ThePaladins, also called theTwelve Peers (French:Douze Pairs), are twelve legendaryknights, the foremost members ofCharlemagne'scourt in the 8th century. They first appear in the medieval (12th century)chanson de geste cycle of theMatter of France, where they play a similar role to theKnights of the Round Table inArthurian romance.[1] In theseromantic portrayals, thechivalric paladins representChristianity against aSaracen (Muslim) invasion of Europe. The names of the paladins vary between sources, but there are always twelve of them (a number withChristian associations) led byRoland (spelled Orlando in later Italian sources). The paladins' most influential appearance is inThe Song of Roland, written between 1050 and 1115, which narrates the heroic death of Roland at theBattle of Roncevaux Pass.
The legend is based on the historicalUmayyad invasion of Gaul and subsequent conflict in theMarca Hispanica between theFrankish Empire and theEmirate of Córdoba. The termpaladin is fromOld French, deriving from theLatincomes palatinus (count palatine), a title given to closeretainers.
The paladins remained a popular subject throughoutmedieval French literature. Literature of theItalian Renaissance (15th and 16th centuries) introduced morefantasy elements into the legend, which later became a popular subject foroperas in theBaroque music of the 16th and 17th centuries. During the 19th and early 20th centuries the term was reused outside fiction for small numbers of close militaryconfidants serving national leaders.Modern depictions of paladins are often an individualknight-errant holy warrior or combat healer, influenced by thepaladin character class that appeared inDungeons & Dragons in 1975.
The earliest recorded instance of the wordpaladin in theEnglish language dates to 1592, inDelia (Sonnet XLVI) bySamuel Daniel.[1] It entered English through theMiddle French wordpaladin, which itself derived from theLatinpalatinus, ultimately from the name ofPalatine Hill — also translated as 'of thepalace' in the Frankish title ofMayor of the Palace.[1] A presumptiveOld French form*palaisin was already loaned into lateMiddle English aspalasin inc. 1400.
Over timepaladin came to refer to other high-level officials in the imperial, majestic and royal courts.[2] The wordpalatine, used in various European countries in the medieval and modern eras, has the same derivation.[2]
By the 13th century, words referring specifically to Charlemagne's peers began appearing in European languages; the earliest is the Italianpaladino.[1] Modern French haspaladin,Spanish haspaladín orpaladino (reflecting alternate derivations from the French and Italian), whileGerman hasPaladin.[1] By extension,paladin has come to refer to any chivalrous hero such asKing Arthur'sKnights of the Round Table.[1]
In the Roman imperial period, apalatinus was one of the closest retainers of theemperor, who lived in theimperial residence as part of the emperor's household. The title survived into the medieval period, ascomes palatinus. However, the modern spellingpaladin is now reserved for the fictional characters of thechanson de geste, while the conventional English translation ofcomes palatinus iscount palatine. After the fall of Rome, a new feudal type of title, also known simply aspalatinus, started developing. TheFrankish kings of theMerovingian dynasty (reigned 480–750) employed a high official, thecomes palatinus, who at first assisted the king in his judicial duties and at a later date discharged many of these himself. Other counts palatine were employed on military and administrative work.[3]
In theVisigothic Kingdom, theOfficium Palatinum consisted of a number of men with the title of count that managed the various departments of the royal household. The Comes Cubiculariorum oversaw thechamberlains, the Comes Scanciorun directed the cup-bearers, the Comes Stabulorum directed the equerries in charge of the stables, etc. TheOstrogothic Kingdom also maintained palatine counts with titles such as Comes Patrimonium, who was in charge of the patrimonial or private real estate of the king, and others.The system was maintained by theCarolingian sovereigns (reigned 751–987). A Frankishcapitulary of 882 andHincmar, archbishop of Reims, writing about the same time, testify to the extent to which the judicial work of the Frankish Empire had passed into their hands.[3]
Instead of remaining near the person of the king, some of the counts palatine were sent to various parts of his empire to act as judges and governors, the districts ruled by them being called palatinates.[3] By the High Middle Ages, the title "count" had become increasingly common, to the point that both great magnates who ruled regions that were the size of duchies, and local castle-lords, might style themselves "count". As the great magnates began to centralize their power over their local castle-lords, they felt the need to assert the difference between themselves and these minor "counts". Therefore, several of these great magnates began styling themselves "Count Palatine", signifying great counts ruling regions equivalent to duchies, such as theCounts Palatine of Champagne in the 13th century. TheCount Palatine of the Rhine served asprince-elector from "time immemorial" (withWigeric of Lotharingia reaching back to the late Carolingian era), noted as such in a papal letter of 1261, and confirmed as elector in theGolden Bull of 1356.Palatin was also used as a title in theKingdom of Hungary.
In the French courtly literature of the 12th century, the paladins are the twelve closest companions ofCharlemagne, comparable to the role of theKnights of the Round Table in Arthurian romance.
The names of the twelve paladins vary from romance to romance, and often more than twelve are named. The number is popular because it resembles theTwelve Apostles (etc.).Always named among the paladins areRoland andOliver; other recurring characters areArchbishop Turpin,Ogier the Dane,Huon of Bordeaux,Fierabras,Renaud de Montauban andGanelon.
