The tale of Ralph the Collier

The story combines the king-in-disguise motif popular in folklore with the conversion motif common in medieval romance. The hero of the tale is the Scottish collier Rauf who hosts Charlemagne and later challenges a Saracen to a duel. This edition includes the Scottish text of the tale, explanatory notes and a glossary. Introductory chapters treat the literary background of the poem relating it to the king-in-disguise motif, the alliterative tradition and the Charlemagne romances.