Charlemagne, seated on his throne, bade the knights appear before him, and relate their adventures.  One after another strode up the hall, followed by an armor-bearer holding his shield, and all told of finding the knight slain and the jewel gone, and produced head, hands, feet, or some part of his armor, in token of the truth of their story.  Last of all came Milon, with lowering brows, although Roland walked close behind him, proudly holding his shield, in the center of which the jewel shone radiant.  Milon related his search, and reported that he too had found the giant knight slain and the jewel gone.  A shout of incredulity made him turn his head.  But when he saw the jewel blazing on his shield he appeared so amazed that Charlemagne questioned Roland, and soon learned how it had been obtained.  In reward for his bravery in this encounter, Roland was knighted and allowed to take his place among his uncle’s paladins, of which he soon became the most renowned.

Charlemagne, according to the old chanson de geste entitled “Ogier le Danois,” made war against the King of Denmark, defeated him, and received his son Ogier (Olger or Holger Danske) as hostage.  The young Danish prince was favored by the fairies from the time of his birth, six of them having appeared to bring him gifts while he was in his cradle.  The first five promised him every earthly bliss; while the sixth, Morgana, foretold that he would never die, but would dwell with her in Avalon.

[Sidenote:  Ogier king of Denmark.] Ogier the Dane, owing to a violation of the treaty on his father’s part, was soon confined in the prison of St. Omer.  There he beguiled the weariness of captivity by falling in love with, and secretly marrying, the governor’s daughter Bellissande.  Charlemagne, being about to depart for war, and wishing for the hero’s help, released him from captivity; and when Ogier returned again to France he heard that Bellissande had borne him a son, and that, his father having died, he was now the lawful king of Denmark.

Ogier the Dane then obtained permission to return to his native land, where he spent several years, reigning so wisely that he was adored by all his subjects.  Such is the admiration of the Danes for this hero that the common people still declare that he is either in Avalon, or sleeping in the vaults of Elsinore, and that he will awaken, like Frederick Barbarossa, to save his country in the time of its direst need.

    “’Thou know’st it, peasant!  I am not dead;
    I come back to thee in my glory. 
    I am thy faithful helper in need,
    As in Denmark’s ancient story.’”
                                INGEMANN, Holder Danske.

After some years spent in Denmark, Ogier returned to France, where his son, now grown up, had a dispute with Prince Chariot [Ogier and Charlemagne.] over a game of chess.  The dispute became so bitter that the prince used the chessboard as weapon, and killed his antagonist with it.  Ogier, indignant at the murder, and unable to find redress at the hands of Charlemagne, insulted him grossly, and fled to Didier (Desiderius), King of Lombardy, with whom the Franks were then at feud.