Weapons..
This type of weapons were used in the crusades to hack and cut through foes, usually resulting in large
amounts of damage to the reciever of the blow.
Scimitar
This medieval weapon was the main cutting weapon used during the crusades. It was a standard sword, and was
mainly used for hacking and slashing at opponents for large amounts of damage.
Battle Axes
This medieval weapon was used during the crusades against foes to deal tremendous damage. They were either
single or double handed, and either king could hack off the limbs of an opponent fairly easily.
Pike
A pike was a plain weapon during the crusades, only consisting of a sharp blade mounted on a wooden stick. This
weapon was also used mainly against knights on horseback like the halberd.
Halberds
A halberd was simply a pike fitted with an an axe head. This weapon was mainly used from the ground against
knights on horseback as well as against pikes.
Caltrops
This weapon was used against enemy horsemen. They were scattered on the ground at a targeted area so that the
hooves of the enemy's horses would be damaged as well as to slow their movements.
crusadesproject.weebly.com/weapons.html
Tan…Jerusalem has always been significant to Christians because of the places there where Jesus
ministered and, most importantly, where he died and rose again. This is the obvious and simple
significance of Jerusalem to the Christian world.
For the Muslims it is considered to be the place where prophet Muhammad ascended to
heaven after his night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem (Isra and Mi'raj). At that locations a
mosque (Al-Aqsa Mosque) was built, as well as the Dome of the Rock. It is the third holiest
site for Islam, and an active mosque and a tourist attraction to this day.
….Spices, pistachios, almonds, silks, and glass. As well as wheelbarrows, mirrors, rice, cotton cloth,
and coffee SupplementaryOranges from the port city of Jaffa.
Weapons, Tactics and ArmoursThe Christians
In the Crusades, the Christians relied mainly on brute force. Their knights fought in battalions, and
would charge at the enemy in a wall with their lances lowered. They would then pull out their swords
to fight the enemies that their lances did not kill. This tactic only worked if their enemies didn't simply
ride away, and the Muslims, being expert riders, usually just did.
A knight fully armed would wear a cone-shaped helmet with a protective nose strip, a longchain mail
suit (called a hauberk, usually weighing 13.5kg) made of thousands of tiny, metal rings, a padded
woollen tunic (called a gambeson), or a leather jacket (called an aketon), along with a large, kite-
shaped wooden shield. Only wealthy knights would be able to wear this armour, peasants sent off to
the wars would have to make do with what they had, which was usually little or no armour. Their
main weapon was a lance (as mentioned before), and although swords were used, they were very
expensive to make, so most resorted to spears instead. Maces were also used, especially in the first
fewCrusades.
The Christians also used a series of siege weapons throughout the Crusades. The ballista was the
simplest seige weapon, looking much like a large crossbow. It could shoot flaming arrows over
castle walls for up to a range of 450 yards.
The trebuchet was the most powerful siege weapon, which would hurl giant rocks weighing up to a
total of 90kg, from a long range.
Battering rams were usually made from the trunks of large trees, and used to batter down
fortifications such as castles gates and the lower walls.
The Muslims
Unlike the Christians, the Muslims relied on their mobility rather than strength. They would ride out
on their horses, twisting and turning between the enemy, trying to split up the Crusaders' battalions,
so that they could fight them one on one. Their soldiers were skilled at both riding and fighting, and
relied on these skills to stay alive on the battlefield, as opposed to the Christians, who relied more on
numbers.
The Muslims' main weapons were swords, javelins, lances and clubs (not much different than the
Christians). They would also use bow and arrows in long ranged fighting.
They would either wear light, leather armour, or none at all. This was because of their fighting styles
(as mentioned above). The Muslim's agility was their greatest strength, and if they had worn the
protective, yet restrictive armour that the Crusaders had worn, they would not have been able to
manoeuvre around as easily.
Why were the crusades fought……The Crusades were a series of military campaigns during the time of
Medieval England against the Muslims of the Middle East. In 1076, the Muslims had captured Jerusalem -
the most holy of holy places for Christians. Jesus had been born in nearby Bethlehem and Jesus had
spent most of his life in Jerusalem. He was crucified on Calvary Hill, also in Jerusalem. There was no
more important place on Earth than Jerusalem for a true Christian which is why Christians called
Jerusalem the "City of God".
However, Jerusalem was also extremely important for the Muslims as Muhammad, the founder of the
Muslim faith, had been there and there was great joy in the Muslim world when Jerusalem was captured.
A beautiful dome - called the Dome of the Rock - was built on the rock where Muhammad was said to
have sat and prayed and it was so holy that no Muslim was allowed to tread on the rock or touch it when
visiting the Dome.
Therefore the Christian fought to get Jerusalem back while the Muslims fought to keep Jerusalem. These
wars were to last nearly 200 years
Although Christianity and Islam shared the same forefather (i.e., Abraham), the struggle
between these two siblings was never more evident than in the Crusading era of the
eleventh to thirteenth centuries. When thinking about the Crusades, few people consider
the crucial role women played in these unstable times. In the People’s Crusade, although
the women were just as ill prepared as the men were, they too set off for the Holy Lands
in hopes of washing away their sins and receiving glory from God for their effort to
unshackle Jerusalem from the chains of Muslims. While the men made up the fighting
forces on both sides of the sectarian fence, the Christian and Muslim women played a
vital role in the Crusades on the home front as well as in the Crusader lands. Women such
as Anna Comnena, Queen Melisende, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and Shagrat al-Durr through
their actions and lifetime show not only that they are paradigms’ for their time, but also
the butterfly effect they had on the history of the Crusades and world. Women were
often idealized as virgins, mothers, and even temptresses. Medieval women functioned in
society as teachers, historians, writers, prostitutes, artists, merchants, nuns, midwives
and some were even depicted as “the power behind the throne”. On a micro level these
women lived in arguably some of the most volatile times in medieval history.
