Powerful Parallels and Deep Divides: Pluralism in The Poem of the Cid a

Both The Poem of the Cid and The verse of Roland were scripted in a time period where great new developments were occurring in Europe, just none more crucial than the rise of the Crusades and the ethnocentric viewpoint they propagated and were propagated by (Quinn). Of great interest is the manner in which both works draw with the nature of pluralism in European history. For the sake of this essay, pluralism will be specify simply as a state of more than one. Both works, written at approximately the same time (1130-1170 for The Song of Roland and aproximately 1207 for The Poem of the Cid, as per the books forewords) have powerful parallels and stark contrasts, which when put in context ar incredibly revealing of their respective authors/cultures attitudes about economic, cultural, and religious pluralism.An often unmarked place to begin evaluating these stories lies in their depictions of economic establishments. The Song of Roland depicts a system that is primarily based on t he giving of auspices, namely exotic gifts and value clearly shown when Blancandrin counsels Marsilla to achieve peace with Charlemagne by promising him bears and lions and dogs, 700 hundred camels and a thousand moulted hawks (Burgess, page 30). However, it is important to note that the concept of paying with property is not entirely absent from the novel, you will have enough metal(prenominal) bezants to pay your mercenaries well (Burgess, page 33). Thus, one realizes that in The Song of Roland that devil economic systems exist. The dominant system is the giving of gifts in the form of tribute to ones betters or equals like Marsile to Charlemagne, and then the less important/common wages of money to ones inferiors a la Charlemagne to his mercenaries. We can fin... ...hat were occurring there, namely the Crusades. However, subtle nuances and plain minor differences between the two works reveal two in truth different cultures, a deeply orientalist and unforgiving Frankish per spective delineate by The Song of Roland that stands in stark contrast The Poem of the Cid and its various and relatively accepting Spanish ideal of convivencia that embraced pluralism in its many forms. BibliographyBurgess, Glyn S.The Song of Roland. London, England Penguin, 1990. Print. Hamilton, Rita, Janet H. Perry, and Ian Michael.The Poem of the Cid. Harmondsworth Penguin, 1984. Print. Quinn, William. The Crusades 1&2. 8 and 13 March 2012. mouth. Quinn, William. Cantar del mio Cid Campeador. 3 April 2012. LectureKahf, Medieval Spain, Competing Narratives. 27 March 2012. Lecture