A Short Reference Primer on the Crusading

Movement

by Lord Sir Paul de Marseilles, KCv, KB,

(With Special Thanks to the Order of

St. Michael)

So, you want to portray a Crusader, a member of the Military Orders, a Saracen or perhaps you are just interested in the Crusades but do not have the time or the inclination to do a lot of research. What do you do? There is an incredible amount of information available. The reason for this overabundance is simple. The Crusading movement is one of the broadest historical movements in the medieval age. It extends over a 500 year time period and ran from the frigid lands of Finland to western rivers of Russia, from the Coastline of the Mediterranean to the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains and southward to the sands of Northern Africa. It covers the gambit of human emotion and experience from unbelievable bravery to rank treachery and cowardice, from incredible triumphs against impossible odds to incredible suffering and some of the most horrific and brutal behavior recorded by man. It is high drama. It is the stuff of legend. It is now available to you via this map of resources.

There were five distinct theaters of Crusading: (1) Palestine/The Holy Land, (2) The Reconquista (Spain and Portugal), (3) the Baltic Crusades (Central and Eastern Europe), (4) the European Campaigns (the Albigensen Crusades, the Italian Crusades, et. al.), and (5) the battles against the Turks and the Ottoman Empire. This Article deals only with the Palestine/The Holy Land theater. I will attempt other articles on other theaters if there is interest.

A.	Palestine/Holy Land

This area is perhaps the best known and most widely written about. The geographical area of this theater covers the Byzantine Empire, the Principality of Achaea, the Empire of Nicaea, the Territories of the Seljuks of Rum, the Emirate of the Danishmends, the Kingdom of Armenia, the Great Sejuks Empire, the County of Edessa, the Principality of Achaea, the County of Tripoli, the Emirate of Damascus, the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the Fatimid Caliphate, the territories of the Bedouin, Cyprus, Crete, and Rhodes i.e. the former Republic of Yugoslavia, Albania, Macedonia, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Crete, Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Cyprus, Armenia, Kuwait, Yemen, Omen, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. The time period runs from 1095 to 1302.

1.	General History/Overviews

One of the accessible histories (with a very cynical attitude) is Dr. Paul L. Williams, Ph.D., The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Crusades (Alpha, 2002). Don't let the title fool you. This book gets borrowed so much that it is almost never inside my library anymore.

For more comprehensive and scholarly works, I strongly recommend any of the following: Jonathan Riley-Smith, Ed., The Oxford Illustrated History of the Crusades (Oxford,1995), Jonathan Riley Smith, The Crusades: A History (2nd Edition) (Yale University, 2005); or Thomas F. Madden, The New Concise History of the Crusades (Rowmen and Littlefield, 2005).

For the truly fanatical, I recommend Christopher Tyerman, God's War, A New History of the Crusades (Belknap Press, 2006). This book weighs in at four pounds and is over 1000 pages long. It covers the entire spectrum of the Crusading movement in all of the above mentioned theaters. If you cannot win arguments based upon its meticulous research, you can beat your opponent to death with the shear weight of this volume.

The Oxford History contains a series of articles covering a broad spectrum of issues from the overall history of the Crusades to an examination of the mind set of the crusaders, the art and architecture in the Latin Kingdoms, the music of the time period, the social and governmental structure of the Saracens to a number of other issues. The Crusades is a little dry but an excellent read. The New Concise History is a great overall introductory history. All are excellent one volume references which are easily accessible at most book stores. For a shorter history that is also very readable, I recommend Ernle Bradford, The Sword and The Scimitar (Pen and Sword Military Classics, 2004) or the more thought provoking Christopher Tyerman, The Crusades, a Very Short Introduction (Oxford, 2004).

