|
Year |
Reign
Year |
Event In the Carolingian Cycle |
|
646 |
(116) |
- Charles 'The Hammer' Martel (Charlemagne’s grandfather) is born. |
|
709 |
(54) |
- Agolant (Balan’s father, Fierabras’ and Floripas’ grandfather) is born. |
|
714 |
(48) |
- Pepin the Short (Charlemagne’s father) is born. |
|
727 |
(35) |
- Duke Naymon is born in Bavaria. |
|
730 |
(32) |
- Duke Aimon of Dordonne is born (the father of Renaud of Montalban)[1] |
|
731 |
(31) |
- Gisela is born (Charlemagne’s older sister & mother of Berthelot) |
|
732 |
(30) |
- Balan the Admiral is born. |
|
735 |
(27) |
- Duke Benes of Aigremont is born (the father of Maugis, uncle of Renaud of Montalban, & brother of Dukes Aimon of Dordonne, Gerard of Roussillon and Ronald of Nantuell) |
|
741 |
(21) |
- Charles Martel (Charlemagne’s grandfather) dies. Pepin the Short and his brother Carloman take over as joint 'Mayors of the Palace'.[2] |
|
742 |
(20) |
- Charlemagne is born. |
|
743 |
(19) |
- Dukes Gerard of Roussillon and Ronald of Nantuell (twins) are born (uncles of Renaud of Montalban, & brothers of Dukes Aimon of Dordonne and Benes of Aigremont).
- Childeric III crowned as the last Merovingian king.[3] |
|
745 |
(17) |
- Reyner is born in Atri. |
|
746 |
(16) |
- Berta is born (Charlemagne’s sister and Roland’s mother). |
|
747 |
(15) |
- Richard of Normandy is born.
- Carloman, Charlemagne’s Uncle and the joint Mayor of the Palace with Pepin the Short, retires to the monastery of Monte Casino. |
|
748 |
(14) |
- Turpin is born |
|
749 |
(13) |
- Ganelon is born in Mayence. |
|
750 |
(12) |
- Berthelot is born (Charlemagne’s nephew, slain by Renaud) |
|
751 |
(11) |
- Childeric III abdicates the throne in favor of Pepin the Short. (Charles has just turned 9). After an elaborate ritual in which his long hair, beard and nails are shorn and all the great nobles swear to honor Pepin and his line as the Merovingian’ heirs, Childeric retires to a monastery and is never heard from again. |
|
752 |
(10) |
- Fierabras is born in Alexandria.
- Ogier the Dane is born. |
|
754 |
(8) |
- Aloys is born in Mayence.
- Enguerrand is born (Charlemagne’s nephew, later slain by Benes of Aigremont). |
|
755 |
(7) |
- Maugis (Renaud of Montalban’s cousin) is born in Aigremont.[4] |
|
758 |
(4) |
- Renaud of Montalban is born in Dordonne. |
|
759 |
(3) |
- Alarde (Renaud of Montalban’s brother) born in Dordonne. |
|
760 |
(2) |
- Guichard (Renaud of Montalban’s brother) born in Dordonne. |
|
761 |
(1) |
- Richard (Renaud of Montalban’s brother) born in Dordonne.[5] |
|
761 |
(1) |
- Lohier (Charlemagne’s eldest son) is born. |
|
762 |
0 |
- Pepin dies. Charlemagne is crowned as King. (In history, 768)
· Ganelon becomes star-struck with Charlemagne.
Naymon is 35 Ganelon is 15
Charlemagne is 20 Aloys is 8
Berta is 16 |
|
763 |
1 |
- Berta runs off with Milon.[6]
· They settle in a mountain cave above Atri. |
|
764 |
2 |
- Saracens invade Italy in the Winter. Milon dies a hero at the battle of Aspremont, slaying King Agolant (56) and winning Durandal and Hautclere.[7] Agolant’s son Balan (32) becomes the top commander in the Saracen power structure, eventually being promoted from a mere 'king' to being the 'Admiral of Spain.'
· Roland is born in the cave.
· Oliver is born in Atri on the same day. (No midwife for Berta because the Duchess went into labor)?
Naymon is 37 Berta is 18
Charlemagne is 22 Fierabras is 12
Reyner is 19 |
|
765 |
3 |
- Ogier the Dane (13 years old) comes to Court as hostage for his father.[8] |
|
767 |
5 |
- Guy of Burgundy is born.
- Floripas is born (the daughter of Balan the Admiral and sister of Fierabras). |
|
769 |
7 |
- Ogier sentenced to death because his father reneges on taxes at the urging of the wicked stepmother.
· Naymon 'adopts' Ogier (17 years old). |
|
772 |
10 |
- Roland & Oliver (both 8), who had been enemies, become best friends. |
|
774 |
12 |
- Charlemagne (32 years old) tours through Atri.
