Renaud de Montauban

A chanson de geste is an Old French epic poem, literally meaning "song of heroic deeds".1

The chanson de geste of Renaud de Montauban (also known as The Four Sons of Aymon) tells the story of Renaud, a legendary hero. After a dispute, Renaud kills Charlemagne's nephew and flees with his brothers to the fortress of Montessor on his magical horse, Bayard. They are besieged by their father and later hold out in Montauban. Eventually, Renaud seeks a religious life and aids in building Cologne Cathedral, where he is murdered by envious workers. His body is miraculously transported to Dortmund and buried.2

The original French poem dates to the late 12th or early 13th century. The tale's influence spread, appearing in various forms across western Europe, including Dutch, Spanish, and Italian versions, and even inspiring later literary works.2