A Crusade song (, , ) is any vernacular lyric poem about the Crusades. Crusade songs were popular in the High Middle Ages: 106 survive in Occitan, forty in Old French, thirty in Middle High German, two in Italian, and one in Old Castilian.Routledge 2001, p. 93. The study of the Crusade song, which may be considered a genre of its own, was pioneered by Kurt Lewent. He provided a classification of Crusade songs and distinguished between songs which merely mentioned, in some form, a Crusade from songs which were "Crusade songs". Since Lewent, scholars have added several classifications and definitions of Crusade songs. Scholars have argued for three different classifications of Crusade songs which include songs of exhortation, love songs, and songs which criticize the Crusading movement.Choin 2019.
The Crusade song was not confined to the topic of the Latin East, but could concern the Reconquista in Spain, the Albigensian Crusade in Languedoc, or the political crusades in Italy. The first Crusade to be accompanied by songs, none of which survive, was the Crusade of 1101, of which William IX of Aquitaine wrote, according to Orderic Vitalis. From the Second Crusade survive one French and ten Occitan songs. The Third and Fourth Crusades generated many songs in Occitan, French, and German. Occitan troubadours dealt especially with the Albigensian campaigns in the early thirteenth century, but their decline thereafter left the later Crusades—Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth—to be covered primarily by the German Minnesänger and French trouvères.
List of Occitan crusading songs The following list is only of those songs defined as "Kreuzlied" in Lewent, "Das altprovenzalische Kreuzlied" (Berlin: 1905). Lewent only lists the Crusade songs that have a call to crusade. For a more complete list, see the new database by Paterson. ComposerNumberThe numbering system is that of Alfred Pillet and Henry Carstens in the Biographies des Troubadours (Halle: 1933).Incipit (i.e. title)Date and contextAll dates come from Paterson (2003) and carry various degrees of certainty.Aimeric de Belenoi9.10Consiros com partitz d'amorBetween Battle of Hattin and January 1188.Aimeric de Peguillan10.11Ara parra qual seran envejos1213, addressed to William VI of Montferrat to go to Syria. Bertran de Born80.30Nostre seigner somonis el meteisEarly November/December 1187, or after January 1188, after Battle of Hattin when Bertran thought Philip I of France had made a crusading vow.Bertran de Born80.40S'eu fos aissi seigner e poderosElias Cairel133.11Qui saubes dar tant bon conseil denanBefore August 1219, forecasting an easy Crusader victory at Cairo. Folquet de Marselha155.7Chantars mi torn' ad afanNovember 1194 – 10 July 1195, probably during truce between Richard I of England and Philip I of France, before Battle of Alarcos and the German Crusade. Folquet de Marselha155.15Oimais no.i conosc razoAfter 19 July 1195, date of the Battle of Alarcos. A song about the Reconquista. Falquet de Romans156.12Quan lo dous temps ven e vai la freidorsBefore 1228, during Albigensian Crusade and conflict between Empire and Papacy. Gaucelm Faidit167.9Ara nos sia guitz1203, but probably consisting of parts written at the time of the Third Crusade and some from the Fourth. Gaucelm Faidit167.14Cascus hom deu conoisser et entendre1201.Gauceran de Saint Leidieror Guillem de Saint Leidier234.10or 168.1aEl temps que vei cazer foillas e florsIf by Gauceran, it is probably from before 1267 and contains references to Richard of Cornwall and James I of Aragon. If by Guillem, it dates to before 1183. Gavaudan174.10Seignors, per los nostres peccatzPossibly 1196–97, shortly after the Battle of Alarcos, but perhaps as late as 1210–12. A song about the