The first translation of Adenet le Roi's Old French epic Berte as grans piâes into a modern language.
Includes an introduction and notes.
Bertha of the Big Foot (Berte as grans piés) is a thirteenth-century epic poem by the trouvère Adenet le Roi (c.1240–c.1300) that retells the legendary life of Bertrada of Laon (also known as “Bertha Broadfoot”), the historical mother of Charlemagne.
The narrative begins with Bertha as a young-foreign princess (portrayed as Hungarian in the poem) brought to France for marriage to Pépin the Short. Betrayal soon strikes: a cunning substitute queen takes her place, Bertha is forced into exile in a forest, and she endures hardship in humble disguise. Eventually the truth emerges, Bertha’s identity is restored, justice done, and she returns to her rightful station.
Beyond its adventurous plot, this epic is also a work of political myth-making: it links Bertha’s origins and journey to the legitimacy of the Carolingian (and by extension the Capetian) dynasty, situating Paris and the Abbey of Saint-Denis as central venues of royal memory and authority.
In style the poem exemplifies the late chanson de geste tradition: composed in Old French in 144 laisses (stanzas) and 3,486 verses, it blends epic, romance, and hagiographic elements, placing a strong female protagonist at its centre.
Overall, “Bertha of the Big Foot” offers a rich fusion of legend, dynastic propaganda, and literary vividness, making it a key example of how medieval epic could explore identity, exile, and restoration through the lens of royal myth.
