War and Kinship: Scenes of Counsel in the French Epic Tradition

Abstract

This article examines scenes of counsel in German-language adaptations of French heroic epics (chansons de geste) as a narrative structural principle that shapes the genre. Using the ›Song of Roland‹, the ›Willehalm‹ cycle and a comparison with texts based on the French chanson d’aventures, it demonstrates that formal political councils bring together central discourses on military conflicts, rule and dynasty, delaying the plot while foreshadowing the escalation of war. While male counsel is predominantly associated with foreign policy and military matters, the future of the dynasty is primarily negotiated through female deliberations. Counselling thus appears as a hinge between narration, violence and genealogical order.