Reconquista. Guilhem Fabre216.2Pos dels majors / princeps auzem contenJune 1265 – February 1266. Guilhem Figueira217.2D'un sirventes far29 September 1127 – 28 June 1228. Gormonda of Monpeslier wrote a response to this sirventes contra Roma. Guilhem Figueira217.7Totz hom qui be comens'e be fenis1215, after the Emperor Frederick II took the cross on 25 July. Giraut de Borneil242.6A l'onor Deu torn en mon chanAfter 21 January 1188 but early in the year, praising Richard I of England, who is about to embark on Crusade. Giraut de Borneil242.41Jois sia comensamensAfter 1187, 1190 suggested. Guiraut Riquier248.48Karitatz / et amors e fes1276.Lanfranc Cigala282.20Quan vei far bon fag plazentier1244–45, to celebrate Louis IX's taking of the cross in 1244. Lanfranc Cigala282.23Si mos chanz fos de ioi ni de solatzNovember 1246 – Spring 1248, praising Louis IX of France for having gone on Crusade. Lunel de Monteg289.1Mal veg trop apparelhar1326, when Charles IV of France was vowing a Crusade. Marcabru293.21Emperaire, per mi mezeisAfter the spring of 1148, when some Christian were trapped at Attalia and converted to Islam. Marcabru293.35Pax in nomine Domini1149, after the failed Second Crusade, the loss of Tortosa to the Almohads, and the death of Baldwin of Marash (1146), but before the death of Raymond of Poitiers. A song about the Reconquista. Olivier lo Templier312.1Estat aurai lonc temps en pessamen1267–69, about the crusade of James I of Aragon and his conquest of Majorca and Valencia.Anonymous,formerly Peire d'Alvergne323.22Ab fina joia comensaAfter August 1198, when Innocent III proclaimed the Fourth Crusade, once thought to be between early 1213 – July 1214, before the Battle of Bouvines. Pons de Capdolh375.2Ar nos sia capdelhs e garentiaAround 1213.Pons de Capdolh375.8En honor del pair'en cui esEarly 1213, refers to the Emperor Otto IV, Frederick I of Sicily, and war between John of England and Philip II of France. Pons de Capdolh375.22So qu'om plus vol e plus es voluntosJune 1213, refers to the Emperor Otto IV, Frederick I of Sicily, and Peter II of Aragon. Raimbaut de Vaqueiras392.3Ara pot hom conoisser e proar1201, in celebration of the election of Boniface I of Montferrat at Soissons to lead the Fourth Crusade. Raimbaut de Vaqueiras392.9aConseill don a l'emperadorAfter May 1204, after conquest of Constantinople and election of Baldwin IX of Flanders as emperor. Raimon Gaucelm de Beziers401.1Ab grans trebalhs et ab grans marrimens1270, refers to the death of Louis IX of France on the Eighth Crusade. Raimon Gaucelm de Beziers401.8Qui vol aver complida amistansa1268, urging support for the Eighth Crusade. Raimon de CornetINot in Pillet-Carstens, but Paterson calls it "Raimon de Cornet I", as opposed to a later Crusade-oriented piece mentioned by Lewent, which she calls "Raimon de Cornet II".1332, after Philip VI of France took the cross in July. The Battle of Adramyttion (1334) was a related endeavour.
List of French crusading songs The following table is adapted from Smith, Age of Joinville, p. 17, who cites Les chansons de croisade, eds J. Bédier and P. Aubry (Paris, 1909), p. xxxv. ComposerIncipit (i.e. title)CrusadeNumber of manuscriptsanonymousChevalier mult estes guarizSecond Crusade (1147–1149)1Conon de BéthuneAhi! Amours, con dure departieThird Crusade (1189–1192)13Conon de BéthuneBien me dusse targierThird Crusade7Huon d'OisiMaugré tous sainz et maugré dieu ausiThird Crusade2Le Chastelain de CouciA vous, amant, plus qu'a nul autre gentThird Crusade13Le Chastelain de CouciLi nouviauz tanz et mais et violeteThird Crusade15Guiot de DijonChanterai pour mon corageThird Crusade6Maistres RenasPour lou peuple resconforteirThird Crusade1anonymousParti de mal et a bien aturnéThird Crusade1anonymousVos qui ameis de