Maugris


Maugris or Maugis was one of the heroes of the chansons de geste and romances of chivalry and the Matter of France that tell of the legendary court of King Charlemagne. Maugis was cousin to Renaud de Montauban and his brothers, son of Beuves of Aygremont and brother to Vivien de Monbranc. He was brought up by Oriande the fairy, and became a great enchanter. He won the magical horse Bayard and the sword Froberge which he later gave to Renaud.

French texts

The oldest extant version of the story of Maugris was the anonymous Old French chanson de geste Quatre Fils Aymon dating from the late 12th century. It tells the tale of the four sons of Duke Aymon, their magical horse Bayard, and their adventures and revolt against the emperor Charlemagne.
From the 13th century on, other texts concerning Maugris were created; together with the original, these are grouped as the "Renaud de Montauban cycle". These poems are: Maugis d'Aigremont, Mort de Maugis, Vivien de Monbranc, Bueve d'Aigremont.

Italian texts

Along with Renaud, Maugris, as Malagi or Malagigi, is an important character in Italian Renaissance epics, including Morgante by Luigi Pulci, Orlando Innamorato by Matteo Maria Boiardo and Orlando Furioso by Ludovico Ariosto.