For an overview of the Crusades from a non-European perspective, please look at Amin Maalouf, The Crusades through Arab Eyes, (Schocken Books, 1984), Albert Hourani, A History of the Arab Peoples (Harvard Press, 1991)(see Part II for an broad overview of Arab/Moslem societies from the 11th to the 15th Century) or Ibn Al-Qalanisi (Translator H.A.R. Gibb), The Damascus Chronicle of the Crusades, (Dover, 2002). For a history of one of the feared groups of the Islamic warriors, the Saracen Faris, please see Helen Nicholson and Dr. David Nicolle, God's Warriors (Osprey, 2005), For a good overview of the Assassins, please try Bernard Lewis, The Assassins, A Radical Sect in Islam (Basic, 2002) or Farhad Daftary, The Assassin Legends (I.B. Tauris, 1995). For an overview of the Mongols, please look at David Morgan, The Mongols (Blackwell, 1986).

For look at the role of women in the Crusades, please examine Susan B. Edgington and Sarah Lambart, Gendering the Crusades (Columbia University Press, 2002), Alison Weir, Eleanor of Aquitaine, (Ballatine Books, 1999), or The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Crusades.

For first hand accounts of the Crusades (containing both the Christian and Muslim viewpoint), you may wish to try Elizabeth Hallam, Chronicles of the Crusades (Welcome Rain, 2000). For an examination of the social and cultural aspects of medieval pilgrimages, try John Ore, Pilgrimages, The Great Adventure of the Middle Ages (Caroll & Graf, 2006).

For chronologies and/or time-lines of the Crusades, I would recommend either the Oxford Illustrated History of the Crusades, Jonathan Riley-Smith, Ed., The Atlas of the Crusades (Facts on File, 1990) or Peter N. Stearns, Ed., The Encyclopedia of World History, 6th Ed (Houghton Mifflin, 2001). This later book contains a great overview of world history broken down by time period and geographical location.

For an examination of the European armies, their composition, finance, organization, and logistics, I recommend Alan Forey, The Military Orders From the Twelfth to the Early Fourteenth Centuries, (University of Toronto Press, 1992), Vesey Norman, The Medieval Soldier (Pen and Sword Military Classics, 2006)(see Chapters 6-12), The Crusades, a Very Short Introduction (See Chapter 6, the Business of the Cross) or David Nicolle, Fighting for the Faith, the Many Fronts of the Crusade & Jihad 1000-1500 AD, (Westholme Publishing, 2007).

For an examination of Crusader's strongholds and fortresses in Outremer (literally "the land over the seas"), please try David Nicolle, Crusader Castles in the Holy Land, 1097-1192 (Osprey, 2004), David Nicolle and Adam Hook, Crusader Castles in the Holy Land 1192-1302 (Osprey, 2005), or his forthcoming book, Crusader Castles in Cyprus, Greece, and the Aegean 1191-1571 (Osprey, 2007).

For an interesting overview of the internal workings of the Outremer, try Bernard Hamilton, The Leper King and his Heirs: Baldwin IV and the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem (Cambridge University Press, 2000), God's War, or the Atlas of the Crusades. All of these books contain excellent examinations of the feudal structure and administration of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Latin Kingdoms, the commerce and trade within the Latin Kingdoms and the political overlay of these entities. The Atlas also contains the routes for pilgrimages in the Medieval Holy Land and diagrams and maps of medieval Jerusalem and the city of Acre, the location of castles and strongholds throughout Europe and the Holy Land. The Atlas is one of the best visual references to the Crusades that I have ever seen. For a overview of the contributions of the Crusading movement upon European society, please try The Oxford Illustrated History of the Crusades or The Crusades, a Very Short Introduction.

2.	Individual History of Crusades

a.	First Crusade (1096-1102)

I recommend Thomas Asbridge, The First Crusade, A New History (Oxford University Press, 2004), Wayne B. Bartlett, God Wills It: An Illustrated History of the Crusades (Sutton Publishing, 2000), or J. Riley Smith, The First Crusaders (1095-1131)(Cambridge, 1998). Mr. Asbridge's work is one of the best one volume histories of the first Crusade that I have ever read. I would highly recommend it.

b.	Second Crusade (1146-1149)

I recommend God Wills It: An Illustrated History of the Crusades or J. Phillips and Martin Hoch (Eds.), The Second Crusade (Manchester, 2002). God Wills It covers the First through the Third Crusades in great detail and is a highly accessible history. I would also recommend any of the general histories cited above.

