Fulk V (1089/1092 – November 13, 1143), also known as Fulk the Younger, was Count of Anjou from 1109 to 1129, and King of Jerusalem from 1131 to his death. Events 1002 - English king Ethelred orders the killing of all Danes in England, known today as the St List of Counts of Anjou First creation 870&ndash1203 House of Ingelger Ingelger (870&ndash898 father This article is about the Christian kingdom For the history of the city see History of Jerusalem The Kingdom of Jerusalem was a Christian

Count of Anjou

Fulk was born between 1089 and 1092, the son of Count Fulk IV of Anjou and Bertrade de Montfort. Bertrade de Montfort (c 1070 - February 14, 1117) was the daughter of Simon I de Montfort and Agnes Countess of Evreux. In 1092, Bertrade deserted her husband and bigamously married King Philip I of France. Philip I ( 23 May 1052 &ndash 29 July 1108) called the Amorous or the Fat, was King of France from 1060

He became count of Anjou upon his father's death in 1109, at the age of approximately twenty. He was originally an opponent of King Henry I of England and a supporter of King Louis VI of France, but in 1127 he allied with Henry when Henry arranged for his daughter Matilda to marry Fulk's son Geoffrey of Anjou. Henry I (c 1068/1069 – 1 December 1135) was the fourth son of William I the Conqueror, the first King of England after the Norman Louis VI ( 1 December 1081 – 1 August 1137) called the Fat (le Gros was King of France from 1108 until his death (1137 Matilda of England (sometimes Maud or Maude; 7 February 1102 &ndash 10 September 1167 was the daughter and dispossessed Heir of Henry I of England Fulk went on crusade in 1120, and become a close friend of the Knights Templar. The Crusades were a series of military campaigns of a religious character waged by much of Christian Europe against external and internal opponents The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon (Pauperes commilitones Christi Templique Solomonici commonly known as the Knights Templar or the Order After his return he began to subsidize the Templars, and maintained two knights in the Holy Land for a year.

Crusader and King

The Kingdom of Jerusalem and the other Crusader states (in shades of green) in 1135 CE, during the reign of Fulk.

By 1127 Fulk was preparing to return to Anjou when he received an embassy from King Baldwin II of Jerusalem. Anjou is a former County (c 880) Duchy ( 1360) and province centred on the city of Angers in the lower Baldwin II of Jerusalem, formerly Baldwin II of Edessa, also called Baldwin of Bourcq, born Baldwin of Rethel (died August 21, 1131 Baldwin II had no male heirs but had already designated his daughter Melisende to succeed him. Melisende of Jerusalem (1105 &ndash September 11, 1161) was Queen of Jerusalem from 1131 to 1153 Baldwin II wanted to safeguard his daughter's inheritance by marrying her to a powerful lord. Fulk was a wealthy crusader and experienced military commander, and a widower. His experience in the field would prove invaluable in a frontier state always in the grip of war.

However, Fulk held out for better terms than mere consort of the Queen; he wanted to be king alongside Melisende. Baldwin II, reflecting on Fulk's fortune and military exploits, acquiesced. Fulk abdicated his county seat of Anjou to his son Geoffery and left for Jerusalem, where he married Melisende on June 2, 1129. Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the Melisende of Jerusalem (1105 &ndash September 11, 1161) was Queen of Jerusalem from 1131 to 1153 Events 455 - The Vandals enter Rome, and plunder the city for two weeks Later Baldwin II bolstered Melisende's position in the kingdom by making her sole guardian of her son by Fulk, Baldwin III, born in 1130. Baldwin III of Jerusalem (1130 &ndash February 10, 1162) was king of Jerusalem from 1143&ndash1162

