunseill li dunent, Lui e altrui travaillent e cunfundent.' (vv.377-80)Ganelon is still smarting from Roland's suggestion, at the beginning of the Christian council-scene, that on an earlier occasion the assembly 1 These instances are given insufficient attention in the otherwise admirable study by Gerard J.
Author: Tony Hunt
Language: English
Subfield: Language and Linguistics
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1839377162