Agolant

Agolant

Agolant or Agolante is a fictional character in Medieval and Renaissance romantic epics dealing with the Matter of France, including "Orlando innamorato" by Matteo Maria Boiardo and "Orlando furioso" by Ludovico Ariosto. He is a Saracen king from Africa.

The character appears in the "Historia Caroli Magni", sometimes known as the "Pseudo-Turpin Chronicle", a 12th century [Hasenohr, 292.] Latin forged chronicle of legendary material about Charlemagne's alleged conquest of Spain. In this text, Agolant, briefly, reconquers Spain from Charlemagne. In the subsequent war, several miracles occur, including flowers sprouting from the lances of the knights. Another war has Argolant invading south-western France and sieging the city of Agen, but he is forced to retreat to Pamplona. In a last war, Charlemagne's great army sieges Pampeluna. After the death of Argolant, Charlemagne's troops pursue the Saracens through Spain.

Agolant is a central character in the late 12th century Old French "chanson de geste" "Aspremont" (before 1190 [ Hasenohr, 106.] ). In this tale, Agolant and his son Helmont invade Calabria. In the end, they are defeated at Aspromonte by a youthful Roland, and in gratitude, Charlemagne gives Roland Helmont's horse (Veillantif) and sword (Durandal). Versions of this "chanson" were extremely popular in England, Italy (see the adaptation by Andrea da Barberino) and even Scandinavia. [Hasenohr, 106.]

Through this tradition, Agolant(e) appears in the Italian romantic epics. In "Orlando innamorato" by Matteo Maria Boiardo and in "Orlando furioso" by Ludovico Ariosto, he is the father of Almonte and Troiano and his daughter, Galaciella, is the mother of Ruggiero III and (in Ariosto) Marfisa. In both, Agolant's son Almonte is killed at Aspromonte by a youthful Orlando, who takes his helmet (in Boiardo, Agolant's helmet was received from the wizard Albrizach. [ Boiardo, 408.] ), his sword Durindana (which had belonged to the Greek hero Hector; the defeated Ruggerio II, father of Ruggerio III, was a descendant of Astyanax, son of Hector) and horse (Brigliadoro). Agolant is also mentioned in Luigi Pulci's "Morgante".

ources

*Ludovico Ariosto. "Orlando Furioso", verse translation by Barbara Reynolds in two volumes (Penguin Classics, 1975). Part one (cantos 1-23) ISBN 0-14-044311-8; part two (cantos 24-46) ISBN 0-14-044310-X
*Matteo Maria Boiardo. "Orlando innamorato" ed. Charles Stanley Ross (Oxford University Press,1995) ISBN 0-19-282438-4
*fr icon Geneviève Hasenohr and Michel Zink, eds. "Dictionnaire des lettres françaises: Le Moyen Age". Collection: La Pochothèque. Paris: Fayard, 1992. ISBN 2-2530-5662-6
*Luigi Pulci: "Morgante: The Epic Adventures of Orlando and His Giant Friend" a complete English translation by Joseph Tusiani. Introduction and notes by Edoardo Lèbano. (Indiana University Press, 1998) ISBN 0-253-21407-6

References


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