Rainouart and the Composition of the "Chanson de Guillaume"

Abstract

King Louis in Laon. At this point begins what is supposed by many to be an independent second part (11. 2648-3554). Rainouart, the giant kitchen knave, with club on shoulder, becomes the protagonist, avenges the previous defeats and the death of Vivien. Before the discovery of the manuscript of the de Guillaume in 1901, its content was known through the much longer and much more recent Aliscans, whose section dealing with Rainouart was thought to be a later addition.' One of the lessons taught by the discovered manuscript was that the Chanson de Guillaume est en m~me temps une de Rainouart.2 In 1911, H. Suchier stated his view that the genuine Guillaume ends with line 1983 and does not contain the episodes dealing with Rainouart.3 Many accepted Suchier's conclusion.4 As recently as 1944, Ph. A. Becker wrote that the Rainouart story is . .. eine freie Nacherzhhlung nach dem Aliscamplied, wie es uns vorliegt.' A main consideration against the genuine character of the Rainouart portion in the Guillaume seems to have been ideological in nature. The kitchen lad seemed out of place in a song of songs of Christian prowess. B6dier himself deplored the inclusion: Ce qu'il choque en nous ... c'est un sentiment ... profond: on edh aime que celui qui a communi6 Vivien mourant fit aussi son vengeur, et que Guillaume, des qu'apparait le bon giant Rainouart, ne fMt pas rejet6 tout A fait $ l'arriere-plan.6 In 1949, Duncan McMillan published the complete, critical edition of the Guillaume.7 Again the question of unity has arisen. The purpose of this study is to justify Rainouart in the composition of the poem. Specifically, we intend to show that the robust art of the author consisted