As regular readers of Balladeer’s Blog may recall, December and early January are when I sprinkle in more tales of the Paladins of Charlemagne. These are the legends about Charlemagne and his Paladins, not the actual history, so there will be dragons, monsters and magic.
FOR MY FIRST CHAPTER ON CHARLEMAGNE’S PALADINS CLICK HERE.
RUGGIERO AND THE ENCHANTRESS ALCINA – When we left off last time around, the Emperor Charlemagne and his armies were still engaged in their war against the recent Muslim invasion from North Africa and Spain, led by Agramant.
Among the many dramas scattered throughout Charlemagne’s Empire was the star-crossed Romeo and Juliet style romance of the Muslim warrior Ruggiero and the female Christian Paladin Bradamante of the White Armor. Prophecies had foretold that Bradamante would lead Ruggiero away from Islam, and so he had been held captive by the enchanter Atlantes to keep the two of them separated.
Our previous installment ended with Bradamante having defeated and driven off Atlantes and freed the many men and women imprisoned in his mystic castle atop the Pyrenees. She and Ruggiero had been reunited and renewed their feelings for each other amid the general exodus of freed prisoners from the annihilated castle of Atlantes. Continue reading
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