Ferragut, defender of Nájera

Abstract

Ferragut, the giant Saracen defender of Nájera, was a leading character in one of the key chapters of the Pseudo Turpin for the consecration of Roland as a Christian warrior. Nevertheless, the Latin chronicle does not simply reproduce such a warrior’s characteristic behaviour and morphology as expressed in other epic poems: it also provides him with various innovative features which certain vernacular texts qualify or modify in depth, even enriching them with episodes that are not to be found in the Latin source, and by creating additional characters.

Keywords

• latin literature
• romanesque epic
• the medieval period 400-1499
• pseudo turpin
• entrée d’espagne
• prise de pampelune
• la spagna
• fatti de spagna
• ferragut
• roland