Anna Comnena, the Byzantine princess is a major source that contributes information
about the reign of her father, Alexius I, as well as the first Crusade. As a young princess,
Anna received an admirable education. She trained thoroughly in the study of
mathematics, the known laws of science, history, and Greek philosophy. Although Anna’s
mother and father prohibited her from studying ancient poetry, Anna found a way to
study the “forbidden” ancient poetry with one of the imperial court’s eunuchs. Therefore
her drive for a sense of higher learning early in life surely paid its dividends. Anna
boasted an unexpectedly well-rounded education that undoubtedly made her one of most
learned women of that time. Anna was the only child for years, and she expected to rule
over Byzantium upon her father’s death. Unfortunate for her, the birth of her first
brother deflated those dreams. She would later be the eldest of nine children.
In I097, Anna Comnena at the age of 14 married an already accomplished historian
Nikephoros Bryennios. Although, Anna would claim that the marriage was a political union
rather than one of love, their union would last for 40 years. Being a historian, Nikephoros
Bryennios had been working on an essay, which he referred to as “Material For History”.
It focused solely on the reign of Alexius I. Nikephoros Bryennios would die before its
completion. At the age of 55, Anna took it upon herself to complete the work of her late
husband, but she would change the name to the Alexiad. The significance of their union
coupled with her background of education, and his background of a historian left a
timeless collection of Crusade history.
The Alexiad describes the military and political history of the Byzantine Empire during the
reign of her father (1081-1118). Crusade history is fortunate once again with Anna’s
education. Her first person point of view into her father’s lifestyle, feelings, and
convictions leaves historians with a profound insight into her father’s reign. The Alexiad is
made up of 15 books that provide clear details of historical accounts that took place from
when she was a child until the death of her father. In the Alexiad, she vividly describes
weaponry, military tactics, strategic battle formations, and historical battles. Anna
writes, “When the Franks became aware of the Sultan's presence, they armed themselves
fully and rushed upon the Turks like lions. And then a severe and terrible battle began.
Throughout the whole day the fate of the balance swayed equally for both sides, but
when the sun set the Turks were routed and night decided the battle. Many fell on either
side and yet a greater number were wounded. After gaining this brilliant victory the
Franks fixed many of the Turks' heads on their spears and marched back carrying these
like standards, in order that the barbarians should see from a distance what had
happened, and lose heart through being defeated at the start, and therefore refrain from
a strenuous battle’. She gave a detailed insight into how she perceived warfare and the
battle itself between the Franks and Seljuq Turks. Additionally, she mocks the victors
with the line about “marching with the heads of decapitated soldiers” as if the defeated
didn’t deserve humanity. As a woman, in her time she understood from her own eyes
what inhumane treatment was. The verbiage she chose when she described how the
Franks armed themselves fully and rushed upon the Turks like Lions, paints a vivid picture
in the eyes of its readers.
Anna lived in an era where women were expected to remain in their quarters and attend
to family and religious matters, yet because of her uniqueness and rebellious attitude
toward the standard way, make Anna’s priceless contributions of valid historical accounts
of the first Crusade instrumental. Not only has it had a tremendous impact on the history
of the first Crusade, it also brings enlightenment and memorializes Anna as a key
historical reference.
Queen Melisende of Jerusalem played a significant role in the Crusades. She was the elder
daughter of King Baldwin II of Jerusalem. Melisende is one of the most influential women
of the crusading era for many reasons. Her role throughout much of the twelfth century
over the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem was one of her marks on Crusade history. In 1129
King Baldwin II brought over Fulk V of Anjou from France to marry his daughter. His
reasoning was, upon his death a male would succeed and rule over Jerusalem. Before King
Baldwin’s death the king altered his plan and suggested that the two rule jointly over
Jerusalem. After the death of her father, now Queen Melisende and her husband jointly
ruled over Jerusalem. In reality Fulk V of Anjou dominated the Kingdom during the early
part of their reign. In the 1130’s, the question of infidelity came up on Melisende’s part,
which provoked a war between the King and Queen. Melisende’s forces were ultimately
successful which would grant her greater authority in the affairs of the city. Apparently
from defeat, King Fulk of Jerusalem always sought her council before attempting to
delegate within the Kingdom until his accidental death in 1143.
During this period she was given great leeway in reviving the arts and in the founding of a
huge abbey at Bethany. In 1144 the Crusader state of Edessa was besieged in a border war
that threatened its survival. Queen Melisende quickly responded by sending an army,
which was lead by Manasses of Hierges, Philip of Milly and Elinand of Bures. She
summoned the help of Raymond of Antioch; he ignored the call because he was
preoccupied against the Byzantine Empire in Cilicia. Although Melisende responded
swiftly, Zengi’s forces were too strong for her army to fend off. Edessa fell on Christmas
Eve in the year of 1144. Edessa was the first crusader state acquired, and it was the first
one to fall. Melisende sent word to the Pope in Rome about the crusader’s loss. As a
result, a second Crusade was called for. The words of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux read:
