chanson de geste (redirected from Chansons de gestes)

chanson de geste

Any of several Old French epic poems that form the core of the Charlemagne legends. More than 80 chansons de geste have survived in 12th- to 15th-century manuscripts. Dealing chiefly with events of the 8th–9th century, they contain a core of historical truth overlain with legend. Most are anonymous. The Chanson de Roland was the formative influence on later chansons de geste, which in turn influenced literature throughout Europe.