Renaud de Montauban

Renaud of Montauban, also known under the name of Rinaldo di Montalbano, is in the literature the imaginary hero of an old woman French Chanson de geste of the 12th century. Its exploits form part of the cycle of songs of Doon of Mainz, so known under the name of Les Four Aymon Wire. These four wire of the duke Aymon are Renaud, Richard, Alard and Guiscard.

The character of Renaud

Renaud and his three brothers were the wire of Aymon of the Dordogne. They fled the court of Charlemagne after Renaud had killed in a quarrel one of the nephews of Charlemagne. A long war followed, during which Renaud and his brothers remained faithful to the chivalrous code of honor in spite of their sufferings, until Charlemagne yielding finally to its Paladin S agree to make grace.

One forgave to four brothers provided that Renaud went to Palestine like cross and that their magic horse Bayard, which was able to lengthen enough its croup to carry them all the four unit, was delivered to Charlemagne. This one ordered there that one drowned the magic horse by attaching stones with chains to him and by throwing it in a river; but the horse succeeds in fleeing and turned over finally near the brothers. Renaud, after known in the crusades of new adventures, returned to Cologne, where it ends up dying by defending the workmen who worked with the construction of a sanctuary devoted to holy Pierre.

Charlemagne does not appear in this cycle of stories like a character sympathetic nerve, but like a vindicatory and perfidious being, misled by the Maugis magician; the sympathy of the narrator goes without discussion to the four brothers, but finally the principle of the feudal authority is not shaken. Renaud, under the name of Rinaldo, is an important character in Orlando Furioso of Arioste. During the German occupation of Belgium during the Second world war, the history of the Quatre Fils Aymon was the subject of a part which the German authorities prohibited because of sympathy that it showed for resistance to the authority; the part was played clandestinely and became very popular.

Bayard, the horse of Renaud, could be gone up only by one knight who would have initially subjugated it by the force.

Flamberge, of the norrois Flæma “drives out” and Berg “rock”, literally “drives out rock” (which is also the name norrois of Durandal, sword of Roland), is the magic sword of Renaud, who it received of his Maugis cousin.

Rinaldo in the Orlando Furioso

In Orlando Furioso , Rinaldo is the brother of Bradamante. His/her cousin Orlando (Roland) and fall to him in love with Angélica so much so that a competition occurred between them. Rinaldo drinks with a fountain, which makes it fall in love with Angélica while itself drinks with another fountain, which makes him it hate it (Orlando Furioso I: 78). It is sent by Charlemagne in Great Britain where it recruits knights in Scotland and England to help to defend France. Finally he is cured of his love for Angélica when he drinks with another magic fountain (Orlando Furioso XLII: 63). He promises his sister, Bradamante, with the African knight Ruggiero.

Rinaldo of Jerusalem delivered

One would not have to confuse Renaud de Montauban with Rinaldo, wire of Bertoldo and founder supposed of the Maison of Este in the poem epic of Torquato Tasso Jerusalem delivered (1580), although this second character is announced like a descendant of Bradamante, sister of the first. This second Rinaldo is the son of Bertoldo and of Sophia and he lived at the time of the First crusade. According to the legend, Bertoldo is the son of Azzo II, historical character who was count d' Este (Orlando Furioso III: 29-30). One of wire of Azzo II was Welf IV, (Welf 1st, duke of Bavaria). Jerusalem delivered presents Bertoldo like family of Welf IV (Jérusalem délivrée XVII: 81).

External bonds

Genealogy and topography arts persons in Renaus of Montauban: on the success of a “song of identification”, by Beatrice Weifenbach (Munster, Germany) 1

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