Lorraine cycle

The 12th-century chanson de geste of Garin le Loherain ('Garin the Lotharingian'), together with the slightly later Girbert de Metz, form the core and initial parts of the so-called Lorraine cycle, which was expanded in the 13th century by a prequel and three sequels. The cycle is one of the fiercest and most sanguinary narratives left by the trouvères. This local cycle of Lorraine appears to have a historical basis. Although the actions as recorded cannot be identified with specific historical events, the poems are valuable depictions of the savage feudal wars in the 11th and 12th centuries.