Fulk and Melisende became joint rulers of Jerusalem in 1131 with Baldwin II's death. From the start Fulk assumed sole control of the government, excluding Melisende altogether. He favored fellow countrymen from Anjou to the native nobility. The other crusader states to the north feared that Fulk would attempt to impose the suzerainty of Jerusalem over them, as Baldwin II had done; but as Fulk was far less powerful than his deceased father-in-law, the northern states rejected his authority. Melisende's sister Alice of Antioch, exiled from the Principality by Baldwin II, took control of Antioch once more after the death of her father. Alice of Antioch (also Haalis Halis or Adelicia was Princess of Antioch through her marriage to Bohemund II. She allied with Pons of Tripoli and Joscelin II of Edessa to prevent Fulk from marching north in 1132; Fulk and Pons fought a brief battle before peace was made and Alice was exiled again. Pons of Tripoli (c 1098 &ndash 1137 was the son of Bertrand of Tripoli, and was count of Tripoli from 1112 to 1137 Joscelin II of Edessa (died 1159 was the fourth and last ruling count of Edessa.

In Jerusalem as well, Fulk was resented by the second generation of Jerusalem Christians who had grown up there since the First Crusade. These "natives" focused on Melisende's cousin, the popular Hugh II of Le Puiset, count of Jaffa, who was devotedly loyal to the Queen. Hugh II of Le Puiset or Hugh II of Jaffa (c 1106&ndash1134 was a Crusader knight and Count of Jaffa, who revolted against King Fulk in 1134 The double County of Jaffa and Ascalon was one of the four major seigneuries comprising the major Crusader state, the Kingdom of Jerusalem, according to 13th-century Fulk saw Hugh as a rival, and it did not help matters when Hugh's own stepson accused him of disloyalty. In 1134, in order to expose Hugh, Fulk accused him of infidelity with Melisende. Hugh rebelled in protest. Hugh secured himself to Jaffa, and allied himself with the Muslims of Ascalon. He was able to defeat the army set against him by Fulk, but this situation could not hold. The Patriarch interceded in the conflict, perhaps at the behest of Melisende. Fulk agreed to peace and Hugh was exiled from the kingdom for three years, a lenient sentence.

However, an assassination attempt was made against Hugh. Fulk, or his supporters, were commonly believed responsible, though direct proof never surfaced. The scandal was all that was needed for the queen's party to take over the government in what amounted to a palace coup. Author and historian Bernard Hamilton wrote that the Fulk's supporters "went in terror of their lives" in the palace. Contemporary author and historian William of Tyre wrote of Fulk "he never attempted to take the initiative, even in trivial matters, without (Melisende's) consent". This article is about the Archbishop/historian from the 1100s The result was that Melisende held direct and unquestioned control over the government from 1136 onwards. Sometime before 1136 Fulk reconciled with his wife, and a second son, Amalric was born. Amalric I of Jerusalem (also Amaury or Aimery) (1136 &ndash July 11 1174) was King of Jerusalem 1162&ndash1174 and Count of

Securing the borders

Jerusalem's northern border was of great concern. Fulk had been appointed regent of the Principality of Antioch by Baldwin II. The Principality of Antioch, including parts of modern-day Turkey and Syria, was one of the Crusader states created during the First Crusade As regent he had Raymund of Poitou marry the infant Constance of Antioch, daughter of Bohemund II and Alice of Antioch, and niece to Melisende. Raymond of Poitiers (c 1115 &ndash June 29, 1149) was Prince of Antioch 1136&ndash1149 Constance of Antioch (1127 &ndash 1163 was the Princess regnant of the Principality of Antioch (a Crusader state) from 1130 to her death Bohemond II (1108 &ndash 1131 was the Prince of Taranto and Prince of Antioch from 1111 Alice of Antioch (also Haalis Halis or Adelicia was Princess of Antioch through her marriage to Bohemund II. However, the greatest concern during Fulk's reign was the rise of Atabeg Zengi of Mosul. For the village in Azerbaijan see Atabəy. Atabeg, Atabek, or Atabey (in Turkic languages (Աթաբեկ Atabek is a hereditary For the village in Azerbaijan see Mosul Azerbaijan. Mosul (الموصل Al Mūṣul, Kurdish: Mosul/Ninawa, Musul

