The author analyses the picture of family relationships in the 13th-century epics belonging to the
cycle of William of Orange (Narbonnais), comparing it to the one presented in corresponding
fragments of the 15th-century prose adaptation of this cycle, and alluding to the real, historical
functioning of medieval families. At the level of mutual communication between the members of
Narbonne family, some attenuation of the expression of anger can be noticed, by means of eliminating
the invectives and other irrespectful forms. The same tendency appears in presenting other types of
Narbonne family’s behaviour: in the adaptation, they are deprived of the epic vehemence and
brutality (Aymeri doesn’t hit his wife, and his son doesn’t threaten him with his sword). In both
versions, the family is strongly paternalistic, and the count dominates his wife as well as his sons.
Nevertheless, whereas the epic song is concerned mainly by the differences between the maternal and
paternal vision of their sons’ education, the adaptation focuses on the generation conflict. Finally, one
can notice a change in the place of the family in the system of values: in the song, the social values
are more important (position, wellness, welfare of the lineage as a whole), whereas the prose author
seems to value more the relationships between family members defined as unique, irreplaceable
creatures.

The author analyses the picture of family relationships in the 13th-century epics belonging to the
cycle of William of Orange (Narbonnais), comparing it to the one presented in corresponding
fragments of the 15th-century prose adaptation of this cycle, and alluding to the real, historical
functioning of medieval families. At the level of mutual communication between the members of
Narbonne family, some attenuation of the expression of anger can be noticed, by means of eliminating
the invectives and other irrespectful forms. The same tendency appears in presenting other types of
Narbonne family’s behaviour: in the adaptation, they are deprived of the epic vehemence and
brutality (Aymeri doesn’t hit his wife, and his son doesn’t threaten him with his sword). In both
versions, the family is strongly paternalistic, and the count dominates his wife as well as his sons.
Nevertheless, whereas the epic song is concerned mainly by the differences between the maternal and
paternal vision of their sons’ education, the adaptation focuses on the generation conflict. Finally, one
can notice a change in the place of the family in the system of values: in the song, the social values
are more important (position, wellness, welfare of the lineage as a whole), whereas the prose author
seems to value more the relationships between family members defined as unique, irreplaceable
creatures.