Roland
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Hrōþiland, better known under his modern French name Roland, was a Frankish military leader that later was immortalized through French and Italian epic poems.
Bio[edit | edit source]
The historical Roland was an eight-century warrior who served under Charlemagne; presiding over the fortified border region between Francia and Brittany known as the Breton March. Charlemagne's biographer Einhard lists his as one of the nobles killed during the 778 AD Battle of Roncevaux Pass, where the Frankish army ended up in an ambush of vengeful Basques.
300 years later, in the 11th century, early French authors spun Roland's tale into the Song of Roland: A four-thousand line epic poem that resurrected his legacy, but took certain creative liberties by replacing the originally Christian Basques that killed him with vile Muslim Saracens. That this happened just before the First Crusade was the weirdest coincidence.
Thanks to his new status as the very epitome of chivalry, Roland appeared in many subsequent works - ranging from the Norse Karlamagnus Saga to the balls-to-the-walls over-the-top Rolando Furioso from Renaissance Italy.
In 8chanmania[edit | edit source]
PilotMania[edit | edit source]
Roland debuted in PilotMania, where he faced off against the frost giant Brauggi. While both fighters shared a degree of similarity (specifically, by being mentally incapable of talking in anything but rhymes), the mad rhymes of Brauggi surpassed of the Frankish knight by far.
He made a second appearance in 8chanmania LXXXVII; this time teamed up with Beowulf. The two historic warriors found worthy foes in the futuristic warriors Noble Six and Master Chief. The latter were so annoyed by their opponent's manner of speech that they simply left the ring after beating them up; denying them the heroic death they had been hoping up.
Trivia[edit | edit source]
- Roland is famously known for his war-horn, the Olliphant (named so for being fashioned from an elephant's tusk). His stubborn refusal to call for aid by sounding said horn when the Saracens attack him is a major plot point in The Song of Roland.
- Roland also blew his horn in the aftermath of his match against Noble Six and Master Chief. This resulted in a happy "PRÖÖÖÖ :DDD" from Dunpan.
