Table of Contents

Introduction: Charlemagne in England: Owning the Legend
Acculturating Charlemagne: The Insular Literary Context
Charlemagne 'Translated' [i]: The Anglo-Norman Tradition
Charlemagne 'Appropriated' [ii]: The Middle English Tradition
Re-Imagining the Hero: The Insular Roland and the Battle of Roncevaux
Re-Presenting Otherness: The Insular Fierabras Tradition
Re-Purposing the Narrative: The Insular Otinel Tradition
Conclusion: The Insular Afterlife of the Matter of France
Appendix: The Corpus: Texts and Manuscripts
Bibliography

About the Author

PHILLIPA HARDMAN is Reader in Medieval English Literature (retired) at the University of Reading. MARIANNE AILES is Professor of French at the University of Bristol.

Reviews

This excellent study, long overdue, serves as a thorough introduction to the English Charlemagne texts and as a corrective to the common assumption that these works lack merit. . . . Highly recommended.
*JOURNAL OF ENGLISH AND GERMANIC PHILOLOGY*

An essential study for those interested in the Charlemagne legend.
*FRANCIA*

Carefully researched, ambitious in scope, and lucidly written, [the book] conclusively debunks long-held perceptions of the insular Charlemagne narratives as inferior `hack-work' and will become an indispensable resource for anyone working within this tradition.
*REVIEW OF ENGLISH STUDIES*

Hardman and Ailes have made an important contribution to this initiative by giving scholars a much-needed survey and study of insular Charlemagne literature.
*SPECULUM*

this book offers many new insights into the political and cultural uses of translation and adaptation, as well as a fresh perspective on the development of Middle English literature through dialogue with literature in French.
*FRENCH STUDIES*

[A] rich and deeply researched study that is carefully organized and refreshingly readable, especially given the depth and detail that it provides.
*H-FRANCE REVIEW*

Over recent years an increasing awareness of multilingualism in medieval England has been informing linguistic, literary, and cultural scholarship. This book, exploring the intersection of Anglo-Norman and Middle English literary production across religious, geographic, and socio-political contexts, is a solid piece of work sharing in this discourse.
*PARERGON*