FERRAGUS, WHO OWNED THE BRAZEN HEAD
Charlemagne held his state in the city of Pampeluna. This city of the
Moors he had invested for six months; and being unable to take it,
he prayed to St. James,--whereat the walls fell down as did those of
Jericho before the blast of the priests' trumpets.
Great was the Emperor's fame after his prodigious conquests in Saxony,
France, Germany, Lorraine, Burgundy, Italy, and now in Spain; and his
person befitted his renown.
"He was of a ruddy complexion," says Turpin's Chronicle, "with brown
hair; of a well-made handsome form, but stern visage. His height was
about eight of his own feet which were very long. He was of a strong,
robust make; his legs and thighs very stout, and his sinews firm.
His face was thirteen inches long; his beard a palm; his nose half a
palm; his forehead a foot over. His lion-like eyes flashed fire like
carbuncles; his eye-brows were half a palm over. When he was angry it
was a terror to look upon him. He required eight span for his girdle
besides what hung loose. He ate sparingly of bread, but a whole quarter
of lamb, two fowls, a goose, or a large portion of pork; a peacock,
crane or a whole hare. He drank moderately of wine and water. He was so
strong, that he could at a single blow cleave asunder an armed soldier
on horseback, from the head to the waist, and the horse likewise. He
easily vaulted over four horses harnessed together; and could raise an
armed man from the ground to his head, as he stood erect upon his hand.
"He was liberal, just in his decrees, and fluent of speech. Four days
in the year, especially during his residence in Spain, he held a solemn
assembly at court, adorning himself with his royal crown and sceptre:
namely on Christmas-day, at Easter, Whitsuntide, and on the festival of
St. James. A naked sword, after the imperial fashion, was then borne
before him. A hundred and twenty devout knights watched nightly around
his couch, in three courses of forty each. A drawn sword was laid at
his right hand, and a lighted candle at his left."
Yet the chief glory of this regal court was the band of Paladins,
(Palace knights), sworn to the Emperor and to each other--Roland of
Brittany, Oliver of Genoa, Ogier the Dane, Richard of Normandy, Guy of
Burgundy, Rinaldo of the White Thorn, Terry of Ardennes, old Neymes of
Bavaria, and the rest. Save perhaps at that Round Table of King Arthur,
never was there gathered together such a company of heroes as these
Douzepeers. All the world of christendom and paynimry resounded with
their fame.
Amid one of these high festivals there arrived messengers spurring
hotly from Nager. White-faced, they told of the coming of a Moorish
giant hight Ferragus. He sent defiance to Charles and all his knights.
Men said no weapon might harm him, while he himself was possessed of
twenty men's strength.
Also he was surrounded by a reputation of magic art; for as Valentine
and Orson later discovered, his home was on an island far to the south.
Here glittered a strong castle of shining metal; and in a chamber
therein stood on a pillar a marvellous brazen head, "composed a long
time ago by the necromancy of a magician, which Head was of such
an excellent composition, that it gave Answer to anything that was
demanded." In addition he had for servitor one Pacolet, a dwarf, a
very cunning wizard, who had made a wooden horse that would carry him
through the air whithersoever he would. Natheless, be what he might,
the Saracen challenger must be met, for the honor of knighthood. The
Emperor therefore marched to Nager and pitched his camp there.
When the giant appeared from the city next morning, all were aghast at
the sight. He was twelve cubits high, and the fingers which gripped
his huge brand were three palms in length. From his loathly dark face
his eyebrows stuck out like stiff pig's bristles. A hideous and fell
creature he looked, and when the French knights beheld his monstrous
thews they had little desire to seek "los" in that encounter.
Bold Ogier the Dane, however, demanded the honor of the fight.
Carefully he armed himself, chose the heaviest lance he could find, and
mounted his stoutest charger. Then he sped forth over the plain before
the watching army. When he approached the giant, he set spurs to his
horse and thundered down upon him with a speed and force that seemed
irresistible.
With utter indifference the monster received the spear point on his
shield, and the tough wood flew to pieces. Ferragus was not even
staggered by the onset. He stepped forward, thrust a great arm about
Ogier, lifted him bodily from his horse, and, despite all the struggles
of this renowned warrior, carried him off beneath his arm to the
castle, no more disturbed than a falcon is by the fluttering of the
prey in his talons.
Next there came against him Rinaldo of the White Thorn, but he fared no
better, being seized and borne away in the same manner.
Scornfully the giant taunted the French king:
"Ah, it was you who won Spain! And this is the best you have? By the
Prophet, ten such at a time were no match for Ferragus alone."
Chafing under this disgrace, Charlemagne despatched two knights
together, Sir Constantine of Rome, and Earl Howel of Nantes--only to
suffer the humiliation of seeing the huge Saracen tuck one under each
arm and walk away with them as if they were children.
Abandoning all thought of equal combat, he bade ten knights sally out
and destroy this prodigy, whose boasting grew ever more difficult to
endure. To his amazement, the issue was the same: Ferragus was not so
much as wounded, while these doughty knights were borne off in triumph
to the castle dungeon.
Ruin instead of renown seemed to lie at the end of this road, and the
Emperor refused to risk any more of his knights in conflict with this
unearthly being.
Roland's proud heart could not brook this. He came before Charles and
demanded the combat. Dreading a similar fate for this best-loved of his
douzepeers, the Emperor urged him to forego the adventure; yet when the
Duke insisted that he must undertake it, for his own honor and that of
France, Charles could no longer withhold his assent.
