Waiting for the Train That Would Never Come: The Fifth Crusade

Image: The Crusaders' maritime charge against the Tower of Damietta, Egypt

The main enemy of a string of Crusader kingdoms spread along the coast of Palestine was the Mamluk Sultanate based in Egypt. The Fifth Crusade was spearheaded against the hostile power in hope to wrest control of the Holy Land.    

The stalemate stirred unjustified hopes for the global assault against the Muslim world. King David, Prester John's successor, was destined to play one of the leading roles in this campaign. The following extract describes the confused ambiance prevaling among the Crusaders who pinned their hopes on a non-existent savior: 

"After yielding Jerusalem to Salah ad-Din, better known in the West as Saladin, in the wake of the battle of Hattin, the Latin dominion in the Outremer was reduced to a narrow coastal strip stretching from Jaffa to Antioch. The costly enterprise was in constant jeopardy of extinction. Full of determination to turn the tide in the permanent confrontation with Islam and restore the Christian sway over the Holy City, the pope summoned the Lateran Council to proclaim a fresh crusade. 

The bloody military engagements of the Fifth Crusade pitted the motley host gathered from diverse parts of Europe against the standing army of the sultan of Egypt assisted by his royal brothers, the rulers of Syria and Mesopotamia.

One of the most acute problems of this Crusade was the lack of the charismatic leader who could tame the indomitable energy of rank-and-file warriors and guide them to carry out the Mission Impossible of conquering Egypt.

The participants were waiting to no avail for the arrival of the ultimate commander-in-chief, the potentate of the Holy Roman Empire Frederick. For lack of the better, the crusaders agreed to nominate King John of Jerusalem, who was put in charge of the siege of Damietta, a bustling port in the Nile Delta and the gateway to Egypt. A shrewd political leader, the monarch understood that there were not enough troops under his command to subdue the land of the pyramids, which became the transit goal of the occupation force.  

Engaged in the games of honor, the elite commanders would hang their troops in abeyance rather than in action. Meanwhile, famine and pestilence, ravages of weather and hostile attacks took a heavy toll on common fighters.

This bout of inactivity put the invading host at low ebb. Jacque de Vitry, the bishop of Acre and one of the crucial propagandists of the Crusade, recalls that most of the participants "were in the grip of despair." (41) Besides, the number of fighting troops would melt in a seasonal Ferris Wheel of arrivals and withdrawals since the sum of quitters had far surpassed the stock of newcomers. The papal fury reached white heat and a handful of the departing leaders were excommunicated.

The Crusaders’ initial task was to seize Damietta, a river port city perched between the eastern branch of the Nile and a lake, with the year-round access to the Mediterranean. The attackers, who became bogged down in a blockade over the enemy stronghold, were disturbed by occasional bites of the sultan’s relief army. In addition, local pirates endeavored to cut the maritime supply line serving the occupant troops.

The routine of this humdrum existence was interrupted by the arrival of the papal legate Pelagius, who was tossed in the still water like a heavy rock. Those who stood for a fast advance received reinforcement in the person of this energetic bishop who became the guiding spirit of the Fifth Crusade."  

The Mysterious Letter: The Epistle of Prester John

Image: Manuel I Komnenos

Courtesy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manuel_I_Komnenos

The following chapter investigates why the original Letter of Prester John gained so much popularity across the Latin Christendom. The extract belongs to Unit V of my ongoing book, The Enchanting Encounter with the East. 

I'm currently working on Unit VI, the last section which will include five chapters: a general introduction about medieval journeys to the Far East and Inner Asia, John of Plano Carpini, William of Rubruck, John of Montecorvino and the bottom line. 

Sorry for the long interruption in my updates. Here's a new extract: 

Twenty years later, long after the dust of the Second Crusade disaster settled, a bizarre missive was circulating with lightning speed all over the Latin West. Directed to the leading European royal houses, it somehow skipped the most important of all: the Curia Romana. This letter of introduction was penned by the paramount emperor of the Orient who responded to the casual name of John the Priest.

The original version was inscribed in Latin by a West European author and addressed to Manuel Komnenos, the East Roman emperor, a charismatic leader adored by his retinue.

