Agolant m Carolingian Cycle Possibly a Romance language form of Arabic
الأغلب (al-ʾAghlab), a 9th-century emir of Ifriqiya in North Africa
[1] , which is derived from
أغلب (ʾaghlab) meaning "predominant, supreme". This is the name of a Saracen king in medieval French tales of
Charlemagne and his knights.
Alcina f Carolingian Cycle Used by Ludovico Ariosto in his poem
Orlando Furioso (1532), where it belongs to a sorceress who abducts
Ruggiero. Ariosto may have borrowed the name from the mythological
Alcinoe or directly from the Greek word
Alcina in 1735.
Ariodante m Carolingian Cycle Created by Ludovico Ariosto for one of the knights in his epic poem
Orlando Furioso (1532). He may have based it on the Germanic name element
hari "army", Italian
aria "air, song" or Latin
hariolus "fortune teller", perhaps combined with Italian
dante "giving". Handel later adapted his story for his opera
Ariodante (1735).
Auberon m Carolingian Cycle From a diminutive form of
Auberi, an Old French form of
Alberich. It is the name of the fairy king in the 13th-century epic
Huon de Bordeaux.
Bayard m Carolingian Cycle Derived from Old French
baiart meaning
"bay coloured". In medieval French poetry Bayard was a bay horse owned by Renaud de Montauban and his brothers. The horse could magically adjust its size to carry multiple riders.
Bradamante f Carolingian Cycle Used by Matteo Maria Boiardo for a female knight in his epic poem
Orlando Innamorato (1483). He possibly intended it to derive from Italian
brado "wild, untamed, natural" and
amante "loving" or perhaps Latin
amantis "lover, sweetheart, mistress", referring to her love for the Saracen
Ruggiero. Bradamante also appears in Ludovico Ariosto's poem
Orlando Furioso (1532) and Handel's opera
Alcina (1735).
Ganelon m Carolingian Cycle French form of the Old German name
Wenilo. In the medieval French epic
La Chanson de Roland Ganelon is the knight who betrays
Charlemagne's army to the Saracens, resulting in the death of
Roland and the rest of the rear guard. He was based on Wenilo, a 9th-century archbishop of Sens who betrayed Charles the Bald (Charlemagne's grandson).
Marfisa f Carolingian Cycle Meaning uncertain. The poets Boiardo and Ariosto used this name in their
Orlando poems (1495 and 1532), where it belongs to a Saracen warrior queen. She is the twin sister of
Ruggiero, though separated at birth.
Oliver m English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Catalan, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Slovene, Czech, Slovak, Carolingian Cycle From Old French
Olivier, which was possibly derived from Latin
oliva "olive tree" [1] . Alternatively there could be an underlying Germanic name, such as Old Norse
Áleifr (see
Olaf) or Frankish
Alawar (see
Álvaro), with the spelling altered by association with the Latin word
[2] [3] . In the Middle Ages the name became well-known in Western Europe because of the French epic
La Chanson de Roland, in which Olivier is a friend and advisor to the hero
Roland.
... [more] Orlando m Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Carolingian Cycle Italian form of
Roland, as used in the epic poems
Orlando Innamorato (1483) by Matteo Maria Boiardo and the continuation
Orlando Furioso (1532) by Ludovico Ariosto. In the poems, Orlando is a knight in
Charlemagne's army who battles against the invading Saracens. A character in Shakespeare's play
As You Like It (1599) also bears this name, as does a city in Florida.
Renaud m French, Carolingian Cycle French form of
Reynold. This name was used in medieval French literature for the hero Renaud de Montauban, a young man who flees with his three brothers from the court of
Charlemagne after killing the king's nephew. Charlemagne pardons the brothers on the condition that they enter the Crusades. A loose version of the character also appears in medieval Italian extensions of the tales, in the Italian form
Rinaldo .
Rinaldo m Italian, Carolingian Cycle Italian form of
Reynold. This is the Italian name of the hero
Renaud, appearing as the cousin of
Orlando in the
Orlando poems (1483 and 1532) by Boiardo and Ariosto. A different version of this character features in the poem
Jerusalem Delivered (1580) by Torquato Tasso.
Rodomonte m Carolingian Cycle Used by Matteo Maria Boiardo for a Saracen warrior king in his epic poem
Orlando Innamorato (1483). It could be related to Italian
rotolare "to roll" and
monte "mountain". He also appears in Ludovico Ariosto's continuation
Orlando Furioso (1532).
Roland m English, French, German, Swedish, Dutch, Hungarian, Polish, Slovak, Albanian, Georgian, Carolingian Cycle From the Old German elements
hruod meaning "fame" and
lant meaning "land", though some theories hold that the second element was originally
nand meaning "brave"
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] .
... [more] Ruggiero m Italian, Carolingian Cycle Italian form of
Roger. This is the name of a Saracen knight in the epic poems
Orlando Innamorato (1483) by Matteo Maria Boiardo and
Orlando Furioso (1532) by Ludovico Ariosto, as well as several operas based on the poems. In the tales Ruggiero is a noble opponent of
Orlando who falls in love with the female knight
Bradamante.
Sacripante m Carolingian Cycle Meaning uncertain, possibly related to Italian
sacro "to consecrate". This is the name of a Saracen warrior king in the epic
Orlando poems (1495 and 1532) by Boiardo and Ariosto.
Turpin m Carolingian Cycle From the rare medieval name
Tilpinus, of uncertain meaning, which was borne by an 8th-century bishop of Reims. He appears as
Turpin, a warrior and bishop, in the French epic
La Chanson de Roland. The spelling was probably altered by association with Latin
turpis "ugly"
[1] .