This  period  of  early  medieval  history  is  full
of  romance.  The  story  of  Roland,  for  example,
has  been  sung  in  all  languages.  Returning  from
a  campaign  in  Spain,  Roland  was  harassed  by  the
enemy  in  the  Pyrenees  mountains,  on  the  pass  of
Roncevaux.  With  his  ivory  horn  he  sounded  the
cry  of  distress  which  Charlemagne  heard  and
answered,  alas,  too  late.  Before  perishing  under
the  rocks  which  the  enemy  hurled  upon  him,
Roland  lifted  his  sword,  Durandal,  and  smote
the  mountain  side  with  such  force  that  a  cleft
was  made,  says  the  legend.  This  rift  is  still
called:  "Roland's  Breach"  (la  breche  de  Ro-
land).
At  the  death  of  Charlemagne,  history  was  to
repeat  itself:  the  empire  was  once  again  divided
by  his  quarreling  descendants.  The  Carolingians,
whose  strength  was  wasted  by  their  personal  jeal-
ousies, were  not  powerful  enough  to  stem  a  fresh
invasion  from  the  north.
THE    NORMANS


The  Norsmen,  or  Normans,  were  Danish  and
Norwegian  pirates,  who  every  year  took  to  the
high  seas  in  the  spring  time,  landing  on  the  coasts,
sailing  up  the  rivers  of  their  neighbors'  coun-
tries, which  they  pillaged  and  robbed  at  will.
The    Normans   pillaging   a    church    of    Gaul.
In  885,  twenty  thousand  Normans,  led  by
their  chiefs,  the  famous  "Vikings,"  arrived  with
a  fleet  of  700  ships,  determined  to  conquer  the
fertile  lands  of  France.
They  laid  siege  to  Paris,  which,  in  those  days,
was  a  small  town,  covering  only  a  little  more
ground  than  the  island  on  which  Notre-Dame
stands  to-day.
In  spite  of  their  barbaric  customs,  the  Nor-
mans had  many  admirable  qualities  which  still


20      A  POPULAR  HISTORY  OF  FRANCE


Gauls          Gauls       gih       nth       I2th
(Country)      (City)     cent.     cent.     cent.