vraie amorThird Crusade2Le Châtelain d'ArrasAler m'estuet le u je trairai painFourth Crusade (1202–1204)5Hugues IV de BerzéS'onques nus hom por dure departieFourth Crusade15Hugues IV de BerzéBernarz, di moi Fouquet, qu'on tient a sageFifth Crusade (1217–1221)2Huon de Saint-QuentinJerusalem se plaint et li païsFifth Crusade3Chardon de CroisillesLi departirs de la douce contreeBarons' Crusade (1239–1241)5Philippe de NanteuilEn chantant veil mon duel faireBarons' Crusade5Theobald I of NavarreAu tans plain de felonieBarons' Crusade7Theobald I of NavarreDame, einsi est qu'il m'en couvient alerBarons' Crusade8Theobald I of NavarreLi douz penser et li douz souvenirBarons' Crusade8Theobald I of NavarreSeignor, saichiés qi or ne s'en iraBarons' Crusade8anonymousNe chant pas, que que nus dieBarons' Crusade3anonymousNus ne porroit de mauvese resonSeventh Crusade (1248–1254)2anonymousTous li mons doit mener joieSeventh Crusade1anonymousUn serventois, plait de deduit, de joieSeventh Crusade1anonymousDouce dame, cui j'aim en bone foiunknown1anonymousJerusalem, grant domage me faisunknown1anonymousNovele amors s'est dedanz mon cuer miseunknown2anonymousOiés, seigneur, pereceus par oiseuseunknown1anonymousPour joie avoir perfite en paradisunknown1
German crusade songs The following Minnesänger are known to have composed crusade songs:Cammarota 2005.
Walther von der Vogelweide: Palästinalied, Elegy Tannhäuser: Kreuzlied Friedrich von Hausen Albrecht von Johansdorf Heinrich von Rugge Hartmann von Aue Freidank: Akkonsprüche Neidhart
Castilian crusade songs Only one vernacular crusade song is known from the Iberian Peninsula. Discovered in the second half of the twentieth century, Ay, Jherusalem! is a planto or lament in Castilian.Schreiner 2006. It is recruitment propaganda probably connected either with the First Council of Lyon in 1245Franchini 2007. or the Second Council of Lyon in 1274. The anonymous poet laments the plight of the Christians and the cruelty of the Muslims. In form, it consists of stanzas of five lines (two dodecasyllables and three hexasyllables) with the last line always ending in the refrain (estribillo) "Iherusalem".
Notes
Bibliography
Cammarota, Maria Grazia. "Tannhäuser's Crusade Song: A Rewriting of Walther's Elegy?". In M. Buzzoni and M. Bampi (eds.), The Garden of Crossing Paths: The Manipulation and Rewriting of Medieval Texts. Venice: Libreria Editrice Cafoscarina, 2005. pp. 95–118. Choin, Victoria. The Poets, the Popes, and the Chroniclers: Comparing Crusade Rhetoric in the Songs of the Troubadours and Trouvéres with Crusade Literature, 1145–1291. Master's thesis. Arizona State University, 2019. Dijkstra, Cathrynke (1995). La chanson de croisade: étude thématique d'un genre hybride. Amsterdam: Schiphouwer en Brinkman.
Jordan, W. C. (1998). « Amen ! » Cinq fois « Amen ! ». Les chansons de la croisade égyptienne de Saint Louis, une source négligée d'opinion royaliste Médiévales 34: 79–90 . Lewent, Kurt (1905). "Das altprovenzalische Kreuzlied." Romanische Forschungen, 21(2):321–448. Paterson, Linda M. (2003). "Lyric allusions to the crusades and the Holy Land." Colston Symposium. Paterson, Linda M. "Occitan Literature and the Holy Land." The World of Eleanor of Aquitaine: Literature and Society in Southern France between the Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries, edd. Marcus Bull and Catherine Léglu. Woodbridge: Boydell Press, 2005. . Paterson, Linda (2018). Singing the Crusades. French and Occitan Responses to the Crusading Movements, 1137–1336. Cambridge: D. S. Brewer. Routledge, Michael (2001). "Songs". The Oxford Illustrated History of the Crusades, ed. Jonathan Riley-Smith. Oxford: Oxford University Press. .
Smith, Caroline. Crusading in the Age of Joinville. Routledge, 2016.