Roland

Roland (French pronunciation: [ʁɔ.lɑ̃]; Old Frankish: *Hrōþiland; Medieval Latin: Hruodlandus or Rotholandus; Italian: Orlando or Rolando; died 15 August 778) was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne and became one of the central figures in the literary cycle known as the Matter of France. Historically, he served as the military governor of the Breton March, tasked with defending Francia's frontier against the Bretons. His only historical mention is in Einhard's Vita Karoli Magni, which notes that Roland was part of the Frankish rearguard killed by the Basques at the Battle of Roncevaux Pass in Iberia. Over time, the story of his death at Roncevaux was embellished in medieval and Renaissance literature, with the most famous account being the 11th-century Old French Chanson de Roland. Roland's legacy grew even further detached from history in works like the Italian Renaissance epics Orlando Innamorato and Orlando Furioso by Matteo Maria Boiardo and Ludovico Ariosto, as well as Luigi Pulci’s Morgante. Roland is often poetically associated with his sword Durendal, his horse Veillantif, and his oliphant horn. In the late 17th century, French Baroque composer Jean-Baptiste Lully composed an opera titled Roland, further cementing the character's place in cultural history.