Chanson d'Antioche
Encyclopedia
The Chanson d'Antioche is a chanson de geste
in 9000 lines of alexandrine
s in stanzas called laisse
s, now known in a version composed about 1180 for a courtly French audience and embedded in a quasi-historical cycle
of epic poems
inspired by the events of 1097 – 1099, the climax of the First Crusade
: the conquest of Antioch
and of Jerusalem and the origins of the Crusader states. The Chanson was later reworked and incorporated in an extended cycle, of the 14th century, which was far more fabulous and embroidered, more distinctly romance
than epic.
The subject is the preaching of the First Crusade, the preparations for departure, the tearful goodbyes, the arrival at Constantinople
and the siege and taking of Antioch
.
The lost original poem was said to have been composed by an eye-witness, Richard le Pèlerin, ("Richard the Pilgrim"), a North French or Flemish jongleur, who began it partly on the spot, during the eight month siege of Antioch. The oldest version now known was recast by Graindor de Douai, a contemporary of Louis VII of France
. Graindor borrowed details from the chroniclers to make his work more lively and more accurate, for his object from the start was to tell the true praiseworthy tale, not cozen his listeners of their coin:
Such claims of truth-telling are part of the poet's epic repertory. Hyperbole and epic lists are other major features in this chanson: the poet takes care to mention every knightly name that would cause a rustle of recognition among his hearers, in a tradition as old as Homer
, with the result that the Chanson d'Antioche was taken as history by heralds and genealogists of a later generation. In some of its details it has won the admiration of modern historians (see links).
Crusade cycles had a wide medieval audience: free translations and versions of the Chanson d'Antioche appeared in Old Occitan, Spanish, English, Dutch, and German. The other chanson at the center of this cycle is the Chanson de Jerusalem featuring Godfrey of Bouillon
.
The Chanson d'Antioche was forgotten, until it was printed and published in 1848 by Alexis Paulin Paris
, at the height of the Romantic Gothic Revival. The most recent edition is La Chanson d'Antioche edited by Suzanne Duparc-Quioc, Paris 1977.
Chanson de geste
The chansons de geste, Old French for "songs of heroic deeds", are the epic poems that appear at the dawn of French literature. The earliest known examples date from the late eleventh and early twelfth centuries, nearly a hundred years before the emergence of the lyric poetry of the trouvères and...
in 9000 lines of alexandrine
Alexandrine
An alexandrine is a line of poetic meter comprising 12 syllables. Alexandrines are common in the German literature of the Baroque period and in French poetry of the early modern and modern periods. Drama in English often used alexandrines before Marlowe and Shakespeare, by whom it was supplanted...
s in stanzas called laisse
Laisse
A laisse is a type of stanza, of varying length, found in medieval French literature, specifically medieval French epic poetry , such as The Song of Roland. In early works, each laisse was made up of assonanced verses, although the appearance of rhymed laisses was increasingly common in later...
s, now known in a version composed about 1180 for a courtly French audience and embedded in a quasi-historical cycle
Crusade cycle
The Crusade cycle is an Old French cycle of chansons de geste concerning the First Crusade and its aftermath.-History:The cycle contains a number of initially unrelated texts, collated into interconnected narratives by later redactors...
of epic poems
Epic poetry
An epic is a lengthy narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation. Oral poetry may qualify as an epic, and Albert Lord and Milman Parry have argued that classical epics were fundamentally an oral poetic form...
inspired by the events of 1097 – 1099, the climax of the First Crusade
First Crusade
The First Crusade was a military expedition by Western Christianity to regain the Holy Lands taken in the Muslim conquest of the Levant, ultimately resulting in the recapture of Jerusalem...
: the conquest of Antioch
Antioch
Antioch on the Orontes was an ancient city on the eastern side of the Orontes River. It is near the modern city of Antakya, Turkey.Founded near the end of the 4th century BC by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's generals, Antioch eventually rivaled Alexandria as the chief city of the...
and of Jerusalem and the origins of the Crusader states. The Chanson was later reworked and incorporated in an extended cycle, of the 14th century, which was far more fabulous and embroidered, more distinctly romance
Romance (genre)
As a literary genre of high culture, romance or chivalric romance is a style of heroic prose and verse narrative that was popular in the aristocratic circles of High Medieval and Early Modern Europe. They were fantastic stories about marvel-filled adventures, often of a knight errant portrayed as...
than epic.
The subject is the preaching of the First Crusade, the preparations for departure, the tearful goodbyes, the arrival at Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
and the siege and taking of Antioch
Siege of Antioch
The Siege of Antioch took place during the First Crusade in 1097 and 1098. The first siege, by the crusaders against the Muslim city, lasted from October 21, 1097, to June 2, 1098. The second siege, against the crusaders who had occupied it, lasted from June 7 to June 28, 1098.-Background:Antioch...
.
The lost original poem was said to have been composed by an eye-witness, Richard le Pèlerin, ("Richard the Pilgrim"), a North French or Flemish jongleur, who began it partly on the spot, during the eight month siege of Antioch. The oldest version now known was recast by Graindor de Douai, a contemporary of Louis VII of France
Louis VII of France
Louis VII was King of France, the son and successor of Louis VI . He ruled from 1137 until his death. He was a member of the House of Capet. His reign was dominated by feudal struggles , and saw the beginning of the long rivalry between France and England...
. Graindor borrowed details from the chroniclers to make his work more lively and more accurate, for his object from the start was to tell the true praiseworthy tale, not cozen his listeners of their coin:
- Seignor, oïés canchon, qui moult fait à loer
- Par itel convenant la vos puis-je conter...
- Je ne vous vorrai mie mensonges raconter
- Ne fables, ne paroles pour vos deniers embler
- Ains vous dirai canchon où il n'a hamender
- Del barnage de Franche qui tant fait à loer!
Such claims of truth-telling are part of the poet's epic repertory. Hyperbole and epic lists are other major features in this chanson: the poet takes care to mention every knightly name that would cause a rustle of recognition among his hearers, in a tradition as old as Homer
Homer
In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
, with the result that the Chanson d'Antioche was taken as history by heralds and genealogists of a later generation. In some of its details it has won the admiration of modern historians (see links).
Crusade cycles had a wide medieval audience: free translations and versions of the Chanson d'Antioche appeared in Old Occitan, Spanish, English, Dutch, and German. The other chanson at the center of this cycle is the Chanson de Jerusalem featuring Godfrey of Bouillon
Godfrey of Bouillon
Godfrey of Bouillon was a medieval Frankish knight who was one of the leaders of the First Crusade from 1096 until his death. He was the Lord of Bouillon, from which he took his byname, from 1076 and the Duke of Lower Lorraine from 1087...
.
The Chanson d'Antioche was forgotten, until it was printed and published in 1848 by Alexis Paulin Paris
Alexis Paulin Paris
Alexis Paulin Paris , was a French scholar and author.He was born at Avenay . He studied classics in Reims and law in Paris. He published in 1824 an Apologie pour l'école romantique and took an active part in Parisian journalism...
, at the height of the Romantic Gothic Revival. The most recent edition is La Chanson d'Antioche edited by Suzanne Duparc-Quioc, Paris 1977.
External links
- Levine, "The Betrayal and Capture of Antioch", laisses ccxxx – cclxv (in English)