In 1137 Fulk was defeated in battle near Barin but allied with Mu'in ad-Din Unur, the vizier of Damascus. Prince Barin is a character in the Flash Gordon stories He is king of a region of Mongo called Arboria Mu'in ad-Din Unur al-Atabeki (died August 28, 1149) was the ruler of Damascus in the mid-12th century A Vizier ( - wazīr) (sometimes also spelled Vazir Vizir Vasir Wazir Vesir, or Vezir - grammatical vowel changes are common in many western Asian Damascus ( دمشق,, also commonly known as الشام ash-Shām) is the capital and largest city of Syria. Damascus was also threatened by Zengi. Fulk captured the fort of Banias, to the north of Lake Tiberias and thus secured the northern frontier. For the city in northwestern Syria, see Baniyas. For the processor formerly codenamed Banias see Pentium M. The Sea of Galilee, also Sea of Genneseret, Lake Kinneret or Lake Tiberias (Hebrew ים כנרת) (Arabic بحيرة طبريا)

Fulk also strengthened the kingdom's southern border. His butler Paganus built the fortress of Kerak to the south of the Dead Sea, and to help give the kingdom access to the Red Sea, Fulk had Blanche Garde, Ibelin, and other forts built in the south-west to overpower the Egyptian fortress at Ascalon. Pagan the Butler (Payen le Bouteiller died 1148 was a Crusader lord in the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem. Karak (also Kerak) (Al-Kerak الكرك is a city in Jordan that contains a famous Crusader castle The Dead Sea (יָם הַ‏‏מֶ‏ּ‏לַ‏ח, "Sea of Salt"البَحْر المَيّت, "Dead Sea" is a salt lake between The Red Sea is a Salt water Inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. Ibelin was a castle in the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem in the 12th century (at modern Yavne,) which gave its name to an important family of nobles This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. This city was a base from which the Egyptian Fatimids launched frequent raids on the Kingdom of Jerusalem and Fulk sought to neutralise this threat.

In 1137 and 1142, Byzantine emperor John II Comnenus arrived in Syria attempting to impose Byzantine control over the crusader states. This is a list of the Emperors of the Eastern Roman Empire, commonly known as the Byzantine Empire by modern historians John II Komnenos or Comnenus ( Iōannēs II Komnēnos) ( September 13, 1087 &ndash April 8, 1143) was Byzantine Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية The Crusader states were a number of mostly 12th- and 13th-century feudal states created by Western European Crusaders in Asia Minor, Greece and John's arrival was ignored by Fulk, who declined an invitation to meet the emperor in Jerusalem.

The death of Fulk, as depicted in MS of William of Tyre's Historia and Old French Continuation, painted in Acre, 13C. Bib. Nat. Française. )

Death

In 1143, while the king and queen were on holiday in Acre, Fulk was killed in a hunting accident. His horse stumbled, fell, and Fulk's skull was crushed by the saddle, "and his brains gushed forth from both ears and nostrils", as William of Tyre describes. This article is about the Archbishop/historian from the 1100s He was carried back to Acre, where he lay unconscious for three days before he died. He was buried in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Sanctum Sepulchrum also called the Church of the Resurrection, ( Greek: Ναός της Αναστάσεως Naos tis Anastaseos Though their marriage started in conflict, Melisende mourned for him privately as well as publicly. Fulk was survived by his son Geoffrey of Anjou by his first wife, and Baldwin III and Amalric I by Melisende.

According to William, Fulk was "a ruddy man, like David. . . faithful and gentle, affable and kind. . . an experienced warrior full of patience and wisdom in military affairs. " His chief fault was an inability to remember names and faces.

