Epic Outlawry

Girart de Vienne and Hobsbawm’s Social Bandits

Abstract

This article explores the late twelfth-century epic Girart de Vienne, a narrative of the eponymous hero's rebellion against Charlemagne, revealing that a heretofore overlooked outlaw tale resides at the heart of this chanson de geste. In a new approach to the study of epic, the author applies Eric Hobsbawm’s theory of the “noble robber narrative” to the plot and characters, revealing that alongside the familiar epic material, Girart de Vienne corresponds to the elements of an outlaw tale, and as such a combination, it should be reconsidered as an early entry in the medieval tradition of outlaw stories. This study concludes that the narrative of the noble robber provided a framework to its audience for exploring and even celebrating the concept of outlawry, functioning as an entertaining literary device that satisfied the desire for an alternative discourse about justice and social order at a time of great upheaval and change.