In the epic French poem "The Song of Roland, what is the overall mood? What is it talking about?

The Song of Roland
(La Chanson de Roland) is an epic poem written sometime between 1040 and
1115. It concerns events that occurred in a real battle. The Battle of Roncevaux Pass of 778 was
an attempt by the Basques to avenge the destruction of the walls of Pamplona by the armies of
Charlemagne (April 2, 748€“January 28, 814), the Frankish king. It is considered a national epic
of France, much in the way that Homer is a foundational epic for Greece and Virgil for
Rome.

Theof the epic was also a real personRoland, a nephew of Charlemagne
who died on August 15, 778. Other than his position as military governor of the Breton March and
his death at Roncevaux Pass, there is little historical record of him, but he is a major figure
in medieval literature.

The epic opens with a war between the Muslims and
Charlemagne that has been going on for several years. The Muslim King Marsile decides to
negotiate with Charlemagne but the cowardly Ganelon who is sent to negotiate on behalf of
Charlemagne betrays the Franks. Roland leads a heroic but doomed fight to save the Frankish
army. Roland and his command die, but Charlemagne arrives at the pass in time to take revenge.
Ganelon's treason is eventually revealed and punished.

The tone of the poem
is serious and heroic, infused with a sense of grandeur. The point of view is deeply pious, with
religious faith an important part of the virtues of noble knights.