The preamble of the missive deviates from the conventions of diplomatic correspondence, pervading air of arrogant patronage. The writer, who extolls himself as the ‘King of kings and Lord of lords’ denigrates his correspondent, the foreign head of state, to the mock title ‘governor of the Romans’. Moreover, the author censures Manuel’s faith, implying that the Greek ruler allows his subjects to pay him divine homage: “the little Greeks regard you as a god.” 

At this point, Prester John briefs the reader about himself, boasting of his superiority over all current monarchs on earth in terms of his impact, virtue, and wealth. Seated on a high-backed throne, he elaborates on the extent of his boundless empire, announcing that his domain comprises a mosaic of dependent territories: “Seventy-two kings are tributaries to us.” The readers fancied him to govern the world empire since, according to Isidore, the earth includes seventy-two nations speaking the same number of languages.  The sum of imperial provinces bears a symbolic flavor, alluding to seventy translators of the Hebrew Bible and seventy disciples of Jesus.

The royal author labels his realm the Three Indies; it strews across most of Asia, from the borders of Mesopotamia to the unidentified spot where the sun rises over the horizon. The farther province is the land where St. Thomas the Apostle was glorified, i.e. southern India. The overlord’s dominion strings out so far that a traveler needs many months to cross it riding non-stop in the same direction.   

Another allusion to Hindustani geography is the river Pishon alternatively associated with the Indus or the Ganges. This watercourse originates in the Garden of Eden and meanders across one of the imperial provinces, suggesting that it is proximate to Paradise.

In addition, India features as the homeland of pepper, which grows among shrubbery swarming with snakes. When the fruit ripens, the bushes are set on fire which causes the reptiles to withdraw, allowing local farmers to harvest the scorched crops.

The author guides the reader through his enchanting wonderland, spicing his tales with a trove of marvels, like the movable ‘sandy sea’, teeming with yummy fish but impassable for ships and the ‘gravelly river’ which turns pebbles into gemstones. The former alludes to the desert landscape and the latter can imply a rock fall or a mine of mineral endowments.  The writer promotes The Three Indies as an exciting place to take a tour.

Prester John's land is the source of the most desirable commodities and the inexhaustible font of marvels and wonders: bizarre beasts and human freaks, medicinal plants and minerals possessing magical powers. The symbolic vicinity to the terrestrial paradise endows its physical and spiritual integrity. The zeal of innovation does not stir the utopian world. There are neither failures nor gains. The region abounds in natural resources; it even supplies the European markets with the extras. The residents are not spurred by technological achievements or challenged by scientific discoveries

The Galley

The image of the Byzantine dromon from the Naval Encyclopedia

https://www.naval-encyclopedia.com/medieval-ships/

The second chapter of my new project is titled The Galley. It tells a fascinating story of the medieval watercraft and focuses on the rowing fleet in terms of its function and service. 

You can read the entire extract at my page on Scriggler: scriggler.com/Profile/michael_baizerman

More chapters are about to appear but I will limit myself as my main workload is transferred to my second book, The Enchanting Encounter with the East. I have already written about 90 percent of the draft copy and is now doing additional research on medieval travelers to the East and their accounts of the weird and wonderful world that had been hidden from European intellectuals and was worth strenuous efforts to be unveiled. 

The Black Prince

Image: The Khitans at the eagle hunt 

Courtesy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khitan_people

This chapter brings to light the life of Yelu Dashi, the first candidate on the role of Prester John.

This Khitan prince, whose dynasty was ousted from power by a rival nomadic confederation, fled to Central Asia where he carved an empire. His outstanding victory over the Seljuk emperor caused the legend of Prester John to take root among the Latin crusaders. In their view, the confrontation with the Muslim host would qualify the opponent to be a Christian. 

In reality, the Kara Khitai Empire combined the nomadic and sedentary segments who were loosely united by the imperial regime based on a standing army. The emperor declared the freedom of conscience and did not exaggerate in his demands of tribute and troops from the dependent populations. 

The man, who embraced both the Buddhist and the nomadic cultures, had never dreamed of conquering the Near East and protecting Jerusalem from Muslim imminent assault. 

