Turoldus, or Turold, is the name traditionally given to the author of the 11th-century French poem the ''
Song of Roland
The ''Song of Roland'' () is an 11th-century based on the deeds of the Frankish military leader Roland at the Battle of Roncevaux Pass in AD 778, during the reign of the Emperor Charlemagne. It is the oldest surviving major work of French lite ...
''. Efforts to make a convincing further identification of the identity of Turoldus have failed. The Latin form ''Turoldus'' is equivalent to the personal name Thorold.
The
Bodleian Library
The Bodleian Library () is the main research library of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1602 by Sir Thomas Bodley, it is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. With over 13 million printed items, it is the second-largest library in ...
manuscript of ''The Song of Roland'', deemed the oldest, ends with the name Turoldus, but the preceding phrase is ambiguous and does not safely allow the interpretation that the role of Turoldus was that of author. and
the bishop of that name, at the end of the 11th century, respectively, in
Peterborough
Peterborough ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in the City of Peterborough district in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire, England. The city is north of London, on the River Nene. A ...
and
Bayeux
Bayeux (, ; ) is a commune in the Calvados department in Normandy in northwestern France.
Bayeux is the home of the Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts the events leading up to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. It is also known as the fir ...
, can by no means be tied to the work. The
caption "Turold" occurring in the
Bayeux Tapestry
The Bayeux Tapestry is an embroidery, embroidered cloth nearly long and tall that depicts the events leading up to the Norman Conquest, Norman Conquest of England in 1066, led by William the Conqueror, William, Duke of Normandy challenging H ...
similarly has given no traction on the identification.
Notes
Further reading
*
{{authority control
French poets
Epic poets
The Song of Roland