For a highly entertaining history of one of the most remarkable women in the Second Crusade/Third Crusade time period, I would highly recommend Alison Weir, Eleanor of Aquitaine, (Ballatine Books, 1999). She was one of the most remarkable women of any age.

c.	Third Crusade (1187-1192)

I recommend God Wills It: An Illustrated History of the Crusades, God's Warriors, Crusaders, Saracens and the Battle for Jerusalem (Osprey Publishing, 2005), Jonathan Riley Smith, The Crusades, a Short History (Yale University Press, 1987) or any of the general histories identified above.

In terms of some of the influential figures of the Third Crusade, I would recommend any of the following: Frank McLynn, Richard and John, Kings at War (Da Capo Press, 2007)(an excellent history of Richard the Lionheart and John Lackland), John Gillingham, Richard I (Yale University Press, 1999), Stanley Lane-Poole, Saladin (Cooper Square Press, 2002), or James Reston, Lionhearts: Saladin and Richard I in the Third Crusade (Doubleday, 2001).

For very short overviews of these individuals as well as other influential figures in the Medieval Ages, please try Norman F. Cantor, Ed., The Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages (Viking, 1999). For a history of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and its related political maneuvering, try The Leper King and his Heirs: Baldwin IV and the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem or Atlas of the Crusades.

d.	Fourth Crusade (1198-1204)

There is really only one book that I would recommend on the Fourth Crusade: Jonathan Phillips, The Fourth Crusade and the Sack of Constantinople, (Penguin Book, 2004). It is a deeply moving story and one of the best one volume histories of one of the most controversial of the Crusades.

e.	The Later Crusades (1217-1272)

These Crusades include, but are not limited to, the Fifth Crusade (1213-1229), the Sixth Crusade lead by Frederick II of Germany (1228-1229) and the Crusades of King Louis IX of France into Egypt (1248-1254) and Tunis (1270). There are very few commercial histories available. For insight into these Crusades, I recommend the general histories cited above as well as the Atlas of the Crusades.

3.	The Military Orders

A unique outgrowth of the Crusading movement was the formation of the Military Orders. These organizations were essentially early multinational corporations dedicated to fighting in the Crusades, protecting pilgrims, and rendering aid and/or comfort to the sick and dying.

For a general overview of the Military Orders, I recommend Michael J. Walsh, Warriors of the Lord, the Military Orders of Christendom (Wm.B. Eardmans Publishing Co., 2003), and Alan Forey, The Military Orders From the Twelfth to the Early Fourteenth Centuries, (University of Toronto Press, 1992). The Warriors of the Lord is one of the best introductions to the Military Orders that I have ever read and has a fantastic Appendix and Bibliography. The Military Orders is a much more technical, but an equally rewarding, read. In terms of research into various individual Military Orders, I would recommend the following:

a.	Templars

The Poor Knights of the Temple of Solomon (The Templars) is the most famous of the Military Orders primarily because of its dramatic rise and subsequent fall. For histories pertaining to this Order, I would highly recommend Malcolm Barber, The New Knighthood, A History of the Order of the Temple (Canto, 1994), Helen Nicholson, The Knights Templar, A New History (Sutton Publishing, 2001) or, to a lesser extent, Piers Paul Read, The Templars (Da Capo Press, 1999). For an overview of the Templars' activities in the Holy Land, you may wish to look at J. Robinson, Dungeon, Fire and Sword (Evans, 1991).