Here is a short extract:

The Khitans, people of Mongolian origin known to the Muslim world as the "Turks from China", belonged to a loose tribal confederation of steppe nomads. Consolidated in Manchuria, they annexed northern China and launched an empire under the leadership of the Liao dynasty. The royal clan Yelu and the nobility adopted the Chinese language and culture and took up the trappings of the ‘Middle Kingdom’, such as the calendar, coins, and seals. However, many of them retained nomadic customs, like wearing traditional dress and haircut as well as clinging to shamanist traditions.

Ousted from power by their former vassals in the early twelfth century, the Sinicized nomads put up with the foreign rule except for a tiny band of fugitives that slipped away to the desert and found temporary shelter in a distant outpost.  This remnant of the past glory was led by Yelu Dashi, a scion of the royal clan, who put on his mettle in border conflicts as an apt military commander.  

The ringleader managed to convince the garrison to take his side, took hold of imperial herds of horses, and summoned warriors from any background to join his camp. His call proved attractive to many desperados who risked casting their lot with a charismatic leader. New followers joined in grooves, and soon the faction grew up into the private army which had no scruples to encroach on neighboring lands. When the leader's initial plans to win his homeland back cracked, he changed his strategy, casting glances to the west. Subduing nomadic tribes along with the sedentary population of Central Asia, the expatriate devoid of any territorial base embarked on a grand enterprise, carving out a successor empire.

The ruler expanded his political influence at the expense of weaker neighbors until most of the region unfolded before him like a red carpet. Called the Kara Khitai Khanate, the new empire included the core territory under the direct control of their overlord and a bunch of vassal states and dependent tribes.

To rule over this "melting pot", Yelu Dashi had to adopt a couple of titles which reflected the special role of the Kara (Turkish: ‘black’) Khitai in pacifying the sedentary and nomadic populations. The head of the state was recognized as the Chinese emperor by the former and as the Gurkhan (Mongolian: "supreme leader") by the latter. The dual image helped the founding father consolidate his power among the debris of the shattered past and the dreams of a new destiny. A glimpse of China, which he offered to his subjects, was a mysterious country that boasted of its social order, classical education, enormous wealth, and outstanding achievements.

A shrewd statesman, Yelu Dashi carried charisma which made his position of Gurkhan uncontested. According to Ibn Al-Athir, “He was a handsome and good-looking man who wore only Chinese silk. His men held him in great awe.” [The Chronicle of Ibn Al-Athir for the Crusading Period. (Ashgate Publishing Ltd, 2010), 363] His powerbase constituted tens of thousands of Khitan households-a safety island in the ocean of his alien subjects. 

The Shadow Crusader

Dieric Bouts the Elder, 

Meeting of Abraham and Melchizedek

Courtesy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melchizedek#/media/File:Meeting_of_abraham_and_melchizadek.jpg

This short chapter ushers in the era of Prester John, a priest-king of a gargantuan oriental realm and a potential crusader. 

The fact that Otto of Freising included this tale into his account of the world history shows its immediate impact. Whether the writer took it as a fact or fiction, this yarn helped materialize the Crusaders' anxiety and expectations on the eve of the Second Crusade. 

Here is a brief extract:

Otto von Freising, a bishop and a prolific writer, didn't intend to amuse his readers with frivolous tales. His twelfth-century chronicle of world history features a battleground where the forces of good are pitted against the swarms of evil.  Nevertheless, he is the author who baptized our character and breathed life into his somber shadow.

                Otto heard a story when he was at the attendance at the papal court which moved to Viterbo, Italy due to security issues. The curia was hosting a delegation of oriental clerics. One of the guests, Bishop Hugh of Gabala (modern-day Jableh, Syria), reported about the faltering morale of crusaders after the loss of Edessa and an imminent threat overhanging Jerusalem. The disaster highlighted the emergency: the Latin principalities in the Outremer were in dire straits, anticipating even worse calamities. They issued a desperate call for the Pope to supply reinforcements.

                The prelate was a well-versed storyteller. To change the tune, he entertained his listeners with an anecdote about a proverbial Oriental sovereign, a cut above any other ruler, who gave a resounding slap in the face of Islam. 

