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ons elan of the Celt. It is expressed in many parts of the Song of Roland-, for instance when Roland sees the huge army of the Saracens approaching, he is anxious above all to prove himself a worthy vassal of the Emperor. He says to his friend 01iver:

"The Emperorgave us this host of Frenchmen, Wenty thou-sand picked men amongst whom he knows there is not one coward.

A mcm must endure great hardships for his lord: for him he must suffer both cold and heat, for him he must sacrifice bothflesh and blood. Strike with your lance, and I will smitc with Durendal, my good sword which Charlesgave me. Ifl die, he who inherits it will say, ‘lt was the sword of a noble rassal’. "

At the same time, Archbishop Turpin addresses the barons and prepares them for battle,

"Barons," he says, "Charlesgave us this task: we must die for our king. Christendom is in peril: lend it your aid. Tou will now have battle, for you see the Saracens before you. Confess your sins and ask Cod for pardon. 1 will absolve you to save your souls.

If you die, you will be holy martyrs and will win a place in Paradise."

Whereupon, in a scene reminiscent of many during the Crusades, the warriors fali on their knees and are blessed by the Archbishop, who bids them smite the enemy for their penance.

The knight in these years between 1090 and about 1150 had a religious mission; from the begin-ning of his career to its end, he was the Church's ser-vant, and the first article in his codę was the defence of Christendom. Etinenne de Eougeres, Bishop of Rennes, in his IJvrc des Manniercs written in the twelfth century, says that St. Peter brought two swords to Christ: one for the clergy, who were to punish the evildoer by excommunication; the other for the knight who was to smite the enemies of the Church. The mission of the clerk was to pray, that of the knight to defend the faith; hence a knight's sword was sacred. It was consecratcd at the altar for the defence of Christ's people, and on the death of its bearer, it was to be restored to the altar.

In the Chanson d'Antioche the knights are "li Jhcsus Cbcvalic," and the troubadour complctes this definition by saying that they are "cii qui Damedieu ser rent de loial cuer entier. " (those who serve the Lord Cod with entirely loyal heart).

Figurę 55. Funeral brass of Sir Roger de Trumpington, from the church at Trumpington near Cambridge in England, c. 1310.

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