Zvakaitika muna Gumiguru 1066. Musi wa14, padyo neHastings, muridzi wengoma weNorman anonzi Taillefer akatanga kuimba mavhesi kubva Rwiyo rwaRoldán kupa ushingi kuuto mune imwe nyika. Saka zvakatanga iyo hondo izvo zvaizoshandura Guillermo bastard, Duke weNormandy, muWilliam I Mukundi, Mambo weEngland.
Makore gare gare, mumwe wevatori vechikamu muhondo, Turoldus de Fecamp, ainzi Abbot weMalmesbury, aizoitazve basa mukunyora imwe yedzidziso dzerwiyo, zvichipa izvo zvatinoziva nhasi se Rwiyo rwaRoldán, iyo yakakosheswa yakakosha yechiFrench medieval epic.
Nyaya inotaurwa nekuimba iyi inozivikanwa. Pakupera kwezana ramakore rechisere, Charlemagne akayambuka maPyrenees pamwe chete nemakona makuru eumambo kuzokomba guta reMuslim reZaragoza. Munguva yekudzoka, Roldán naOliveros, avo vari pamusoro pekufukidza kumashure, vanovandirwa muRoncesvalles kupfuura. Roldán anoramba kuridza hwamanda yaizounza rubatsiro rwemauto ese eFrance, achisarudza kuwira kurwa pane kubvuma kunyadziswa kwakadai. Iye naOliveros vanorwa zvine hungwaru kusvikira vaparadzwa. Pakupera kwerwiyo, Charlemagne akasuwa uye akaneta anochema kufa kwevechidiki Roldán.
Nyanzvi dzinopururudza pamusoro pechimiro chaicho chechimiro, psychology yehunhu hwayo, uye kufanana kusiri pachena pakati pechibairo chaRoldán uye kuda kwaJesu Kristu. Nekudaro, verenga kubva pakuona kwazvino, isu hatigone kubatsira asi kuona kudada uye kudada kunouraya kwaRoldán. Iyo nyaya yeRoncesvalles inoita senge isu inyaya yekuregeredza kuregeredza, yakaiswa muhurongwa hwehondo isingabatsiri yechitendero. Hapana chekuita neyedu Cid Campeador.
Kana kuimba kuchinyatsotifambisa, zviri nemaitiro aCharlemagus kurufu rwaRoldán. Iyo yakanyanya kusimba zvekuti pamusoro pekufambisa iri enigmatic. MuMiddle Ages, tsika yaizokurumidza kupararira maererano naiyo Roldan aive mwanakomana wepachivande waCharlemagne: Kurwadziwa kwaCharlemagne kunogona kungova kurwadziwa kwababa pamberi pemwanakomana wavo akafa; iyo inopa chirevo chakasiyana zvachose kunyaya.
Asi ngatidzokerei kuHastings Plains, handisi kuzosiya mukana wekutaura pamusoro pamambo Harold. Kuti mambo vagadzwe korona mumwe anofanirwa kutsakatika. PaHondo yeHastings, Harold mwanakomana waJodwin, mambo weSaxon weEngland, akaurayiwa. William aizoenda pasi munhoroondo, Harold aizoita guruva.
Mambo Harold aive murume akashinga. Iyo Icelandic nyanzvi Snorri sturluson inopa iyo mu Wemakemesignlasaga mumamiriro ezvinhu zvishoma pamberi paHastings. Borges anoburitsa zvinyorwa uye anotipa iyo kumashure mune yake Akareji echiGerman Zvinyorwa.
Mukoma waHarold Tostig anga abatana naMambo weNorway, Harald Hardrada, kuti awane simba. Ivo vaviri vakamhara neuto kumahombekombe ekumabvazuva kweEngland uye vakakunda York Castle. Maodzanyemba enhare, mauto eSaxon anosangana navo:
Vatasvi vemabhiza makumi maviri vakapinda muchikamu chemhondi; varume, uyezve mabhiza, vakasungwa simbi; mumwe wevatasvi vemabhiza akadanidzira achiti:
"Count Tostig aripano?"
"Handirambe kuva pano," akadaro kuverenga.
"Kana iwe uri Tostig zvechokwadi," akadaro mutasvi webhiza, "ndauya kuzokuudza kuti hama yako inokupa ruregerero uye chetatu chehumambo."
"Kana ndikabvuma," akadaro Tostig, "mambo vachamupei Harald Hardrada?"
"Haana kumukanganwa," akapindura mutasvi, "achakupa tsoka nhanhatu dzeChirungu pasi uye, sezvo akareba kudaro, mumwezve."
"Ipapo," akadaro Tostig, "udza mambo wako kuti ticharwa kusvika pakufa."
Vatasvi vakaenda. Harald Hardrada akabvunza achifunga kuti:
-Ndiani aive muchinda uya aitaura zvakanaka kudaro?
Kuverenga kwakapindura:
-Harold, Mambo weEngland. "
Harald Hardrada naTostig havazoone kumwe kuvira kwezuva. Hondo yake inokundwa uye vese vanofira muhondo. Asi Harold haazove nenguva yekuchema munin'ina wake. Nhau dzinosvika munguva pfupi dzinoti maNormans amhara kumaodzanyemba uye achafanirwa kuenda kuHastings, uko kwaanozadzisa tarisiro yake nekufira mumaoko emupambi.
Iyo nyaya ine yekunzwa epilogue iyo Snorri yaasina kuziva, asi Borges akaziva, nekuti akaiverenga mu Ballads de Hein: Achave mukadzi anga ada mambo, Edith Gooseneck, anozivisa chitunha chake.