The Four Sons of Aymon

Lore & Background

After further adventures, the paladin Roland persuades Charlemagne to pardon the brothers on condition that Renaud go on Crusade and that Bayard be surrendered. Charlemagne orders Bayard drowned by chaining him to a stone and throwing him in a river, but the horse escapes and lives eternally in the woods (in some versions it is killed). Renaud returns from Crusade to find his wife dead, sends his sons to Charlemagne's court, and goes to Cologne to help build a church. He is murdered by resentful workers, but his body is miraculously saved from the river and returns to his brothers.

Reader's Guide

The tale of the Four Sons of Aymon was one of the longest and most popular chansons de geste, surviving in over a dozen manuscript versions and numerous translations. Its influence extended across Europe: a Dutch version appeared in 1508, a German adaptation in 1535, and William Caxton published an English prose translation in the late 15th century. The story was dramatized in the 16th and early 17th centuries in England and referenced by writers such as Thomas Nashe and Samuel Rowlands. In Italy, the character Renaud became Rinaldo, a key figure in Renaissance epics by Luigi Pulci, Matteo Maria Boiardo, and Ludovico Ariosto. The tale also inspired operas, ballets, and sculptures, including a bronze statue erected in Ghent in 1913. During World War II, a play based on the story was banned by German authorities in occupied Belgium for its sympathy with resisting authority, but it was performed underground and became popular. The story's enduring appeal lies in its portrayal of Charlemagne as vengeful and treacherous, with the storyteller's sympathy clearly with the rebellious brothers, though feudal authority is ultimately upheld.

Did You Know?

• The original Old French poem comprises 14,000–15,000 decasyllable verses, making it one of the longest chansons de geste.
• The magical horse Bayard is so large it can carry all four brothers on its back.
• The tale is generally included in the Doon de Mayence cycle of chansons de geste.
• During the German occupation of Belgium in World War II, a play based on the story was banned for its sympathy with resisting authority.