Taillefer

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Taillefer (Latin Incisor-ferri, both meaning 'hewer of iron') was the surname of a Norman ioglere (juggler or jester) whose exact name and place of birth are unknown (sometimes his first name is given as "Ivo"). He travelled to England during the Norman Invasion of 1066, in the train of William the Conqueror. At the Battle of Hastings Taillefer recited the Chanson de Roland to the Norman troops while juggling with his sword. An English soldier ran out to challenge him and was killed by Taillefer, who then charged the English lines and was engulfed. Strangely, Taillefer is not depicted, by name at least, on the Bayeux tapestry.

The incident is mentioned by Wace in the Roman de Rou,Geoffrey Gaimar, Henry of Huntingdon, William of Malmesbury and the anonymous Carmen of the Battle of Hastings. The accounts differ, some mentioning only the juggling, some only the song, but have elements in common.

A version drawn from all the sources can be found in Winston Churchill's History of the English-Speaking Peoples

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Taillefer is also the name of a mountain in the Dauphiné Alps.