''Li coronemenz Looïs'' (also spelled ''Le coronement Looïs'') is an anonymous twelfth-century Old French '' chanson de geste''. It is sometimes attributed to

Bertrand de Bar-sur-Aube Bertrand de Bar-sur-Aube (i.e. Bertrand from Bar-sur-Aube) (end of the 12th century – early 13th centuryHasenohr, 170.) was an Old French poet from the Champagne region of France who wrote a number of '' chansons de geste''. He is the author of ...

and dated 1137. The first modern critical edition of the text was published in 1888 by Ernest Langlois under the title ''Le Couronnement de Louis''. The ''chanson'' is, as its title indicates, about the coronation of Louis the Pious, son of Charlemagne. The story begins with the aging emperor preparing to abdicate the throne to his fifteen-year-old son. Louis is hesitant in the face of the enormous responsibilities that attend the wearing of the crown. When the emperor dies, to the spontaneous ringing of bells, Arnéïs d'Orléans assumes the reins of government until the young prince has come of age; Louis meanwhile abides at the court of

Guillaume d'Orange William of Gellone ( 755 – 28 May 812 or 814), the medieval William of Orange, was the second Duke of Toulouse from 790 until 811. In 804, he founded the abbey of Gellone. He was canonized a saint in 1066 by Pope Alexander II.

. Guillaume soon embarks on a pilgrimage to Rome with the young Louis and there they find the city besieged by

Saracens file:Erhard Reuwich Sarazenen 1486.png, upright 1.5, Late 15th-century Germany in the Middle Ages, German woodcut depicting Saracens Saracen ( ) was a term used in the early centuries, both in Greek language, Greek and Latin writings, to refer ...

. Guillaume challenges a Saracen champion to single combat and decisively defeats him, becoming a champion of the Pope and the saviour of Rome in the process. He has lost, however, the tip of his nose, from the Saracen's sword, and is thenceforth known by the sobriquet ''Guillaume au court nez'': Guillaume of the short nose.This episode may be based on heroic account of the

siege of Salerno (871–872) The siege of Salerno was one of the campaigns of the Aghlabids in southern Italy during their conquest of Sicily. The Lombard city of Salerno had strong defences and, despite the use of stone-throwing artillery, the siege lasted a little over a ...

in the '' Chronicon Salernitanum''. See, e.g., . This early ''chanson'' is highly historical in character. Its description of Charlemagne is gleaned largely from the entry for the year 813 in the '' Vita Hludowici''. As it was composed during the reign of

Louis VII of France Louis VII (1120 – 18 September 1180), called the Younger, or the Young (french: link=no, le Jeune), was King of the Franks from 1137 to 1180. He was the son and successor of King Louis VI (hence the epithet "the Young") and married Duchess ...

, who was for most of his life without a male heir, the politics behind the story's strong emphasis on the hereditary nature of kingship is partial to the Capetian.

Notes

Editions

* ''Le Couronnement de Louis (Li coronemenz Loois)'', ed.

Ernest Langlois Ernest Langlois ( Heippes, 4 September 1857 – Lille, 15 July 1924) was a French medievalist, professor at the University of Lille. He is best known for his 1910 work ''Les manuscrits du Roman de la Rose, description et classement'', on the manus ...

(Paris: Société des anciens textes français, 1888). {{DEFAULTSORT:Li Coronemenz Loois French poems Epic poems in French 1137 in Europe 1130s in France Chansons de geste 1130s books