For an excellent history of the tragic downfall and suppression of the Templars, try Malcolm Barber, The Trial of the Templars (Cambridge University Press, 1978). The Trial contains graphic accounts of the use of terror and torture upon individual Templars in order to coerce confessions (in several countries the use of torture was a state sponsored judicial mechanism) as well as a powerful indictment of Philip the Fair's role in the Order's trials and ultimate suppression. It also contains, in the Appendix, the Articles of Accusations as well as an examination of the conduct and results of the various Templar trials in different areas.

b.	Hospitallers

The Sovereign Military and Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem, called of Rhodes, called of Malta (Knight Hospitallers) is the longest lived of all of the Military Orders. It still exists today. For histories of this Order, I recommend Helen Nicholson, The Knights Hospitaller, (Boydell Press, 2001), Jonathan Riley Smith, Hospitaller: The History of the Order of St. John (Hambledon & London, 2003) or H.J.A. Sire, The Knights of Malta (Yale University, 1996). For a interesting account of the siege of Malta in fiction, you may wish to try Nicholas C. Prata, Angels in Iron (Arx Publishing, 2004).

c.	Teutonic Knights

The Order of the Hospital of Saint Mary of the Teutons of Jerusalem (Teutonic Knights) is another of the older of Military Orders. This Order fought in the Holy Land although most of its focus was in the Northern Campaigns. For a history of this Order, please see William Urban, The Teutonic Knights: A Military History (Greenhill Books, 2003) or Eric Christiansen, The Northern Crusades, 2nd Edition (Penguin, 1998). The Teutonic Knights is somewhat dense read but contains great information.

d.	Lazerians

There are very few histories on the fascinating Order of St. Lazaus, an Order dedicated to caring for the sick, especially lepers. One of the easier histories to acquire is David Marcombe, Leper Knights, the Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem in England, 1150-1544 (Boydell Press, 2003).

e.	Other Military Orders

There were several Miliary Orders which operated in this area, including, but not limited, to the Order of our Lady of Bethlehem, i.e. The Military Order of the Crusades of the Red Star, the Order of St. James of Altopascio, the Order of Monte Gaudio, the Order of St. Thomas of Acre, and the Order of Montmorillon. It is extremely difficult to find commercially available histories on many of these Orders. For a general review, please see the Warriors of the Lord. For more in depth research, I would recommend the inter-library loan department of your local University. Much of the "in depth" material written about the Military Orders can only be obtained overseas.

4.	Atlas/Maps

Please try The Atlas of the Crusades and Andrew Jotiscky and Caroline Hull, The Penguin Historical Atlas of the Medieval World, (Penguin Books, 2005). The Atlas of the Crusades is incredible. It has excellent time lines, good short articles, and great information. It is one of the best visual references for the Crusades that I have ever seen.

5.	Garb

For those interested in a visual depiction of the garb, armor, and weapons of the time period from the European standpoint, I recommend examining the Osprey line of books including Christopher Gravett and Christa Hook, The Norman Knight (950-1204)(Osprey, 1993), David Nicolle, Knights of Outremer (Osprey, 1996), Terence Wise and Gerry Embleton, Armies of the Crusades (Osprey, 1978), Terrence West and Richard Scallons, The Knights of Christ (Osprey, 1984), David Nicolle, Knight Hospitaller 1100-1306 and Knight Hospitaller 1306-1565 (Osprey Publishing, 2001), Helen Nicholson, Knight Templars (Osprey, 2004), Christopher Gravett and Graham Turner, The German Medieval Armies (1000-1300)(Osprey, 1997), David Nicolle and Angus Mcbride, The French Medieval Armies (1000-
1300)(Osprey, 1991), Ian Heath and Angus Mcbride, Byzantine Armies (886-1118)(Osprey 1979), Ian Heath, Byzantine Armies (1118-1461)(Osprey, 1995) or David Nicolle and Christoper Rothero, The Venetian Empire (1200-1670) (Osprey, 1989).

For a visual depiction of the Non-European warriors in this area, I recommend reviewing

David Nicolle, The Armies of Islam (7th -11th Centuries)(Osprey, 1982), David Nicolle, Armies of the Muslim Conquest (Osprey, 1993), Graham Turner, The Armies of the Caliphates (862-1098) (Osprey, 1998), David Nicolle, Saracen Faris (1050-1250)(Osprey,1994), David Nicolle and Angus McBride, Saladin and the Saracens (Osprey,1986), Stephen Turnbull, The Mongol Warrior (1200-1350)(Osprey, 2003), or David Nicolle, The Mamlukes (1250-1507) (Osprey, 1993). I would also recommend David Nicolle, Arms & Armour of the Crusading Era 1050-1350 Islam, Eastern Europe and Asia (Greenhill Books, 1988).

