Astolfo (also Astolpho, Estous, and Estouls) is a fictional character in the

Matter of France The Matter of France, also known as the Carolingian cycle, is a body of literature and legendary material associated with the history of France, in particular involving Charlemagne and his associates. The cycle springs from the Old French '' chan ...

where he is one of Charlemagne's paladins. He is the son of Otto, the King of England (possibly referring to Charles' contemporary

Offa of Mercia Offa (died 29 July 796 AD) was List of monarchs of Mercia, King of Mercia, a kingdom of History of Anglo-Saxon England, Anglo-Saxon England, from 757 until his death. The son of Thingfrith and a descendant of Eowa of Mercia, Eowa, Offa came to ...

), and is a cousin to Orlando and

Rinaldo Rinaldo may refer to: *Renaud de Montauban (also spelled Renaut, Renault, Italian: Rinaldo di Montalbano, Dutch: Reinout van Montalbaen, German: Reinhold von Montalban), a legendary knight in the medieval Matter of France * Rinaldo (''Jerusalem Lib ...

, and a descendant of Charles Martel. While Astolfo's name appeared in the Old French '' chanson de geste'' '' The Four Sons of Aymon'', his first major appearance was in the anonymous early fourteenth-century

Franco-Venetian Franco-Italian, also known as Franco-Venetian or Franco-Lombard, was a literary language used in parts of northern Italy, from the mid-13th century to the end of the 14th century. It was employed by writers including Brunetto Latini and Rustichello ...

epic poem ''La Prise de Pampelune''. He was subsequently a major character (typically humorous) in Italian Renaissance romance epics, such as '' Morgante'' by

Luigi Pulci Luigi Pulci (; 15 August 1432 – 11 November 1484) was an Italian diplomat and poet best known for his ''Morgante'', an epic and parodistic poem about a giant who is converted to Christianity by Orlando and follows the knight in many adventure ...

, '' Orlando Innamorato'' by Matteo Maria Boiardo, and ''

Orlando Furioso ''Orlando furioso'' (; ''The Frenzy of Orlando'', more loosely ''Raging Roland'') is an Italian epic poem by Ludovico Ariosto which has exerted a wide influence on later culture. The earliest version appeared in 1516, although the poem was no ...

'' by

Ludovico Ariosto Ludovico Ariosto (; 8 September 1474 – 6 July 1533) was an Italian poet. He is best known as the author of the romance epic ''Orlando Furioso'' (1516). The poem, a continuation of Matteo Maria Boiardo's ''Orlando Innamorato'', describes the ...

Astolfo in ''Orlando Furioso''

When first introduced, Duke Astolfo is trapped in the form of a myrtle tree by means of the evil sorceress Alcina's magic. When Ruggiero attempts to tether his hippogriff to the unlucky man, Astolfo protests, lamenting his fate. Although the two converse at length, Ruggiero does not heed the duke's advice to avoid Alcina and he soon becomes bewitched as well. Both are, however, rescued and returned to normal by Melissa, the good sorceress. Astolfo possesses various magical equipment which he employs throughout his adventures. His magic lance can knock his opponents from their horses with the slightest touch, and his magic book contains spells capable of breaking any enchantment. He also owns a magic horn whose blast is so loud that it causes all enemies to flee in terror and rides upon a horse named Rabicano. This magical horse is made of hurricane and flame, feeds on air and it treads so lightly that it doesn't leave footprints in the sand, and when it runs at full speed it can run faster than an arrow. Astolfo uses his magic horn to capture the giant Caligorante, and then parades the giant from town to town, forcing him to act as his beast of burden. He also defeats Orillo, a robber who could not be killed because he was enchanted to regenerate from any wounds he received. Even severed limbs would reattach themselves. Astolfo loans his golden lance and Rabicano to Bradamante for a short time while he rides the hippogriff in search of Orlando's lost wits. Astolfo travels to Ethiopia where he met Senapo ( Prester John), the emperor of that land. In a situation similar to the story of Phineus from Greek mythology, Senapo is blind and plagued by

harpies In Greek mythology and Roman mythology, a harpy (plural harpies, , ; lat, harpȳia) is a half-human and half-bird personification of storm winds. They feature in Homeric poems. Descriptions They were generally depicted as birds with the head ...

who attack him whenever he tries to eat a meal, spilling the glasses and befouling the food. Astolfo blows his horn and chases the harpies through the entrance to

Hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location in the afterlife in which evil souls are subjected to punitive suffering, most often through torture, as eternal punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hell ...

, and seals them inside. He flies the hippogriff to the summit of the mountain of Terrestrial Paradise, where he meets Saint John the Apostle, who explains how he could return Orlando to his senses. He flies in Elijah's flaming chariot to the moon, where all things lost upon the earth end up, and locates Orlando's wits in a bottle.''Orlando Furioso'' XXXIV: 87 He returns to earth and gains Senapo's aid in the defense of Paris from the Saracen invaders.

Origin of the name

It derives from the Germanic name ''Haistulf'', a name composed of ''haist'' (of uncertain meaning, perhaps "furious", "violent") or perhaps ''ast'' ("rod", " spear"), and ''vulf'' (" wolf")

In modern times

Science

A species of extinct rail was named in honor of Astolfo: ''Gallirallus astolfoi'', or Astolfo's rail.

Television

Astolfo is a major character in the Japanese television anime series '' Fate/Apocrypha'' as the Rider of the Black faction.

Video games

Astolfo appears in the video game '' Fire Emblem'' as a Thief (as in '' Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade''.) Astolfo appears in the video game '' Fate/Grand Order'' as a Rider (as in '' Fate/Apocrypha'', see above) and, later on, also as a Saber. His popularity as a character in the ''Fate''

media franchise A media franchise, also known as a multimedia franchise, is a collection of related media in which several derivative works have been produced from an original creative work of fiction, such as a film, a work of literature, a television program or ...

was deemed to surpass the popularity of the original in modern times. This phenomenon was also observed for other characters in the ''Fate'' franchise in a study, which led the authors to name it the "Astolfo Effect".

References

*Ariosto, Ludovico; and Waldman, Guido (translator) (28 January 1999). ''Orlando Furioso''. Oxford. . {{Matter of France Fictional characters introduced in the 14th century Matter of France Fictional knights Characters in Orlando Innamorato and Orlando Furioso