Cathédrale de Chartres; Civilization, Medieval; Mont-Saint-Michel (Abbey : France)
The subject is nothing less than the "Chanson de Roland" in pictures
of coloured glass, set in a border worth comparing at leisure with
the twelfth-century borders of the western lancets. Even at
Chartres, the artists could not risk displeasing the Virgin and the
Church by following a wholly profane work like the "Chanson" itself,
and Roland had no place in religion. He could be introduced only
through Charlemagne, who had almost as little right there as he. The
twelfth century had made persistent efforts to get Charlemagne into
the Church, and the Church had made very little effort to keep him
out; yet by the year 1200, Charlemagne had not been sainted except
by the anti-Pope Pascal III in 1165, although there was a popular
belief, supported in Spain by the necessary documents, that Pope
Calixtus II in 1122 had declared the so-called Chronicle of
Archbishop Turpin to be authentic. The Bishop of Chartres in 1200
was very much too enlightened a prelate to accept the Chronicle or
Turpin or Charlemagne himself, still less Roland and Thierry, as
authentic in sanctity; but if the young and beautiful Dauphine of
France, and her cousins of Chartres, and their artists, warmly
believed that the Virgin would be pleased by the story of
Charlemagne and Roland, the Bishop might have let them have their
way in spite of the irregularity. That the window was an
irregularity, is plain; that it has always been immensely admired,
is certain; and that Bishop Renaud must have given his assent to it,
is not to be denied.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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