The Role of Women in the Song of Roland

The Role of Women in the Song of Roland Women are not mentioned often in the Song of Roland. They appear in only seventeen of almost three hundred laisses. It is because they are included so rarely, however, that the women stand out amidst the throng of male characters and call attention to the areas of the text in which they appear. One of the principle woman characters is Queen Bramimionde, wife of the pagan …

…for another--the emir for King Marsile, Charles for the emir; just as she does with switching religions--Christianity for paganism. Queen Bramimonde plays a vital role in the Song of Roland. She participates indispensably in the intricacies of symmetry within the tale itself. Additionally, the fact that she survives all of the leading male pagans suggests that she is the true pagan figurehead, and it is only through her that Charlemagne can achieve a true victory.