For commercially accessible garb, please try Chivalry Sports (), Museum Replicas Limited () or take a look at the web sites of the various merchants in the latest edition of the Renaissance magazine. You might also wish to lose yourself in www.sirclisto.com, one of the more comprehensive web-sites available on medieval topics. For custom made chain mail, I would only recommend one source, Sir Wulfric Graymail at link by link (www.link-
by-link.com). Sir Wulfric does everything from mail coifs and bishops mantles to full chain-mail hauberks. His workmanship is exquisite and his prices are reasonable.

For custom made garb at a reasonable price, I would also recommend contacting Dame Katherine Perryn (seamstress to the Order of St. Michael) or Dame Aileen McDonald. Both reside within the Kingdom of Vega. If you are interested in making your own surcoats and other garb in this time period, I would recommend looking at Period Patterns, No. 101, Medieval Military Garments, (Mediaeval Miscellanea Publication, 1989).

For dress weaponry, you have a wide range of choices. They range from Chivalry Sports and Museum Replicas Limited to Age of Chivalry to Salamander Armory (home of one of the leading sword smiths in World and a maker of custom swords). For practical weapons, I would recommend looking at Badger Blades (which come with a lifetime warranty for the life of the Smith) or Generation 2 blades (which can be obtained from Imperial Weapons, Age of Chivalry, Z-Castle, or Chivalry Sports) or Salamander Armory. For leather gauntlets, belts, gloves or greaves, you may wish to look at Ravenswood Leather. For Steel Armor, please try Black Stag Armory or Earl Sir Mathias of the Kingdom of Vegas. Finally, you may wish to look at Panther Pavilions for period tents which are commercially available or try building your own tent with the information from www.currentmiddleages.org/tents/index.html. In terms of furniture in your encampment, try looking at www.greydragon.org/furniture.html.

6.	Music/Film

Much of the music of this time period was ecclesiastical in nature until the rise of the Troubadours. For early European church music, try an album of Gregorian Chants. For an sample overview of secular music, please lend your ears and try On the Way to Bethlehem (Music of the Medieval Pilgrim) (Naxos, 1996), Music of the Crusades (Decca, 1991), Richard Searles' Jongleurs Dance, (Earth Dance Music, 2004), The Way of the Pilgrim Medieval Songs of Travel (Dorian Recordings, 2000), Songs of Chivalry, (Nimbus Records, 1992), Danse Royale (Nonesuch, 1992), A Dance in the Garden of Mirth (Chandos, 1994), Istanpitta II (Lyrichord Discs, Inc., 1996), or Istanpilla, Let the Dance Begin (Lyrichord Discs, 1995). For a spirited and enjoyable album of "early music", try Sinners and Saints: The Ultimate Medieval and Renaissance Music Collection (Decca, 1996).

For two very different examinations of the Crusades in film (also available in DVD), try the History Channel's The Crusades (1995) with Terry Jones of Monte Python fame (a humorous examination) or the History Channel's The Crusades: Crescent and the Cross (2005) for a more serious but slightly biased perspective.

B.	CONCLUSION

This article is, by no means, inclusive. Any study of history is, in no small part, dependent upon the viewpoint of the author and the reader. There are many histories which cover this subject in greater detail or breath than the histories which have been cited above. However, I have attempted to reference only those volumes which are commercially available and therefore more easily accessible or not otherwise out of print. It is my hope that this article will serve as a map of resources and aid those who wish to start, or continue, their journey in the study of this area of history.

If you have further interest in the Crusades or Crusaders, please feel free to contact myself or any member of the Order of St. Michael. The Order is open to both men and women and is located in the Kingdom of Vega (Nevada, Utah, Washington, and Oregon). The Order is dedicated to the study, teaching and re-recreation of the Military Orders and Crusaders. Until then, Deus lo Volt!