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The Crusade cycle is an Old French cycle of chansons de geste concerning the First Crusade and its aftermath. Old French was the Romance Dialect continuum spoken in territories which span roughly the northern half of modern France and parts of modern Belgium The chansons de geste, Old French for "songs of Heroic deeds lineages" are the epic poems that appear at the dawn of French literature The First Crusade was launched in 1095 by Pope Urban II with the dual goals of conquering the sacred city of Jerusalem and the Holy Land and freeing

Contents

History

The cycle contains a number of initially unrelated texts, collated into interconnected narratives by later redactors. None of the poems in the cycle survive independently, and the thirteen separate collections are all organized in different orders with different texts. The manuscripts were all written between approximately 1350 and 1425, in northeastern France, probably in Picardy. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Picardy (Picardie is an historical Province of France, in the north of France.

The original poem in the cycle was the Chanson d'Antioche, which is the basis for the "historical" section of the cycle. The Chanson d'Antioche is a Chanson de geste in 9000 lines of Alexandrines in stanzas called Laisses ' now known in a version The original Chanson d'Antioche is lost, but it was edited in the 12th century by Graindor de Douai, who also edited the Chanson de Jérusalem, and possibly wrote the Chanson des Chétifs himself. These three chansons form the basis for the rest of the cycle, and are more historically oriented than the Romances that grew up around them. As a Literary genre of High culture, romance or chivalric romance refers to a style of heroic Prose and verse Narrative

The cycle

Godfrey's ancestors and his early life

The protagonist of these three chansons is Godfrey of Bouillon, around whom the rest of the cycle is based, in a much more romanticized form. Godfrey of Bouillon (c 1060 Boulogne-sur-Mer &ndash 18 July 1100, Jerusalem) was a medieval knight who was a leader of the First These connect Godfrey with the legend of the Swan Knight. The story of the Knight of the Swan, or Swan Knight, is a Medieval tale about a mysterious rescuer who comes in a Swan -drawn boat to defend a damsel Even medieval redactors recognized that this part of the cycle was fanciful and did not quite match the historical chansons, and they are usually separated in the manuscripts. The first episode chronologically within the cycle is the Naissance du Chevalier au Cygne, which survives in two forms, the Elioxe and the Beatrix. In the former, Elioxe has children with King Lothair; in the latter, Beatrix is married to King Oriant. In both cases, they have seven children, who are all turned into swans. All but one are able to transform back into humans; this swan then leads the boat of one his brothers, known as the Swan Knight. Some manuscripts have a version that combines both stories into one.

The Swan Knight's adventures bring him to the defense of the dispossessed Duchess of Bouillon, whose land has been seized by Regnier of Saxony, whom he challenges to a duel. lordship of Bouillon was in the 10th and 11th century one of the core holdings of the Ardennes-Bouillon dynasty, and appears to have been their original patrimonial possession The Swan Knight defeats Regnier and wins the daughter of the Duchess in marriage. They have a daughter, Ida, who can see the future and knows that she is destined to be the mother of Eustace, Godfrey, and Baldwin. Ida of Lorraine (also referred to as Blessed Ida of Boulogne (c Eustace III, was a Count of Boulogne, successor to his father Count Eustace II of Boulogne. Godfrey of Bouillon (c 1060 Boulogne-sur-Mer &ndash 18 July 1100, Jerusalem) was a medieval knight who was a leader of the First Baldwin I of Jerusalem, formerly Baldwin I of Edessa, born Baldwin of Boulogne (French Baudouin de Boulogne 1058? - April 2, 1118, was The Swan Knight, however, must leave Bouillon when his wife asks his true identity. After leaving Bouillon, his name is revealed to be Elias, and his brother, the swan who led his boat, finally regains his human form. Meanwhile, Elias' kinsmen, the knights Pons and Gerart, decide to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, but cannot because the land is under Muslim control. Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the They are seized by Cornumarant, the king of Jerusalem, but he befriends them and allows them to complete their pilgrimage. After drifting at sea for many months they return to Bouillon and recognize Elias as the Swan Knight.

Years later, Ida is married to Count Eustace of Boulogne, and has three children, Eustace, Godfrey, and Baldwin. Eustace II, (c 1015-1020 &ndash 1087 was Count of Boulogne from 1049-1093 fought on the Norman side at the Battle of Hastings, and afterwards received a Eustace and Godfrey grow up to become knights, with all the appropriate adventures and duels. Knight is the English term for a social position originating in the Middle Ages. Meanwhile, Cornumarant's mother Calabre, who, like Ida, can see the future, predicts the coming of Godfrey and his brothers as well as the later crusades against Saladin. Salahadin Ayyubi ( Arabic:صلاح الدين يوسف بن أيوب Kurdish: سه‌لاحه‌دین ئه‌یوبی Selah'edînê Eyubî; c Cornumarant decides to visit Godfrey, whose kin he once hosted in Jerusalem, and on the way meets various future leaders of the First Crusade: Bohemund, Tancred, Raymond IV of Toulouse, Adhemar of Le Puy, Hugh of Vermandois, and Robert Curthose, among others. Bohemond I (also spelled Bohemund or Boamund; c 1058&ndash 3 March 1111) Prince of Taranto and Prince of Antioch Tancred ( 1072 - December 5 or December 12, 1112) was a Norman leader of the First Crusade who later became Prince Raymond IV of Toulouse sometimes called Raymond of St Gilles (c Adhemar (also known as Adémar, Aimar, or Aelarz) de Monteil (died August 1, 1098) one of the principal personages Cornumarant intends to assassinate Godfrey but is overcome by the latter's glory; he realizes he can never hold Jerusalem if Godfrey invades, thus planting the idea for the crusade in Godfrey's mind. Cornumarant, returns to Jerusalem and is accused of treason for not having accomplished his task; many battles and duels are fought. During this time, Godfrey arrives and attacks the cities of Syria.