William of Tyre described Fulk as a capable soldier and able politician, but observed that Fulk did not adequately attend to the defense of the crusader states to the north. Ibn al-Qalanisi (who calls him al-Kund Anjur, an Arabic rendering of "Count of Anjou") says that "he was not sound in his judgment nor was he successful in his administration. Hamza ibn Asad abu Ya'la ibn al-Qalanisi (c 1070 - March 18, 1160) was an Arab politician and chronicler in Damascus in the 12th century " The Zengids continued their march on the crusader states, culminating in the fall of the County of Edessa in 1144, which led to the Second Crusade (see Siege of Edessa). The County of Edessa was one of the Crusader states in the 12th century, based around a city with an ancient history and an early tradition of Christianity The Second Crusade (1147&ndash1149 was the second major Crusade launched from Europe, called in 1145 in response to the fall of the County of Edessa the The Siege of Edessa took place from November 28 to December 24, 1144, resulting in the fall of the capital of the Crusader County of Edessa

Family

In 1110, Fulk married Ermengarde of Maine (died 1126), the daughter of Elias I of Maine. Ermengarde of Maine (died 1126 married Fulk V of Anjou in 1110 Elias I (also Hélie or Élie; died 11 July 1110) called de la Flèche or de Baugency, was the Count of Maine Their four children were:

1. Geoffrey of Anjou
2. Sibylla of Anjou (1112–1165, Bethlehem), married in 1123 William Clito (div. Sibylla of Anjou (c 1112-1165 was a daughter of Fulk V of Anjou and Ermengarde of Maine, and wife of William Clito and Thierry Count of Flanders Bethlehem ( بيت لحم,, lit "House of Meat" Βηθλεέμ Bethleém בית לחם Beit Lehem, lit "House of Bread" is a William Clito ( 25 October 1102 &ndash 28 July 1128) was the son of Robert Curthose, Duke of Normandy, by his marriage 1124), married in 1134 Thierry, Count of Flanders
3. Alice (or Isabella) (1107–1154, Fontevrault), married William Adelin; after his death in the White Ship she became a nun and later Abbess of Fontevrault. Thierry of Alsace (Dietrich (c 1099 &ndash January 17, 1168) in Flanders known as Diederik van den Elzas, was Count of Flanders from 1128 Matilda of Anjou, also known as Isabella d'Anjou and Alice (c William (1103– 25 November 1120) surnamed Adelin (alternately rendered as Adelinus, Adelingus, Audelin or Ætheling The White Ship (or its real name la Blanche-Nef) a twelfth-century vessel sank in the English Channel near the Normandy coast off Barfleur Fontevraud Abbey (or Fontevrault Abbey) is located in the village of Fontevraud-l'Abbaye, near Chinon, in Anjou, France.
4. Elias II of Maine (died 1151)

His second wife was Melisende, Queen of Jerusalem

1. Baldwin III of Jerusalem
2. Amalric I of Jerusalem

Sources

• Orderic Vitalis
• Robert of Torigny
• William of Tyre
• Medieval Women, edited by Derek Baker, the Ecclesiastical History Society, 1978
• Payne, Robert. Elias (also Hélie or Élie; died 15 January 1151) was the younger son of Fulk V of Anjou and his first wife Eremburga daughter Melisende of Jerusalem (1105 &ndash September 11, 1161) was Queen of Jerusalem from 1131 to 1153 Baldwin III of Jerusalem (1130 &ndash February 10, 1162) was king of Jerusalem from 1143&ndash1162 Amalric I of Jerusalem (also Amaury or Aimery) (1136 &ndash July 11 1174) was King of Jerusalem 1162&ndash1174 and Count of Orderic Vitalis (1075&ndashc 1142 was an English chronicler who wrote one of the great contemporary Chronicles of 11th and 12th century Normandy and Robert of Torigni was a Norman monk and chronicler He was born at Torigni-sur-Vire in central Normandy, at an unknown date This article is about the Archbishop/historian from the 1100s The Dream and the Tomb, 1984
• The Damascus Chronicle of Crusades, trans. H. A. R. Gibb, 1932.

Historical Fiction

• Judith Tarr, "Queen of Swords", A Forge Book, Published by Tom Doherty LLC. Judith Tarr (born 1955) is an American Author, best known for her Fantasy books , 1997