Conquest of Santarem and Goswin's Song of the Conquest of Alcacer do Sal: Editions and Translations of De expugnatione Scalabis and Gosuini de expugnatione Salaciae carmen

The Christian conquests of Santarém in 1147 and Alcácer do Sal in 1217 were crucial events in the creation of the independent kingdom of Portugal. These texts, translated into English for the first time, are based on eyewitness testimony and contain detailed information on military tactics and the ideology of Christian holy war. They were likely written by Goswin of Bossut, but also feature the work of several literary friends and associates.

Format: Hardback
Length: 184 pages
Publication date: 27 May 2021
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

The Christian conquests of Santarém in 1147 by King Afonso I and Alcácer do Sal in 1217 by Portuguese forces and northern European warriors on their way to Palestine were pivotal events in the establishment of the independent kingdom of Portugal. The two texts presented here, which survive in their unique thirteenth-century manuscript copies appended to a codex belonging to one of Europe's most important monastic library collections accumulated in the Cistercian abbey of Alcobaça, founded c. 1153 by Bernard of Clairvaux, are accompanied by comprehensive introductions and are here translated into English for the first time. These extraordinary texts are based on eyewitness testimony of the conquests and contain much detail for the military historian, including data on operational tactics and the ideology of Christian holy war in the twelfth and early thirteenth centuries. Literary historians will also be delighted by the astonishing styles deployed, demonstrating considerable authorial flamboyance, flair, and innovation. While they are likely written by Goswin of Bossut, the search for authorship yields an impressive array of literary friends and associates, including James of Vitry, Thomas of Cantimpré, Oliver of Paderborn, and Caesarius of Heisterbach.

The Christian conquests of Santarém in 1147 by King Afonso I and Alcácer do Sal in 1217 by Portuguese forces and northern European warriors on their way to Palestine were pivotal events in the establishment of the independent kingdom of Portugal. The two texts presented here, which survive in their unique thirteenth-century manuscript copies appended to a codex belonging to one of Europe's most important monastic library collections accumulated in the Cistercian abbey of Alcobaça, founded c. 1153 by Bernard of Clairvaux, are accompanied by comprehensive introductions and are here translated into English for the first time. These extraordinary texts are based on eyewitness testimony of the conquests and contain much detail for the military historian, including data on operational tactics and the ideology of Christian holy war in the twelfth and early thirteenth centuries. Literary historians will also be delighted by the astonishing styles deployed, demonstrating considerable authorial flamboyance, flair, and innovation. While they are likely written by Goswin of Bossut, the search for authorship yields an impressive array of literary friends and associates, including James of Vitry, Thomas of Cantimpré, Oliver of Paderborn, and Caesarius of Heisterbach.

Weight: 450g
Dimension: 241 x 159 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367753818