Women, Courtly Display and Gifts in the Rolandslied and the Chanson de Roland

Abstract

Thus far it has gone unnoticed that the twelfth-century Middle High German Rolandslied has more to say about women than its famous French counterpart, the Chanson de Roland. In the former the female protagonists are not merely wives and widows, but also advisors, mediators, regents, and rulers. Moreover, these women are expressly connected to the display of wealth and to practices of gift-giving: as givers, receivers, and gifts. While acknowledging that this chanson de geste is a story about honor, lordship, and the triumph of Christianity, the analysis of women through the lens of gift-giving is a plea to open up the Rolandslied to different interpretations. This can contribute to our understanding of social practices and ideas about women, courtly display, and gifts in twelfth-century German society.