Medieval art is characterized by the appearance of new genres such as epic and romance. The Bayeux Tapestry and the Song of Roland are masterpieces of medieval art. These works represented historical episodes from the wars that were fought in the early Middle Ages. In contrast to the epic, the romance’s principal theme is the love line and all kinds of knights’ exploits. The knight performs his feats in honor of the Lady or only to gain glory for himself.
The Bayeux Tapestry is embroidery depicting scenes of the Norman conquest of England in the 11th century. The Song of Roland is the oldest poem in French classics; both works are based on real historical events. Concerning similarities, in both pieces, the legend’s epic plot is distinguished by its simplicity and consistency, despite many characters (Stokstad 223). The Bayeux Tapestry represents events’ sequence; the action occurs from one scene to another (Stokstad 235). In Song of Roland, the battle appears as a permanent state of the epic world (Stokstad 254). The past events are represented mainly through the military descriptions, accompanied by little stories about individual heroes’ fates.
The romance Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart, differs from both of these works. This story is one of the first chivalrous novels that arise in France. The epic’s main difference is that romance tells about the protagonist’s biography, which is realized as searching and acquiring one’s identity (Stokstad 254). The story is based on the concept that a sublime love for the Beautiful Lady is a stimulus for the knight’s endless military and moral improvement. Unlike Roland, the hero of chivalric novels is undoubtedly in love; this feeling forces him to fight powerful giants and insidious monsters (Stokstad 254). The feat acquires a personal meaning; heroism becomes the primary means of self-affirmation.
Thus, the epic’s main feature is that myths, historical facts, and legends are gradually being synthesized into a heroic epic, reflecting the long process of forming national identity. This genre creates the people’s knowledge of the historical past, and the hero embodies the people’s perception of their national spirit. However, the subject of romance is love, perceived in a more or less sublime sense. Knights perform their feats not for the honor of a national, common cause, like heroes of epic poems, but in the name of their glory.
Reference
Stokstad, Marilyn. Medieval Art. Routledge, 2018