page_title: Ogier the Dane
section_title: Legend at Meaux
hierarchical_section_title: Ogier the Dane / The legend in France / Legend at Meaux
caption_attribution_description: English: Head discovered at Meaux, said to be from the statue representing Ogier/Othgerius at the Abbey of St. Faro
context_page_description: Ogier the Dane is a legendary knight of Charlemagne who appears in many Old French chansons de geste. In particular, he features as the protagonist in La Chevalerie Ogier, which belongs to the Geste de Doon de Mayence. The first part of this epic, the enfance[s] of Ogier, is marked by his duel against a Saracen from whom he obtains the sword Cortain, followed by victory over another Saracen opponent from whom he wins the horse Broiefort. In subsequent parts, Ogier turns into a rebel with cause, seeking refuge with the King of Lombardy and warring with Charlemagne for many years, until he is eventually reconciled when a dire need for him emerges after another Saracen incursion.
  His character is a composite based on an historical Autcharius Francus who was aligned with king Desiderius of Lombardy against Charlemagne. The legend of a certain Othgerius buried in Meaux is also incorporated into the Chevalerie. In Scandinavia he was first known as Oddgeir danski in the Old Norse prose translation Karlamagnús saga, but later became more widely known as Holger Danske and was given the pedigree of being Olaf son of King Gøtrik, in a Danish translation published in the 16th century.
context_section_description: A legend of Conversio Othgeri militis was invented by the monks at the abbey of Saint Faro at Meaux around 1070–1080. It claimed Othgerius Francus ("Frankish") to be the most illustrious member of Charlemagne's court after the king himself, thus making him identifiable with Ogier the Dane. He was buried in the abbey in a mausoleum built for him. His remains were placed in a sarcophagus lidded with his recumbent tomb effigy lying next to that of Saint Benedictus, and the chamber was enshrined with erect statues of various figures from the Charlemagne Cycle. A stone head later found in Meaux was determined to be Ogier's head from comparisons with these incunabula etchings. This stone head can still be viewed today.
  This document was first commented on by Jean Mabillon in his Acta Sanctorum Ordinis S. Benedicti, printed editions of which include a detailed illustration of the mausoleum at St. Faro. The statues at the mausoleum even included la belle Aude, affianced to Roland, with one of the inscriptions there (according to Mabillon) claiming that Aude was Ogier's sister. It underwent restoration in 1535 by the Italian Gabriele Simeoni. That mausoleum is no longer preserved, but an illustration of the interior was printed in editions of Mabillon's Acta Sanctorum Ordinis S. Benedicti.
caption: Ogier head
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