CRUSADES I

  • Image Reference: Peter the Hermit points the way to Jerusalem, Paris, BnF, MS Arsenal 3139 fol. 176v.

REFERENCE LIST

  • Scholarly Works:

    • 1. Robert Bartlett, History in Flames: The Destruction and Survival of Medieval Manuscripts (Cambridge University Press, 2024).

    • 2. Maureen C. Miller, "The Bishops’ Books of Città di Castello in Context," Traditio 76 (2021): 215-46.

    • 3. Julia Singer, Representing Mental Illness in Late Medieval France: Machines, Madness, Metaphor (Boydell & Brewer, 2018).

    • 4. Allison I. Beach, "Living and Working in a Twelfth-Century Women’s Monastic Community," in The Cambridge Companion to Hildegard of Bingen, ed. Jennifer Bain (Cambridge University Press, 2021), 37-51.

    • 5. Richard Cross, "Scholastic Debates on Beatific Union with God: Henry of Ghent (c. 1217–93) and His Interlocutors," Speculum 94.2 (2019): 317-333.

    • 6. Giles Constable, "The Monastic Policy of Peter the Venerable," in Giles Constable, Cluniac Studies (Variorum Reprints, 1980), 119-138.

    • 7. Lesley Smith, Fragments of a World: William of Auvergne and His Medieval Life (University of Chicago Press, 2023).

  • Analysis of Sources:

    • Different types of sources included such as books, journal articles, and chapters in edited volumes.

    • Access Considerations:

    • Sources can potentially be accessed via Dalhousie libraries, both online and in person.

DEFINITIONS AND CONCEPTS: WHAT IS CRUSADING?

  • Modern Definitions:

    • Strict Definition: “A Crusade was a holy war called by the medieval papacy with the aim of gaining the Holy Land and, in particular, the city of Jerusalem.” – S. J. Allen and Emilie Amt, Introduction to The Crusades: A Reader.

    • Broad Definition: “A shared vision of the defence and expansion of Christendom.” – A. Pluskowski, "Crusader Landscapes: The Current State of Knowledge and Future Directions," Exploring Outremer vol. 2 (2023).

  • Medieval Perspective:

    • The term “crusade” was not utilized during the Middle Ages.

    • Terminologies like crucesignati and cruciferi (meaning “taking the cross”) were adopted more than a century after the First Crusade.

    • Individuals known today as crusaders referred to themselves as:

    • Pilgrims

    • Soldiers of God

    • Engaged in the business of Jesus Christ

    • Jerusalemites

    • Example: Count Hugh I of Vaudemont, a Burgundian nobleman in the Second Crusade, depicted as a pilgrim with a cross signifying his purpose of visiting the Holy Land.

MULTIMEDIA AND HISTORICAL CONTEXT

  • Film Reference:

    • Film elements and references related to Saladin depicted in various contexts.

  • Map and Demographic Analysis:

    • Emergence of the Islamic world illustrated through maps highlighting key locations such as:

    • Francia

    • Byzantine Empire

    • The Islamic states and territories around 750 CE to 800 CE.

    • Notable mentions of cities like Toledo, Córdoba, Jerusalem, and regions under varying rule such as the Abbasids.

RELIGIOUS CONTEXT

  • The East/West Schism:

    • Occurred in 1054, had implications for the Church and political authority across Europe.

  • Papal Reforms:

    • Included the Investiture Controversy and the pontificate of Gregory VII (1073-1085).

  • Movements to Curb Violence:

    • Late 10th to early 11th centuries saw the emergence of Peace of God and Truce of God movements initiated to address secular violence among Christians.

  • Concept of Holy War:

    • For Christians, based on Augustine’s teachings allowing violence under specific conditions:

    1. Responds to an injury.

    2. Conducted by an appropriate authority.

    3. Executed with the right intention: caritas (love) promoting spiritual wellbeing.

    • For Muslims, jihad signifies struggle, which can be internal (against sin) or external (against enemies of Islam).

JERUSALEM IN RELIGIOUS THOUGHT

  • Jewish Perspective:

    • Jerusalem holds significant historical events, including Abraham’s near sacrifice of Isaac, former capital, and site of the Temple.

  • Christian Significance:

    • Holds the events of Jesus’s life, including preaching, crucifixion, resurrection; symbolizes the Second Coming.

    • Roman Emperor Constantine and his mother Helena played a crucial role in identifying Christian holy sites in the 4th century, notably building the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

  • Muslim Consideration:

    • Sacred journey of Muhammad to Jerusalem by the angel Gabriel during the Night Journey.

    • Architectural significance of the Temple Mount and Al-Aqsa Mosque.

THE LEAD-UP TO URBAN II’S CALL FOR THE FIRST CRUSADE

  • Historical Context:

    • By the 11th century, Christian pilgrimage to Jerusalem faced increased challenges due to:

    • The Fatimid caliph al-Hakim’s persecution of Jews and Christians, demolishing churches.

    • Ongoing conflicts amidst Fatimid-Seljuk wars.

    • Byzantine Emperor Michael VII sought help from Latin powers after the Seljuk defeat at Manzikert (1071).

    • Popes Gregory VII and Urban II were engaged in these appeals; Urban ultimately responded at the Council of Clermont (November 27, 1095) with a significant sermon invoking the First Crusade.

CHRONICLERS OF THE FIRST CRUSADE

  • Key Historical Figures:

    • The Gesta Francorum (ca. 1100-1103) – Anonymous cleric or knight linked to Norman prince Bohemond of Taranto.

    • Fulcher of Chartres (1059-ca.1127), Historia Hierosolymitana (ca. 1101-5) – Participant at the Council of Clermont.

    • Robert the Monk (early 12th c.), Historia Iherosolimitana (ca. 1107-8) – Abbot, present but not a crusader.

    • Baldric of Dol (ca. 1046-1130), Historia Ierosolimitana (ca. 1105-7) – Abbot, present but not a crusader.

    • Guibert de Nogent (ca. 1055-1124), Deeds of God Through the Franks (ca. 1107-8) – Not a participant but contributed important writings.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS

  • Compares accounts of eyewitnesses from key chroniclers like Fulcher of Chartres, Robert the Monk, and Baldric of Dol; categories include:

    • Audience focus (clergy and knights specified).

    • Emphasis on the need for aid against the Turks and the defense of Eastern Christians.

INDULGENCE TEXT COMPARISON

  • Notable quotes from chroniclers presenting differing views on the nature and promise of indulgence during the Crusades:

    • Fulcher of Chartres: “All who die by the way, whether by land or by sea, or in battle against the pagans, shall have immediate remission of sins.”

    • Robert the Monk stressed the spiritual rewards.

    • Council Decree emphasized genuine devotion over personal gain.

MAPS AND PILGRIMAGE ROUTES

  • Graphical representations of pilgrimage routes and military movements of crusaders portraying significant historical events from 1096 to 1099.

ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE: USAMA IBN MUNQIDH

  • Islamic historical figure, poet and soldier, Usama lived through the Crusades and had relations with both Muslim and Christian powers, including Saladin.

  • Documented experiences in his work Kitāb al-Iʿtibār, written around 1183 while in Saladin’s court.