ABSTRACT
(Latin prose, 12th cent.) The text purporting to be the reminiscences of Archbishop Turpin was extraordinarily influential in the Middle Ages. Although some historians, such as the more conservative archivists at St. Denis, doubted its authenticity, many others accepted it as an eyewitness account of the famous battle at Roncevaux. The author recounts many other events of the Spanish campaign as well, such as the fall of Pamplona and Roland’s duel/debate with Feracutus. The narrator frequently intrudes with pious commentary, and the account of events stresses moral issues, such as the excessive sensuality of the French soldiers before the battle at Roncevaux. The longer version of the Turpin also includes personal details about Charles’ life. Numerous medieval writers incorporated parts of the Turpin into their own works or made complete translations (or adaptations). The relationships among these versions are quite complex.