    

                Prester John, a monarch and a Christian priest, though of the Nestorian creed, resides in the extreme east, next to the earthly paradise. The emerald scepter that he wields epitomizes his overwhelming wealth and power. The worthy offshoot of his noble ancestors, the Biblical Magi, he has always dreamed of making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. 

Initial Sightings: John the Priest

Thanks to the summer vacations, I've got plenty of free time on my hands. 

I have started writing Unit V, The Boots on the Ground: the Dogged Courtship after Elusive Prester John.

I recount the well-known legend, trying to find out its historic core. 

In the Prologue, I emphasize the distinct features of this character. 

1. He is elusive; nobody knows his whereabouts. Besides, he is always in transit, attempting to carry out his ambitious plans.

2. He is a mix of reality and fiction. The value of this character for historians lies in the fact that the narrative taps into historical events, offering their garbled version. 

3. He is long-lasting. Officially baptized in the twelfth century, he continued to gain supporters through the seventeenth century at least and because we pick up this topic again and again, he is still relevant to our time.

 I also explain that Prester John's title, king-priest, has a Biblical origin. I allude to Melchizedek, citing the Old and the New Testaments to show the link. 

Besides, I comment on the meaning of "India" for the medieval European audience. It was considered a remote realm on the eastern rim of the inhabited world. It was adjacent to the Paradise and tapped into its wealth. It was the home of countless marvels and monsters. Finally, it was rife with the Christians, though of other persuasions. 

The title of this entry, Initial Sightings, concerns two episodes that precede the official 'birth' of the legend but explain the psychological atmosphere that facilitated the spread of the yarn and its acceptance both in clerical circles and among laymen. 

1. The attendance of John, an oriental bishop, at the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE. He was a member of the Church whose jurisdiction lay outside the Roman Empire and was sent as an observer. My witness is Eusebius, bishop of Caesarea and a participant of the council.  

2. The arrival of an oriental cleric to Rome, where he enchanted his listeners with the account of India and the marvels of St. Thomas the Apostle who, according to the Church record, have baptized India. He also lectured the Roman Curia whose reaction was a little different from the common comprehension. I rely on two sources which refer to the tenure of Pope Calixtus II, specifically to the year 1122. 

 

Image: The tomb of Thomas the Apostle in San Thome Basilica.

Courtesy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mylapore#/media/File:Tomb_of_St._Thomas_in_India.JPG

The Turks in Jacob's Tents (2)

I am happy to announce that I have completed chapter 8 about the Khazars. It appeared to be one of the longest extracts in the whole book. I think that I have managed to relate the history in a non-traditional way.

To start with, we still are unaware of the flow of the Khazar history; what we have got are bits and pieces and each of us is trying to glean from them a plausible plot. 

I tried to use historical accounts of travelers who had visited Khazaria or whose opinion is supported by the archaeological record rather than be supported by legends. The problem is that few Khazar sources available are written in Hebrew and are rife in myths. It does not mean that the entire content is false; however, it is biased and cannot be related at face value. 

With the completion of this chapter, I have nearly finished Unit IV. I tend to write the conclusion called Bottom Line. This makes about seventy percent of the book. As usual, the whole unit will be sent to the publisher.

It is too early to assume when the book is finished. I still have a month of my school leave and will do my utmost. 

Here is a short extract from Unit 8:

The rumors about an overwhelming Jewish polity, which carried a latent threat to the Western Christendom, were not made out of whole cloth.   

    

Though the steppe and the sown were at frequent loggerheads, nobody could deny that Alexander Barrier marked the limit beyond which the religious oppression seemed to expire. The smiling extents of the grassy plains foreshadowed the freedom of conscience.

     The Khazar rulers tended to be lenient in their approach to religious tenets and intricacies of their subjects’ birthrights. They greeted people of any ethnos, speakers of any vernacular, adherents of any lifestyle, and adherents of any faith.

     In the following chapter, we will take a gander at an often overlooked kingdom which has recently abandoned its fixed place at the junk pile of history and embarked on unearthing its secrets and diffusing its charms. We will strive to glean facts from the thin historical record.