How It All Goes Down
Charlemagne's been fighting a 7-year war in Spain, conquering everything in sight for the glory of God and his Frankish empire. The one city that remains untoppled is Saragossa, ruled by King Marsile. And Marsile wants to keep it that way.
He holds a council to decide the best way of getting rid of the Frankish menace. When his trusted knight Blancandrin suggests a ruse, Marsile is all ears. By pretending that Marsile wants to convert to Christianity and become Charlemagne's feudal vassal, the Spanish will encourage Charlemagne to pack up for France and leave him in peace.
Blancandrin travels to the Frankish camp and gives Charlemagne the deets. It sounds like a sweet deal, but even though the Saracens (those are the non-Christian Spanish, also called "pagans") have provided hostages, Charlemagne can't decide whether to take the bargain at face-value. Is Marsile speaking for realz here or just pulling his leg? Count Roland, Charlemagne's nephew and favorite knight, argues that it's a trick. His stepfather Ganelon, however, says it sounds sincere, and since he's backed up by some other influential Franks, Charlemagne decides to accept the deal. Roland nominates Ganelon to be the envoy back to Marsile, which makes him so worried and angry that he publicly threatens Roland with revenge.
On the way back to Spain, Ganelon and Blancandrin plot to kill Roland. When Ganelon finds out that Marsile is actually not interested in converting or being a vassal, he tells the King that he will definitely be owned if he tries to fight Charlemagne. Instead, he recommends that Marsile attack the rearguard of Charlemagne's army, conveniently led by Roland, and disable Charlemagne that way. Back in Charlemagne's camp, Ganelon lies about the new plan and pretends that everything is peaceful and hunky-dory.
Charlemagne ignores ominous dreams about Ganelon's possible treachery and leaves Roland to lead 20,000 Franks through the Pyrenees in the rearguard. At least he has the oliphant to blow when things get bad, right?
Ha, says Oliver, Roland's best friend who's with him in the rearguard. When he sees Marsile's enormous army marching from the south to corner them in the mountain pass of Roncevaux, he begs Roland to call for Charlemagne with the oliphant. But Roland refuses, anxious to do his duty as a faithful, fearless Christian knight. As a result, the rearguard is massacred, as is most of Marsile's army (the Franks are good fighters like that). Roland finally blows the horn to alert the rest of the Franks, but once they get there, even Roland is dead, his brains bubbling out from the exertion of tooting so loud.
Charlemagne in a sorrowful rage pursues the remnants of Marsile's army until they drown in the Ebro. Then he returns to Roncevaux to mourn the dead. Unfortunately, he can't linger long over the funerals because the pagans are coming back, bigger and badder than ever. Since Marsile has died of severed hand injuries, his overlord, the Emir Baligant, has come from Babylon with a ginormous army to revenge his fellow non-Christians against the Franks.
Charlemagne is thinking along the same lines, only he wants to avenge the deaths of Roland and his 20,000 knights. The two armies clash on a big battlefield. Although the Franks sustain losses, they also enjoy the perks of angelic help and ultimately cream the enemy. Charlemagne kills the Emir in one-on-one combat, and in victory the Franks overrun Saragossa, smashing idols and converting people.
When they return to France, Ganelon is put on trial for treason. His kinsman, Pinabel, defends him in a trial by combat with Thierry, who wants Ganelon executed. Thierry is victorious and Ganelon is torn into shreds. The poem ends just as Charlemagne is getting to bed. Good night, Moon, Good night, King. But wait—isn't that an angel sitting by your bed? Gabriel is back with news that other Christians need Charlemagne's help and pronto. Charlemagne weeps and tugs his beard but what God says goes.