The twelfth-century "Chronicle of Pseudo-Turpin," also known as the "History of Charlemagne and Roland," offers an "eye-witness" account of events during the late eighth century. Charlemagne's compatriot, Archbishop Turpin of Rheims, describes the miraculous appearance of Saint James to Charlemagne and the battles against the Muslims that he and Roland fought in Iberia as a result of this vision. The chronicle is one of the fundamental texts in the literary legend surrounding Charlemagne, Roland, Compostela and St. James. It served as source material for a large number of other chronicles as...

The twelfth-century "Chronicle of Pseudo-Turpin," also known as the "History of Charlemagne and Roland," offers an "eye-witness" account of events during the late eighth century. Charlemagne's compatriot, Archbishop Turpin of Rheims, describes the miraculous appearance of Saint James to Charlemagne and the battles against the Muslims that he and Roland fought in Iberia as a result of this vision. The chronicle is one of the fundamental texts in the literary legend surrounding Charlemagne, Roland, Compostela and St. James. It served as source material for a large number of other chronicles as...