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A paladin (also spelled palatine, paladine) is in Ancient Rome a servant or official of the Emperor, in the Middle Ages a noble close to the king, or an alternative title to a count palatine, or one of twelve heroes of mediaeval poetry, in 19th century Hungary the supreme title given by the king or, in a broader sense especially around 1900 in Britain and the German Empire, a knight.
Paladin is a word referring to a champion or warrior of the European Middle Ages, often used to describe Charlemagne's legendary retainers, the Twelve Peers of medieval chansons de geste and romances. These characters and their associated exploits are largely later fictional inventions, with some basis on historical Frankish retainers of the 8th century and events such as the Battle of Roncevaux Pass and the confrontation of the Frankish Empire with Umayyad Al-Andalus in the Marca Hispanica.
The word "paladin" evolved from the Latin word palatinus, meaning "belonging to the Palatine Hill", where the house of the Roman emperor was situated since Octavian. The word palace also developed from the same root, so that a paladin was in one sense a palace official, cf. Palatini. The palace of the twelve paladins is the Carolingian court; compare the titles of "mayor of the palace" and "count palatine". The original Middle French form is palaisin. The English paladin was loaned into Early Modern English from the Italian form, paladino, because late medieval treatments of the "Matter of France" were mostly by Italian authors such as Ludovico Ariosto and Matteo Maria Boiardo.
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Middle Ages
The names of the twelve paladins vary from romance to romance, and often more than twelve paladins are named. All stories feature paladins by the names of Roland and Oliver. Other recurring characters are Archbishop Turpin, Ogier the Dane, Huon of Bordeaux, Fierabras, Renaud de Montauban, and Ganelon. Tales of the paladins of Charlemagne once rivalled the stories of King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table in popularity. Ariosto and Boiardo, whose works were once as widely read and respected as Shakespeare's, contributed most prominently to the literary/poetical reworking of the tales of the epic deeds of the paladins.
The twelve paladins of Charlemagne are listed in the Old French Chanson de Roland as follows:
Roland — Charlemagne's nephew and the chief hero among the paladins
Oliver — Roland's friend and strongest ally
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Renaissance
The Italians Ariosto and Boiardo listed the paladins quite differently:
Orlando — Roland, Charlemagne's nephew and the chief hero among the paladins)
Florismart — friend to Orlando
Namo — (Naimon, Aymon, or Namus), Rinaldo's father
Otuel — another converted Saracen
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19th century Revival
The Celtic revival of the 1880s benefitted the Arthurian material and encouraged its reworking and recirculation. No such aura of latter-day romance could assist the Charlemagne material, which remained strongly Christian and triumphalist in its presentation in contrast to the melancholy of the ultimate failure of the Arthurian heroes, and their ambiguous position at the transition from Celtic paganism to Christianity. As a result, contemporary readers know Arthur and his Camelot well while hearing little of the paladins of Charlemagne, who once enjoyed similar renown.
In Germany and Britain, paladin was an official rank and considered an honorary title for one in service of the emperors.
Some modern role playing games and fantasy literature make use of a "paladin" character class based on the medieval concept. Fantasy paladins are frequently charismatic characters with high moral standards and, usually, supernatural abilities. Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina uses the Paladin as its mascot for its sports teams.
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