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Fuedalism depicted from the Song of Roland


            During Charlemagne's reign, his knights demonstrated the main characteristics of feudalism. These characteristics consisted of loyalty, religion, bravery, and compassion. In "The Song of Roland", Charlemagne's knights showed evidence of these traits. .
             One of the traits the book illustrated was that Charlemagne's knight showed great loyalty to their king. For example, as Roland prepared for battle he showed his loyalty when he stated, "a man should suffer hardship for his lord, and preserve through dreadful heat and cold; a man should lose if need be, flesh and blood" (86). .
             Another characteristic of the knights was religion, they honored the laws of the Christian church. Roland showed his faith when he debated weather to blow his olphant, which he felt was a sign of weakness. For guidance, he turned to his faith and prayed, " Almighty God forbid my family should be removed for me or sweet France ever fall in disgrace" (Song of Roland p. 84). .
             In addition, bravery helped the knights earn good reputations and worthiness. Roland demonstrated bravery when he preferred to fight alone rather than call for help and he stated, " Almighty God forbid and all his angels, that France should lose her fame because of me! I"d much prefer to die than to come to shame; for fighting well, the emperor will love us" (85). .
             Furthermore, despite the warrior image that the knights had to portray, they also had to be compassionate. Roland showed compassion when he wept for his fallen comrades. He prayed that God would be merciful to them and deliver them to heaven (108). .
             Given these facts, "The Song of Roland", clearly illustrated that Feudalism was reflected in the loyalty, religion, bravery, and compassion of Charlemagne's knights. It also emphasized the importance of the relationship between a lord and his knights, which made possible the existence of a feudal political and social system. .


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