Return to Charlemagne Homepage

Timeline for the Carolingian Cycle

(Mythic - this is my personal codification and exists solely to keep the ongoing saga chronologically consistent)

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	56	-  Ogier the Dane is 66 ('DIES').
832	70	-  Charlemagne is 90 (DIES after ruling for 70 years).

[1] Renamed from Duke 'Aymon' to avoid confusion with Duke Naymon.

[2] Note that there was no Merovingian king at the time (Theodoric II had died in 737 and his heir, Childeric, had made no effort to step up), but political issues (and for story purposes a sudden desire on the part of Childeric III) led to his being crowned in 743.

[3] For story purposes, Childeric is assumed to have spent much of his time grooming the next generation, including Naymon (now 16) and the baby Charles in particular.

[4] Maugis is a famous character in his own right, as well as a key player in The Four Sons of Aimon.  There is a Chanson de Geste called 'Maugis d’Aigremont' (French poetry circa 1375-1425) that recounts his birth and upbringing by the fairy folk, as well as an adventure with his brother Vivien.  A separate Chanson called 'Le Mort de Maugis' about his death and a French (Picard dialect) poem about his brother called 'Vivien de Monbranc' (13^th Century).

[5] Yes, the Spanish version of this name is Ricardo Montalban.  The actor was named after the famous Romantic hero.

[6] The stories of Roland’s youth birth and youth are traced back to Franco-Italian poetry from circa 1300-1350.

[7] This would have to be original to keep with the time frame from later on.  Take scenes from Chanson d’Aspremont (late 12^th Century, translated by Michael A. Newth as The Song of Aspremont, New York: Garland Pub., 1989).

[8] Ogier is a popular character who has a great deal of period literature devoted to his life and exploits.  The most central piece appears to be 'La Chevalerie Ogier'.  There is a French poetry version of that Chanson by Raimbaut de Paris (12^th Century) that covers most of Ogier’s life.  A 13^th century French poetry version by Adenet le Roi is devoted only to Ogier’s 'enfances' (i.e., his ‘youthful adventures’), as is a Franco-Italian poetry version from the same period.  Another source is the 'Roman d’Ogier Le Danois', French poems from the early to mid 1300s.  A famous poet named Jean d’Outremeuse (circa 1350-1400) included several works where Ogier was a main character.  Ogier is also a part of many Norse stories, including the 'Karlamagnus Saga' , written for Haakon V of Norway in the 1200s.

[9] The Aspremont invasion comes from the Song of Aspremont, a favorite chanson which has the terrible disadvantage of killing the timeline.  I’ve accordingly taken he liberty of breaking it up into several pieces that are spread across different decades of the storyline.  The basic plot of the Song of Aspremont begins with an invasion by the Saracen King Agolant, along with his son Balan (later Admiral Balan).  I’ve kept that concept but moved it back to the year 764.  The story includes a variety of heroics by the young Roland, most of which have been similarly transferred to 764 and given to Roland’s father, Milon.  Aspremont also includes some great adventures by Naymon, which may either be sent to 764 or given to Guy for the Destruction of Rome.  The story is broken up time-wise into this episode, which meshes with the beginning of The Four Sons of Aimon, and the action set 10 years later, which overlaps with The Sege of Melayne.  The Four Sons of Aimon is adapted from Caxton’s 1489 book The Right Pleasaunt and Goodly Historie of the Foure Sonnes of Aimon.  The Caxton work is available at EETS Extra Series vol. 44 and 45.  Caxton did a very literal translation of one of they many parallel original versions of 'La Chanson des Quatre Fils Aimon.'

The reference to Guithelm in Lombardy from a reference in The Four Sons of Aimon.

[10] Based on the Chanson de Geste 'Girart de Vienne' (circa 1200).

[11] Based on the Chanson de Geste 'Destruction de Rome' (late 13^th Century), which appears to be a clear prologue to Caxton’s Charles the Grete.

[12] Based on the Chanson de Geste 'Sege of Melayne' (15^h Century), which is available at EETS Extra Series 35.  Note that the Sege of Melayne is a direct prelude to Otinel.  Need to work out the timing.

[13] Based on Caxton’s 1485 'Lyf of the Noble and Crysten Prynce Charles the Grete', which was a very literal translation of the French prose work 'Fierabras' by Jean Bagnyon (mid 15^th Century).  Bagnyon worked from the 'Speculum Historiale' of Vincent de Beauvais (circa 1254) and the Chanson de Geste 'Fierabras' (late 11^th Century).  Note that Caxton did not include the 'Destruction de Rome' part of the story, which was included in Bagnyon’s work.

[14] Based on a series of Chanson de Gestes.  'L’entrée d’Espagne' (Franco-Italian poetry circa 1300-1350), possibly by Noccolò da Verona; 'Prise de Pamelune' (Franco-Italian poetry circa 1350); and a variety of 'Spagna' compilations from the same period.  See also Roland and Vernagu (15^th Century), available at EETS Extra Series 39 (originally 'Roland and Ferragus', but I have duplicated the theme and moved the first story up by 10 years).

Return to Charlemagne Homepage