The Oriflamme was mentioned in the eleventh-century ballad the ''[[Chanson de Roland]]'' (vv. 3093-53093–5) as a royal banner, first called ''Romaine'' and then ''Montjoie''.<ref name=CathEncy/> According to legend, [[Charlemagne]] carried it to the Holy Land in response to a prophecy regarding a knight possessing a golden lance, from which flames would burn and drive out the [[Saracens]].<ref>{{cite book |title=A Distant Mirror |author= Barbara Tuchman |year= 1978|publisher=Penguin |isbn=0140054073 |page=148 }}</ref> This suggests that the ''lance'' was originally the important object, with the banner simply a decoration, but this changed over time.<ref>[http://www.heraldica.org/topics/france/oriflamm.htm Heraldica.org]</ref>