· Roland (10 years old) takes food from the table.
· Roland defends the cave against grown knights sent to bring him back. Naymon brings him in.
· Berta joins a nunnery? |
|
774-
783 |
12-21 |
- Roland grows up at the court of Richard of Normandy |
|
776-
777 |
14-15 |
- Saracens invade Lombardy under King Guithlem.[9]
· Saracens defeated in the Battle of Pavia, after which Ogier (25 years old) is knighted and given the sword Cortana.
· Young Roland (13 years old) fingers Aloys (20 years old) as a coward.
· Enguerrand (Charlemagne’s nephew) leaves straight from the Battle of Pavia, crosses the Italian Alps in mid-winter, and barges in on Duke Benes of Aigremont (the uncle of Renaud and the father of Maugis). He’s killed by Duke Benes. |
|
777 |
15 |
- Lohier (Charlemagne’s eldest son) is sent to follow up on Enguerrand’s message. He is also slain by Duke Benes. This is the beginning of The Four Sons of Aimon.
- The Battle of Troyes in which the three brother Dukes Benes of Aigremont, Ronald of Nantuell and Gerard of Roussillon are defeated by Charlemagne’s army.
NOTE: Renaud of Montalban and his brothers are not involved. Their father Duke Aimon (the fourth brother of the rebels) sits this particular battle out.
- The year ends with the murder of Duke Benes by Ganelon. Benes was traveling under the king’s safe-conduct, but nothing is done about it anyway. |
|
778 |
16 |
- Turpin (30 years old) made a bishop.
- Renaud kills Berthelot, the King’s nephew, with a chessboard. |
|
778-
783 |
16-21 |
- Four Sons of Aimon. Renaud of Montalban and his brothers 'rebel,' build and lose the castle of Montessor in the Ardennes, go into hiding/robbery, and then leave France for Gascony. |
|
779-
783 |
17-21 |
- Saracens recover enough strength to invade again. This time they focus on Gascony, which is nominally independent of Charlemagne under King John. The Saracens make steady progress until Renaud arrives in 783. |
|
782 |
20 |
- Charlot (Charlemagne’s son) is born (Charlemagne is 40) |
|
784-
795 |
21-33 |
- Four Sons of Aimon. The Four Sons settle in Gascony and build Montalban. |
|
783 |
21 |
- Duke/King Guerin of Vienne rebels.[10] 'A Roland for an Oliver' (both 19 years old)
- Saracens invade from Spain. 'Roland and Ferragus' and Four Sons of Aimon (Renaud drives them out of Gascony single-handed). |
|
786-
787 |
24-25 |
- Saracens invade Italy big-time. Two scenes of action. The first is in Rome[11] and the second in Milan.[12]
· Led by Admiral Balan in Rome.
o Fierabras slays the Pope.
o Relics are stolen.
o Guy of Burgundy wins the day and Floripas falls in love on sight.
· Led by King Corsuble in Milan.
o Charles hesitates to go. Ganelon gets Roland sent in with a small fighting force. Roland is captured but miraculously escapes.
o Charles thinks about abandoning the rescue, but is bullied into going by Bishop Turin.
o Corsuble slain by Richard of Normandy in a battle before Rome after Milan is freed. |
|
788 |
26 |
- Turpin (age 40) made an Archbishop |
|
789 |
27 |
- Charlemagne invades Spain. 'Charlemagne and the Admiral of Spain.'[13]
Naymon is 62 Ganelon is 42 Aloys is 32
Admiral Balan is 57 (DIES) Fierabras is 37 Roland is 25
Charlemagne is 47 Renaud is 33 Oliver is 25
Reyner is 44 |
|
790 |
28 |
- Huon of Bordeaux born |
|
790-
795 |
28-33 |
- The invasion of Spain progresses. Roland and Vernagu (in siege of Pamplona)[14] |
|
794-
795 |
32-33 |
- Four Sons ousted from Montalban. Move to Dortmund on the Rhine |
|
795 |
33 |
- Ogier the Dane is 43 (BANISHED, BECOMES KING OF DENMARK). |
|
797 |
35 |
- 'The Song of Roland' and the collapse of the Spanish conquest.
Naymon is 70 (DIES) Turpin is 49
Charlemagne is 55 Aloys is 43
Reyner is 52 Roland is 33 (DIES)
Ganelon is 50 (DIES) Oliver is 33 (DIES) |
|
799 |
37 |
- Renaud, Charlot & the killing of Bayard.
Renaud is 43 Charlot is 17 |
|
800 |
38 |
- Famous scene where the Pope lowers the Imperial crown. |
|
807 |
45 |
- Huon of Bordeaux departs from France.
Charlemagne is 61 Charlot is 25 (DIES)
Renaud is 50 (DIES) Huon is 16 or 17
Aloys is 46 |
|
818 |