Their greatest moments come inThe Song of Roland (written between c. 1040 and 1115), which depicts their defense of Charlemagne's army against the Saracens ofAl-Andalus, and their deaths at theBattle of Roncevaux Pass due to the treachery ofGanelon.The Song of Roland lists the twelve paladins asRoland,Charlemagne's nephew and the chief hero among the paladins;Oliver, Roland's friend and strongest ally; and Gérin, Gérier (these two are killed in the samelaisse [123] by the same Saracen, Grandonie), Bérengier, Otton, Samson, Engelier, Ivon, Ivoire, Anséis, Girard. Other characters elsewhere considered part of the twelve appear in the song, such asArchbishop Turpin andOgier the Dane.
The paladins figure into manychansons de geste and other tales associated with Charlemagne. InFierabras (c. 1170), they retrieve holy relics stolen from Rome by theSaracen giant Fierabras.In some versions, Fierabras is converted to Christianity and joins the ranks of the paladins himself. InLe Pèlerinage de Charlemagne they accompany their king on a pilgrimage toJerusalem andConstantinople in order to outdo theByzantine Emperor Hugo.
TheItalianRenaissance authorsMatteo Maria Boiardo andLudovico Ariosto, whose works were once as widely read and respected asWilliam Shakespeare's, contributed prominently to the literary and poetical reworking of the tales of the epic deeds of the paladins. Their works,Orlando Innamorato andOrlando Furioso, send the paladins on even more fantastic adventures than their predecessors. They list the paladins quite differently, but keep the number at twelve.[4]
Boiardo and Ariosto's paladins areOrlando (Roland),Charlemagne's nephew and the chief hero among the paladins;Oliver, the rival to Roland; Ferumbras (Fierabras), the Saracen who became a Christian;Astolpho, descended fromCharles Martel and cousin to Orlando;Ogier the Dane;Ganelon the betrayer, who appears inDante Alighieri'sInferno;[5] Rinaldo (Renaud de Montauban); Malagigi (Maugris), a sorcerer; Florismart, a friend to Orlando; Guy de Bourgogne; Namo (Naimon or Namus), Duke of Bavaria, Charlemagne's trusted adviser; and Otuel, another converted Saracen.
In the Baroque era, Ariosto's poem was the basis of many operas. Among the earliest wereFrancesca Caccini'sLa liberazione di Ruggiero dall'isola d'Alcina ("The Liberation of Ruggiero from Alcina's Island", 1625) andLuigi Rossi'sIl palazzo incantato (1642).Antonio Vivaldi staged three operas on themes from Ariosto:Orlando furioso (1713) byGiovanni Alberto Ristori,Orlando Furioso (1714), with music by Ristori and by himself, andOrlando (1727). In France,Jean-Baptiste Lully turned to Ariosto for histragédie en musiqueRoland (1685).
Perhaps the most famous operas inspired by the poem are those byHandel:Orlando (1733),Ariodante andAlcina (1735).Les Paladins is a 1760 opera byJean-Philippe Rameau. The plot is based on a verse tale byLa Fontaine,Le petit chien qui secoue de l'argent et des pierreries, itself derived from an episode in Ariosto'sOrlando Furioso.[6]
The enthusiasm for operas based on Ariosto continued into the Classical era and beyond with such examples asNiccolò Piccinni'sRoland (1778),Haydn'sOrlando paladino (1782),Méhul'sAriodant (1799) andSimon Mayr'sGinevra di Scozia (1801).[7]
The title ofPaladin is revived in the early modern period for the closest retainers of a monarch.Thus, the leaders of armies supporting the ProtestantFrederick V in theThirty Years' War were namedPaladins.[8]
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Paladin was used informally of the closest confidants of theGerman Emperor. Thus,Die Gartenlaube in 1871 namedAlbrecht von Roon,Otto von Bismarck andHelmuth Karl Bernhard von Moltke as "the three Paladins of the German Emperor". Similarly, British generalsGarnet Wolseley andFrederick Roberts have been dubbed "Queen Victoria's Paladins".[9] Following this template,Adolf Hitler used to refer toHermann Göring as hisPaladin.[10]
While the Arthurian "Matter of Britain" enjoyed a major revival in the 19th century in the hands of theRomantic andVictorian poets, writers, and artists, the "Matter of France" has generally received less attention. TheSong of Roland has nevertheless inspired numerous modern works, includingGraham Greene'sThe Confidential Agent (1939),[11] and Stephen King'sDark Tower series.
Emanuele Luzzati's animated short film,I paladini di Francia, together withGiulio Gianini, in 1960, was turned into the children's picture-story book, with verse narrative,I Paladini de Francia ovvero il tradimento di Gano di Maganz ('The Paladins of France or the treachery of Gano of Maganz', 1962). This was republished in English, asRonald and the Wizard Calico (1969).[12]
In the later 20th century,Paladin has become a trope in modernfantasy. Apaladincharacter class was first introduced in 1975 forDungeons & Dragons inSupplement I – Greyhawk. TheDungeons & Dragons character class was reportedly inspired by the protagonist of the 1962 fantasy novelThree Hearts and Three Lions,[13] which was itself a pastiche of various elements of medieval and post-medieval legend, including elements of the Matter of France.I paladini — storia d'armi e d'amori is a 1983 Italian fantasy film.As a character class in video games, thePaladin stock character was introduced in 1985, inThe Bard's Tale. InAge of Empires II, the Paladin is the ultimate upgrade for knights of some European and Eurasian steppe civilizations. And in 2008, the Hollywood action filmJumper featured characters known as Paladins, with a leader named Roland. Though the movie was adapted from a 1993 science-fiction novelof the same name, the Paladin reference is not in the book.
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Holland, Arthur William (1911). "Palatine". InChisholm, Hugh (ed.).Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 20 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 595–596.