"Historical" cycle

Main article: Chanson d'Antioche. The Chanson d'Antioche is a Chanson de geste in 9000 lines of Alexandrines in stanzas called Laisses ' now known in a version

This leads to the original, and undoubtedly the most famous, poem in the cycle, the Chanson d'Antioche. Its subject is the preaching of the First Crusade, the preparations for departure, the tearful goodbyes, the arrival at Constantinople and the siege and taking of Antioch, where King Corbaran (a corruption of the name of Kerbogha, the atabeg of Mosul who came to Antioch's defence in 1098) is defeated by Godfrey and the Crusaders. Constantinople (Κωνσταντινούπολις Konstantinoúpolis, or gr ἡ Πόλις hē Polis, Latin: la CONSTANTINOPOLIS For other uses please see Siege of Antioch (disambiguation The Siege of Antioch took place during the First Crusade in 1097 Kerbogha ( Arabic: كربغا, Turkish: Kürboğa) was Atabeg of Mosul during the First Crusade and was renowned For the village in Azerbaijan see Mosul Azerbaijan. Mosul (الموصل Al Mūṣul, Kurdish: Mosul/Ninawa, Musul The lost original poem was said to have been composed by Richard le Pèlerin, who was present during the siege. Although a fictionalized account of the First Crusade, it is based on historical events and is not as fabulous and romanticized as the poems dealing with Godfrey's early life.

Following the capture of Antioch, Corbaran returns home with the Christian chétifs ("captives"). Corbaran is accused of treason by the sultan for losing the battle, and one of the Christian prisoners must fight a duel in his place. The chétifs then attack and kill the dragon Sathanas, in perhaps the most fanciful episode of the cycle. The dragon is a Legendary creature of which some interpretation or depiction appears in almost every culture worldwide In a third episode, Arpin of Bourges saves Corbaran's son from various misadventures, and the chétifs are set free to join the rest of the crusaders on the way to Jerusalem.

The cycle then returns to Godfrey, now outside Jerusalem, who recruits the chétifs into his army. Bohemund is present at the siege of Jerusalem, unlike the historical Bohemund, who remained behind in Antioch. The Siege of Jerusalem took place from June 7 to July 15, 1099 during the First Crusade. Cornumarant and the Saracens repeatedly attack the crusader camps, and the crusaders assault the city and are repulsed again and again. Saracen was a term used by Europeans in the Middle Ages for Fatimids at first then later for all who professed the religion of Islam. Finally the city is taken, but none of the leaders wishes to become king; a sign from God, however, indicates that Godfrey should be crowned. In further battles, Peter the Hermit is captured, and Cornumarant is killed. Peter the Hermit (died July 8 1115 in Neufmoutier by Huy) was a priest of Amiens and a key figure during the First Crusade. Most manuscripts end at this point but some continue on to describe the capture of other cities, the death of Godfrey, and the reign of Baldwin, who attacks Egypt and engages in battles with "Dodequin" (the historical Toghtekin of Damascus). This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics.

There is also a much shorter prose work, known as the Godefroi de Buillon, a summary of the entire cycle. The author of this work complains about the length of the poetic cycle, and focuses less on the fantastical life of Godfrey and more on the historical crusade. It is one of the first works of prose fiction in French literature. This article is a general introduction to French literature For detailed information on French literature in specific historic periods see the separate historical articles in the

Editions

The Chanson d'Antioche was first edited by Alexis Paulin Paris in 1848. Alexis Paulin Paris ( March 25, 1800 &ndash February 13, 1881) was a French scholar and author Year 1848 ( MDCCCXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap Subsequent editors of the cycle as a whole include Stengel in 1873, Smith in 1912, Krüger in 1936, Duparc-Quioc in 1955, Sumberg in 1968, and the recent critical editions published by the University of Alabama.

The University of Alabama editions are divided as follows:

  1. La Naissance du Chevalier au Cygne: Elioxe, ed. Emanuel J. Mickel, Jr. , and Beatrix, ed. Jan A. Nelson
  2. Le Chevalier au Cygne and La Fin d'Elias, ed. Jan A. Nelson
  3. Les Enfances de Godefroi and Le Retour de Cornumarant, ed. Emanuel J. Mickel
  4. 'La Chanson d'Antioche, ed. Jan A. Nelson
  5. Les Chétifs, ed. Geoffrey M. Myers
  6. La Chanson de Jérusalem, ed. Nigel R. Thorp
  7. The Jérusalem Continuations, part I: La Chrétienté Corbaran, ed. Peter R. Grillo
  8. The Jérusalem Continuations, part II: La Prise d'Acre, La Mort Godefroi, and La Chanson des Rois Baudoin, ed. Peter R. Grillo
  9. The Jérusalem Continuations: The London-Turin Version, ed. Peter R. Grillo
  10. La Geste du Chevalier au Cygne, ed. Edmond A. Emplaincourt
  11. Godefroi de Buillon, ed. Jan Boyd Roberts

Bibliography

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