Armed cap-à-pie, the undefeated Paladin rode forth. So confident and
haughty was his mien that Ferragus perceived this was no adversary
to be despised. As the knight drew near, the giant's great hand shot
out and gripped him inexorably by the sword arm. That vise-like grasp
paralyzed the victim's muscles, as the crushing jaws of the lion
are said to destroy effort and feeling. Then he put forth all his
superhuman power, and lifted the knight from the saddle. Swinging him
in front of himself, he urged his huge charger towards the castle, well
assured of adding him too to the growing band of captives.
But as he was bearing him to the city (says the chronicler of nearly
a thousand years ago), Roland recovered his strength, and trusting in
the Almighty, seized the giant by the beard, and tumbled him from his
horse, so that both came to the ground together. Roland then thinking
to slay the infidel, drew his sword Durandal and struck at him, but the
blow fell upon his steed and shore through it.
The giant, being thus on foot, drew his enormous sword; but Roland, who
had remounted his own charger, dealt him a sudden stroke on the sword
arm. Though Durandal was tempered so that the knight could cut through
a block of marble with it, yet could the blade make no impression upon
this creature's skin. Still, the sheer force of the blow struck the
brand from the giant's grasp.
Greatly enraged at this mischance, Ferragus aimed a blow at Roland
with his fist, but, missing him, hit his horse on the forehead and
laid it dead on the spot. Avoiding the monster's grasp Roland laid on
him lustily with Durandal, but the unfailing weapon could find no spot
where the giant's hide might be pierced.
For the rest of that day they battled with fists and stones. The giant
then demanded a truce till next day, agreeing to meet Roland without
horse or spear. Each warrior then retired to his post.
Next morning they accordingly met once more. Ferragus brought his
sword, but Roland armed himself only with a sturdy club to ward off the
blows of the giant, who wearied himself to no purpose.
They now began again to batter each other with stones that lay
scattered about the field, till at last the giant begged a second
truce. This being granted, he presently fell fast asleep upon the
ground. Roland, taking a stone for a pillow, quietly laid himself
down also. For such was the law of honor between the Christians and
the Saracens at that time, that no one on any pretence dared to take
advantage of his adversary before the truce was expired, as in that
case his own party would have slain him.
When Ferragus awoke, he found Roland awake also, marvelling at the
prodigious snoring which came from his huge adversary. He discovered,
too, that the knight had placed a block of stone beneath his head for a
pillow, and this courtesy caused him to inquire the Frenchman's name.
Roland told him, and inquired in his turn of that matter which most
bewildered him: how it was that no wounds had resulted from all his
swordplay with his trusted Durandal.
"Because," said Ferragus proudly, "I am invulnerable except in one
point."
"And where is that?"
"In the navel."
Ferragus spoke in the Spanish language, which Roland understanding
tolerably well, a conversation now followed between them.
"Of what race are you?" asked the giant.
"Of the race of the Franks."
"What law do you follow?"
"The law of Christ, so far as his grace permits me."
"Who is this Christ in whom you profess to believe?"
"The Son of God, born of a Virgin, who took upon him our nature, was
crucified for us, rose again from the dead, and ascended into heaven,
where he sitteth on the right hand of the Father."
"We believe," said Ferragus, "that the Creator of heaven and earth is
one God, and that, as he was not made himself, so cannot another God
spring from him. There is, therefore, only one God and not three, as I
understand you Christians profess."
"You say well; there is but one God; but your faith is imperfect; for
as the Father is God, so likewise is the Son, and so is the Holy Ghost.
Three persons, but one God."
"Nay, if each of these three persons be God, there must be three Gods."
"By no means," replied Roland. "He is both three and one. Abraham saw
three but worshipped one. Let us recur to natural things. When the harp
sounds, there is the art, the strings and the hand, yet but one harp.
In the almond there is the shell, the coat and the kernel. In the sun,
the body, the beams and the heat. In the wheel, the hub, the spokes,
and the nave. In you likewise, there is the body, the members and the
soul. In like manner may Trinity in Unity be ascribed to God."
They discoursed at length upon these mysteries, the giant listening
with great interest to the knight's explanation of the resurrection
from the dead. To Roland's surprise, however, Ferragus presently
remarked:
"Well, to end our arguments, I will fight you on these terms: if the
faith you profess be the true faith, you shall conquer; otherwise
the victory shall be mine. And let the issue be eternal honor to the
conqueror, but dishonor to the vanquished."
"Be it so!" said Roland.
Whereupon they immediately fell to blows. The very first which the
giant aimed at him would have certainly been fatal, if Roland had not
nimbly leaped aside, and caught it on his club, which was, however,
cut in twain. Ferragus, seeing his advantage, rushed in upon him, and
both came to the ground together.
Then Roland, finding it impossible to escape, implored the divine
assistance; and, feeling himself invigorated, he sprung upon his feet,
seized the giant's sword and thrust it into his navel.
Finding himself mortally wounded, Ferragus called aloud with a mighty
voice upon Mahomet; which the Saracens hearing, sallied from the city,
and bore him off in their arms.
Roland returned safe to the camp, to the great joy of Charlemagne and
his fellows. Then the French boldly attacked the city, and carried it
by storm. The giant and his people were slain, his castle taken, and
all the Christian warriors liberated.