Laywomen and the Crusade in England, 1150-1300

Erscheinungsjahr 2024
ISBN: 978-1-83765-224-2
Verlag: Boydell & Brewer

Buch, Englisch, Band 7, 242 Seiten, Print PDF, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm, Gewicht: 531 g

Reihe: Crusading in Context

Considers how elite women could participate in Crusade, their means and motivations.

The popular perception of the medieval Crusades is of conflicts spanning from the Holy Land to the Baltic, with huge armies of religious zealots led by knights wearing crosses. However, the reality is far more nuanced. The vast majority of those living in western Europe did not go on crusade at all. But that does not mean that crusading was not on their minds, or that they could not influence the movement. They urged others to take up the cross, provided financial support, and prayed for the campaigns in the Holy Land; for them, this was crusade.

This book investigates how English laywomen were encouraged to support crusades and identify with holy war during the Middle Ages, challenging preconceptions of what crusade "meant", and bringing out the diverse ways of their participation. It draws on detailed analysis of cartularies, judicial records, chronicles and lyrical sources; it also examines the rich material culture of commemoration that celebrated the endeavour, alongside the papal propaganda which idealised women's sponsorship of crusade. This study therefore sheds new light not only on the role of women in crusade, but on their influence and piety more generally.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Reynolds, Gordon M

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Geschichtliche Themen Militärgeschichte
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Europäische Geschichte

Inhaltsverzeichnis

List of Illustrations

List of Abbreviations

Some Conventions
Timeline of Relevant Events
Introduction

Part I - Propaganda
1. Crusade and Culture in England
2. The Papacy and Incentives to Support
3. Preaching Patronage

Part II - Support
4. Encouraging Crusaders
5. Backing the Expeditions
6. Trends and Motivations

Part III - Memory
7. Commemoration and Creating Identity

Conclusion: Identities Beyond the Battlefield

Appendices

Appendix 1: Crusade Support Activity

Appendix 2: Known Round Churches in England
Appendix 3: Patronage of English Hospitaller Houses

Bibliography
Acknowledgments
Index

Über Autor(innen)

Reynolds, Gordon M
GORDON M. REYNOLDS is a Medieval Historian and Heritage Professional. He gained his PhD from the University of Edinburgh in 2021.