The Venice Four Chanson de Roland: Transformations and the Artifice of Franco-Venetian
Thomas M. Martin
Of the seven medieval variants of Chanson de Roland, fourteenth century Venice Four Roland (V4) is most narratively and linguistically divergent version Old French Carolingian epic. It contains an interpolated episode that not found in any other variant – la Prise Narbonne. Moreover, it incorporates genres traditionally associated with chanson geste, such as roman arthurien farce. Most notably, 6011 verse composed a literary language alternately known Franco-Italian, Franco-Lombard, or Franco-Venetian. The purpose this research to: a) provide findings original situ examination manuscript at Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana Venice, Italy; b) further our knowledge origins its potential value to patrician Gonzaga family Mantua who likely commissioned it; c) elucidate deliberate narrative genre transformations made Oxford variant, which resulted novel iteration geste; d) status quaestionis concerning nature Franco-Venetian language; e) demonstrate despite long-held scholarly pronouncements, enigmatic simply hybrid language, rather, artificial intentionally hermetic yet decipherable.