The relationship between the lord and his vassals has been essential to the overall success of Feudalism in Western Europe for several centuries. A person who proved to be a vassal gave the lord, or king, endless amounts of loyalty whether it be through militia support and overall protection. In exchange for the vassal’s duties to the lord, they received fief, also known as the land given to vassals by the lord as a result of this agreement. To the vassals at the time, owning land was one of the most prestigious feats in feudalism. Land represented power and a sense of security for the vassal and their families. With land, a vassal had leverage on the rest of the people in the feudal system. The vassal could sell out the land to other individuals for profit or keep it to pass down for generations to come. The lord and the vassal relationship has not only helped benefit the upper class of the feudal system but in a way, it also helped bridge the classes together which in turn helped the people thrive in Western Europe as the king could benefit the vassals which led to the vassals striking deals with the knights down to the serfs. Several accounts discuss the importance of the lord and vassal relationship, but one of the most influential pieces of literature during this time that perfectly exemplifies this relationship is The Song of Roland.

In this Old French Poem, which was said to be written around the period of 1100, readers get to witness tremendous amounts of occasions where Roland and Oliver risked their lives as vassals to serve the great King Charlemagne. Throughout the poem, King Charlemagne and the Franks fought toe to toe with King Marsile and the Saracens of Saragossa. In this bloody and gory cinematic battle known as the Battle of Roncevaux, there is a turning point that leads to this question: What does it mean to be a “good” vassal? After being led into a trap by Ganelon, Roland, Oliver and the rest of the Frankish fleet are in dire trouble as they are outnumbered by the Saracen army. As the poem progresses, the audience starts to realize that Oliver and Roland, both who are marvelous vassals are contradicting characters in the story. Roland is brave and will face anything that comes his way in a barbarian and stubborn effort. In other words, he would think it was cowardly to stand down from a fight no matter the odds because in Roland’s eyes he would not be serving King Charlemagne to his fullest potential. According to Roland, “For his lord a vassal must suffer great hardship And endure both great heat and great cold; He must also part with the flesh and blood.” (64.88) On the other hand, Oliver is wiser and weighs out his options before moving on, unlike the fearless Roland. This clash of mindsets from Roland and Oliver is what in turn leads to Roland’s death because Oliver tells Roland to blow the oliphant so Charlemagne would know that the Franks were in danger and in turn, could have saved them from losing so many men. The death of Roland extremely significant to the lord and vassal relationship because as Roland is dying, he lies on the oliphant and his sword and awaits his soul to be carried to heaven by God’s angel Cherubin, Saint Gaberial, and Saint Michael. In the Song of Roland, the idea of the vassal in relation to Christianity go hand in hand. Roland and Oliver both resemble the perfect spitting image of a vassal because not only did they serve Charlemagne but they have also served Christianity because it was their duty to fight for the Franks and Christianity, and despite having different opinions on how to best serve the king their loyalty still stuck with Charlemagne. 

The Song of Roland is not the only text that expounds on the idea of the lord and vassal relationship. In Partick J. Geary’s, Readings in Medieval History, Volume I: The Early Middle Ages (Fifth Edition), there is an interesting passage about the Liber Manualis, which was Dhuoda’s handbook for her son during the reign of Charlemagne. After Dhuoda’s husband Bernard, a close supporter to Charlemagne, offers their son William to serve King Charlemagne, Dhuoda’s motherly instincts kicked in as she tried her best to give her son advice when being under Charlemagne’s rule. The Liber Manualis, in other words, could serve as Dhuoda’s book on how to be a man for her 15-year-old son. In this text, Dhuoda writes to focus on Willam’s respecting his father, his loyalty to King Charlemagne, and other nobles. In the first section of the Liber Manualis, Dhuoda focuses “On the reverence, you should show your father throughout your life.” This is a major point for Dhuoda because she believes that being faithful and loving towards your father will keep you safe. “Now I must do my best to guide you in how you should fear, love, and be faithful to your lord and father, Bernard…” (1.268) She even relays back on an instance where Elia’s sons who never obeyed their father resulted in their deaths. She warns Wiliam that there are consequences to being disobedient to anyone and that if he wants to survive Charlemagne’s court he needs to love and have reverence for his father at all times. Another crucial piece of advice that Dhuoda writes about in the Liber Manualis is being faithful to the king himself. “Be steadfastly and completely loyal to him [Charles] in all things.” (4.270) This message in the text goes perfectly with the Lord and vassal relationship that we witness in The Song of Roland. Loyalty to the king is by far the most important trait of a vassal so, in regards to the Liber Manualis, we can view it as a text on how to be a vassal.

In conclusion, the Liber Manualis serves as a real-life take on the Song of Roland and the idea of the lord and vassal relationship. These two pieces of text complement each other extremely well because in the Song of Roland we get to witness the story of a vassal while in the Liber Manualis, the audience gets to get the behind-the-scenes look on what it takes to be a loyal vassal to the king. In other words, the Libra Manualis makes us think more about what it means to serve the Lord while The Song of Roland gives us more of an action-packed experience where the vassal shines on the battlefield.