Bramimonde


Bramimonde is a character in The Song of Roland. Bramimonde is the Queen of Zaragoza, wife of King Marsile and mother of Jurfaleu the Blond.
Bramimonde is introduced as an unwavering supporter of the Saracens, her husband and the betrayal of Roland; going so far as to kiss his betrayer, Ganelon, in a show of support that was customary at the time. Over the course of the work, she becomes greatly disillusioned with her Muslim faith, as seen in this passage where she grieves over the loss of her husband's right hand by Roland:
Upon Charlemagne's army's successful destruction of her city's mosques and synagogues, the forced baptism of her people, the crushing defeat of Baligant, and finally the death of her husband, she readily admits defeat. She is captured and taken to Aix upon her surrender and, unlike her subjects, is allowed to convert to the Christian faith by 'parable and sermon' in recognition of her noble lineage. She was baptised as 'Juliana'.