Paladins

The Paladins, sometimes known as the Twelve Peers, were the foremost warriors of Charlemagne's court, according to the literary cycle known as the Matter of France. They first appear in the early chansons de geste such as The Song of Roland, where they represent Christian valour against the Saracen hordes inside Europe.

The paladins and their associated exploits are largely later fictional inventions, with some basis in historical Frankish retainers of the 8th century and events such as the Battle of Roncevaux Pass in 778 and the confrontation of the Frankish Empire with Umayyad Al-Andalus in the Marca Hispanica.

The earliest recorded instance of the word paladin in the English language dates to 1592, in Delia (Sonnet XLVI) by Samuel Daniel. It entered English through the Middle French word paladin, which itself derived from the Latin palatinus. All these words for Charlemagne's Twelve Peers descend ultimately from the Latin palatinus, most likely through the Old French palatin.

The Latin palatinus referred to an official of the Roman Emperor connected to the imperial palace on the Palatine Hill. Over time this word came to refer to other high-level officials in the imperial, majestic and royal courts. The word palatine, used in various European countries in the medieval and modern eras, has the same derivation.

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