The

(literally the

) is a verse narrative in French, around 17,000 lines in length. It relates the history of Normandy from its origins to the Battle of Tinchebray in 1106. It is a romance in the medieval rather than the modern sense of the term: ‘a work in the vernacular, a story, narrative’. The principal characters are Rou (or Rollo) himself, the founder of Normandy; the subsequent dukes of Normandy from William Longsword to Robert Curthose and, after the Conquest, the first three Norman kings of England (William the Conqueror, William Rufus and Henry I). The work is more than just a factual account of events. It treats not only the details of wars and conquests but also the wider aspects of the behaviour and activities of its main characters. Humorous…

1541 words

Citation: Burgess, Glyn. "Roman de Rou". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 18 December 2003 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=14387, accessed 25 April 2024.]

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