crusade paper notes

8/13/2019 Crusade Paper Notes

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Jordan Voltz

SSI210B- Travel Writing

Prof. Joshi

Robert the Monk was a member of the 1stCrusade, and the textRobert the Monks

History of the First Crusadeby Ashgate Publishing is one of the most complete texts from the 1st

Crusade. In this text, I am primarily concerned with the ways which he talks about Muslims and

Islam, specifically how he refers to them through the lens of his religion. This is mainly done

against the setting of Jerusalem, since, in such a religious place, any particular beliefs that he has

will be amplified through his writing. On page 204, he refers to the Emir of Babylon, opposed

to everything good, wanted to destroy the Holy Sepulchre and ranted against it to the arrogant

people. In this, we receive a picture of the specific Emir, but we also receive a judgment of the

Babylonians, who are Muslim. Further in the chapter he refers to him as Demented, in a

parody of his name ClementThere is also a speech which he assumedly gives as he is dying,

which Robert describes as Demented. While this speech was certainly not composed himself

(45), noted by the incorrect theology he espouses, it is a useful tool for learning about the

Christians ideas of the Muslim religion during this Crusade period. In this speech, he beseeches

Muhammed, O, Muhammed, Muhammed who has ever invested more in the magnificience of

your worship [] decorated with beautiful idols of you.(205), heavily referencing Christian

beliefs regarding pagans. He continues by supposedly questioning the strength of Muhammed in

light of the Christians triumph. Finally, he is further described as that writing serpent and

slippery eel (204), inviting comparison to the Snake in Genesis. The writer also includes a

footnote that states that this is the turning point in Roberts text in which he stops referring to the

Muslim armies as explicitly Saracen, but begins to liken them to the Devil. This occurs the day


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Furthermore, the Christians encounters with the Muslims in their mosques describes

their perspective well, And so the soldiers of Christ marched out against the acolytes of the

Anti-Christ, through the gate in front of the mosque. (167)

By now, I have certainly presented an effective image of the Crusader Christians

perception of Islam as their principal adversary, with a particularly Satanic bent. The two main

monuments that are referenced are the Temple of Solomon and the Holy Sepulchre, each of

which serve as a physical focal point for their attentions on the Crusade (as well as the city itself,

but these two buildings are indicated the most), while the enemy who they see as attempting to

prevent them from achieving holiness is branded with the terms which represent the opposite of

their religious beliefs, yet are still contained in their holy text.

This reflects upon the topic of the other that is brought up in both Carl Thompsons text

and Michael Frassettos anthology of essays, Western Views of Islam in Medieval and Early

Modern Europe: Perception of Other.In Popular Attitudes towards Islam in Medieval Europe,

the author mentions the concept of Dualism and how that applies to the perspective of Christians

towards the Muslims. To do this, the author uses The Song of Roland, a poem centering

around the son of a Muslim man and a Christian woman. Since it was commonly believed that

any children of the two faiths/races would have black and white spotted skin (65), this text can

be viewed as a warning against Christian/Muslim co-existence. Since this is a redemption story,

the protagonist is constantly having to redeem his darker side (63), as in the physical spots on

him that are darker. In this text, the darkness of skin clearly illustrates the duality of Christian

right/wrong and light/dark, since constant notes are made about the darkness of the Muslims

skin. Its this type of thinking that, although the text isnt directly necessary to my point, is

necessary to state. This evidence of Duality as far as light/dark skin color, God/Devil,


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Monotheism/(what the Christians considered) Polytheism is crucial to understanding the

perceptions of Muslims during the First Crusade in Jerusalem.

Another essay in Frassettos collection is called, Muslims as Pagan Idolaters in

Chronicles of the First Crusade by John V. Talon. This text unpacks the Biblical imagery used

in Crusade Chronicles (including Robert the Monks)and its relation to the depiction of

Muslims. To this end, he cites the example of how Christians describe any Muslim use of the

word God as Muhammed, as well as taking no pains to indicate statues or idols of

Muhammed. Their struggle is constantly compared to that the of the Apostles, in which they

must establish the legitimacy of Christianity in a place where it is defiled. (111) This is furthered

by the comparison between the polytheistic religious practices of the regime of Ancient Rome

and the supposedly polytheistic practices of the Muslim (Because, really, who are the Christians

to condemn others for polytheism? I kid, of course). However, he does not express, in any depth,

the number of times in which Muslims are described as being in league with the Devil- the

archenemy of the Christian God- which come up many times in the primary source material. In

this paper, I hope to merge the two together, indicating that they are both aspects of the other

in Christian society, and the Christians indicated these symbols, through their location and

depiction in Jerusalem, in order to convey their perception. Although these are both depicted,

they are indications of the Christian desire to place Muslims as the other, and this shines

through the clearest in the First Crusade.

Nirenbergs text describes the nature in which this violence is committed, stating that it is

common for this type of religious violence to occur and that this violence is, in fact, a very clear

and establishing line between these two religions. He argues that because this violence exists,

there will be a dividing line between these two societies that allow them to preserve their own


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identity. This can be applied easily to the First Crusade texts, such as Robert the Monk.

Religious differences and misperceptions, in this case, are used to indicate the differences

between the two religions so that Christianity can better understand their own religion in

relationship to the others.

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