Aiol : A Chanson de Geste

Based on the dual-language edition of Aiol, this volume presents only the first English translation of the chanson de geste without the facing Old French text. This poem records the exploits of the eponymous young knight as he reclaims his parent's unjustly stolen heritage. He gains the love of a Saracen princess who converts, convinced of the truth of the Christian god by Aiol's prowess. He aids the French King Louis in ending a debilitating war led by rebellious vassals and (in an allusion to the Fourth Crusade) helps Emperor Grasien, the king of Venice, end his own war against an enemy to the East. Aiol's deeds bring justice to France. But the poem is far more than the tale itself. Aiol, like many other crusading and romance epics, recreates both the Christian culture of the West and the Islamic culture of the Levant. Introduction, notes, bibliography, and all 11 illustrations from the original Paris manuscript.