Throughout global history, religion has proven to be a beautiful thing that brings people together and helps to develop a rich cultural history for nations. However, it also seems to be the source of many of the world’s conflicts. A lack of open mindedness has made it difficult for people with different religious beliefs to coexist, resulting in hatred, suffering, and even war. As seen in both The Song of Roland, and the Crusades, people will go to unbelievably aggressive measures to fight for their religion, and their God. 

In the opening lines of The Song of Roland, the readers are notified that the Franks have taken control of nearly all the land they possibly can, and possess incredible power. Of course, this excludes Saragosa, a city on top of a mountain led by King Marsile. It is importantly noted that this city is made up of pagans “who do not love God” (29). In fear of being attacked, Marsile makes a peace treaty with Charlamagne, the Frank’s leader, stating that if they are left unharmed, they will give the Christians treasures and the King himself will convert to christianity. This is the first clue in this text about why the Franks are so brutally pillaging through the country. As a parallel to the crusades, the Franks are ultimately fighting and conquering lands with the goal of converting people to christianity and proving their religion’s superiority. As noted by Fulcher of Chartres, everyone fighting on the side of the Christians believe that they are fighting in the name of God, fighting to prove their loyalty, and if they are so lucky, to die as martyrs. He states, “It is evident that because a good intention brings about the accomplishment of a good work, a good work brings about the salvation of the soul” (Geary 355). This mentality is carried throughout the crusades, and seen in Song of Roland as well. 

While fighting “in the name of God,” the Christians do whatever it takes to prove their superiority. In the crusades, they brutally attacked the cities they desired, killing anyone who got in their way or posed different religious beliefs. When discussing the aftermath of the siege of Jerusalem, Fulcher of Chartres notes that the Franks destroyed all of the muslims there: “None of them were left alive. Neither women nor children were spared… the crowd fell just as rotten apples fall” (Geary 362). Ibn Al-Athir confirms this, saying that over 100,000 men were killed in this first crusade. These mass murders are terrifying and seem to contradict Christian beliefs. Doesn’t the bible say to “love thy neighbor?” The Franks in the crusades seem to believe that if said neighbor doesn’t believe in God, they must not be worthy of their Christian love. During the first battle in Song of Roland, when a muslim soldier dies, the author states that “His soul is carried off by satan”(69). In comparison, when Roland and Oliver die, the author states, “with them both came Saint Gabriel. They bear the count’s soul to paradise” (105). This bold assumption about the fates of a “christian martyr” and an “evil pagan” perfectly demonstrates the Christian attitude towards their pagan opponents. This point of view seemed to give the Christians permission to do things that would have seemed immoral if it were not for the command of God. 

In both The Song of Roland and historical accounts of the first Crusade, people use the “command of God” to validate their destructive and inhuman actions. When considering basic human morality, one would not consider murder or war as a “good” thing. In fact, out of context, it is most commonly considered an evil crime to take someone’s life. However, when hearing the tales of the Crusades where Christians kill thousands upon thousands of Muslims, or in Song of Roland how people are killed in bulk during battles, it is not necessarily noted as immoral. In the book, the battles are described as “awesome” and there are graphic details of the deaths of many: “What a sight to see body piled on body/ And all the clear blood spilled all around! (72). Suddenly, these seemingly bad actions are deemed okay because they are occurring in the name of God. The Divine Command Theory addresses this question, essentially asking whether God commands something because it is good, or if it is considered good because God commands it. In this situation, the Christians are acting as if anything can be “good” if God says so. They claim that they are fighting, destroying, and killing for God, so it is morally just and even a valiant cause. In the poem, when Roland’s companion was killed in battle, Roland asked, “May God grant me revenge” (78). Revenge, which usually consists of causing unnecessary suffering to others, is not condoned in the Bible, but since Roland prays for it, he acts as if his actions are validated by God. Texts about the Crusades confirm that the Christians lived by the Divine Command Theory, and used God as an excuse to do immoral things. 

As obscene and horrific the actions portrayed in the texts may seem, they are not completely unheard of in more recent history and modern society. Not even one century ago, over 10 million people were killed in the Holocaust, most of whom were killed because of their religious beliefs. This is incredibly similar to the Crusades. While most modern day people could never imagine killing someone because they don’t believe in the same God, it cannot be ignored that something so horrific happened not long ago. Even if one would never go so far as to kill in support of their perceived God, religion still serves as a barrier in today’s society. A lot of racism is driven by differing religious beliefs. For example, people are discriminated against because they wear a turban due to the generalization of Muslims after 9/11. Religion has even made toxic appearances in politics, despite the goal of keeping religion and state separate. Examples of problems such as these demonstrate that while the Crusades started nearly 1000 years, and The Song of Roland was written in 1100, it is still relevant and important in today’s society.