Category Archives: Islam History D: Crusades

The Rise of Zengi, 1127-46; the Fall of Crusader Edessa, 1144.

Posted on February 17, 2023 by Ruth

The Crusaders put new pressure on the fractured Muslim world. The First Crusade clearly only succeeded because Baghdad’s power had been so shattered by infighting and Turkish conquest. In order to repel the invaders, the Turks had to unite and … Continue reading →

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Hodierna of Tripoli, 1137

Posted on February 17, 2023 by Ruth

Hodierna, Baldwin’s third daughter, didn’t marry until she was about 25 (in 1137). It’s not clear why she stayed home so long when her sister Alice was married off at 16. It may have just been a lack of opportunity; … Continue reading →

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Melisende and Fulk, 1129-43

Posted on February 17, 2023 by Ruth

Melisende was named after the Countess of Rethel, Baldwin II’s mother; it’s a variant of Millicent, an old Germanic compound name. Now it has become the name of a fairy-tale heroine of an opera, so it sounds fanciful, but when … Continue reading →

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Alice, Princess of Antioch, 1126-36

Posted on February 17, 2023 by Ruth

Alice, King Baldwin’s second daughter, was married to the son of Prince Bohemund, the baby who had been born while he was back in Sicily. Bohemund II grew up in Europe. Around age 18, he came to Antioch to take … Continue reading →

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King Baldwin’s Feminist Daughters

Posted on February 17, 2023 by Ruth

I’ve described King Baldwin II as a family man, the fact that sets him apart from the other First Crusaders. Coming with the Boulogne brothers as a landless knight, he had inherited Edessa and immediately married Morphia, the heiress of … Continue reading →

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Knights of Temple and Hospital, 1118

Posted on February 17, 2023 by Ruth

In the first year of King Baldwin II, a knight named Hugues (Hugh, Hugo) proposed the creation of a new monastic order. He had probably come to Jerusalem in 1114, on pilgrimage with the Count of Champagne. Hugues chose to … Continue reading →

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King Sigurd the Crusader

Posted on February 5, 2023 by Ruth

Norway decided to participate in the Crusade on its own schedule; it was at the outer rim of Christendom, so news of the First Crusade’s call arrived there slowly. Pilgrimages appealed to Scandinavians very much, since long voyages were part … Continue reading →

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Baldwin I is Dead, Long Live Baldwin II

Posted on February 5, 2023 by Ruth

In 1115, King Baldwin I sent a general invitation to Syrian Christians to come resettle in Jerusalem. The city’s economy was very thin, since the Crusaders had killed so many of the residents in their original assault. The ensuing years … Continue reading →

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Life of Tancred, 1097-1112

Posted on January 22, 2023 by Ruth

Tancred was a young man of about 20 when Pope Urban preached the Crusade. His grandfather had conquered Sicily, so he was looking for a new frontier. The Crusade was perfect for him, since he already spoke some Arabic. He … Continue reading →

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Bohemund: Glory and Shame, 1104-11

Posted on January 22, 2023 by Ruth

Bohemund, son of the Norman who conquered Sicily, was described as a tiger by Anna Comnena, Emperor Alexios’s daughter. His ferocious assault on Albania in past years had advertised Norman strength, and when he set out as a leader in … Continue reading →

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