Orlando the Mad

Japanese: 狂えるオルランド - くるえるおるらんど（英語表記）Orlando furioso

This is an epic poem of chivalry consisting of 46 eight-line rhymes (definitive edition published in 1532) written by Italian poet L. Ariosto. It succeeds Boiardo's Orlando in Love, and shows the pinnacle of medieval chivalric tales that began with the tradition of The Song of Roland. The theme of this magnificent epic is revealed in the opening lines, "I sing of women, knights, battles, love, courtesy, and valor." Set against the backdrop of the battle between the Christian and Islamic armies under Charlemagne (Charles the Great), the story revolves around the brave general Orlando's unrequited love for the eastern princess Angelica, which leads to his madness. It also features the adventures of the knight Astolfo, who rides his winged horse to the moon to help Orlando regain his lost sanity, and ends with the fulfillment of love between the military general Roger, who became the founder of the Este family, and the female warrior Bradamante.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

イタリアの詩人L.アリオスト作，8行韻詩46歌から成る騎士物語叙事詩(決定版1532刊)。ボイアルド作《恋せるオルランド》のあとを継ぎ，《ローランの歌》の伝承に始まる中世騎士道物語の到達点を示す作品。〈女たち，騎士，戦い，愛を，礼節，勇猛を私は歌う〉という冒頭に，この壮大な叙事詩の主題は示されている。シャルルマーニュ(カール大帝)麾下のキリスト教軍とイスラム軍の戦いを背景に，勇将オルランドの，東国の姫アンジェリカへの実らぬ恋，それゆえの狂乱を軸に，オルランドの失われた理性を取り戻すためイッポグリーフォ(翼の生えた馬)を駆って月へ昇る騎士アストルフォの冒険を配して，エステ家の始祖となる武将ルッジェーロと女戦士ブラダマンテの愛の成就をもって，物語は終わる。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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