Women and the Crusades

The crusade movement needed women's money, prayer support, active participation, and inspiration. This book surveys women's involvement in medieval crusading between the eleventh and seventeenth centuries, considering their actions on battlefields, recruiting crusaders, supporting crusades, and defending and aggressing. It argues that medieval women were deeply involved in the crusades but their roles were dictated by social convention and cultural expectations.

Format: Hardback
Length: 304 pages
Publication date: 23 February 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press

The crusade movement required the invaluable contributions of women in various forms, including financial support, unwavering prayer support, active participation, and inspiring leadership. This comprehensive book delves into the profound involvement of women in medieval crusades, spanning from the second half of the eleventh century, when Pope Gregory VII first proposed a penitential military expedition to aid the Christians of the East, to 1570, when the last crusader state, Cyprus, fell under the control of the Ottoman Turks. It explores the multifaceted actions of women not only on the battlefields of crusades but also in their crucial roles in recruiting crusaders, providing financial and material support, propagating the cause through propaganda and prayer, and assuming defensive and aggressive positions.

The book argues that while medieval women played significant roles in the crusades, the constraints imposed by social convention and cultural expectations shaped the roles they could undertake and how their deeds were documented by their contemporaries. While the primary focus lies in the experiences of women within Latin Christendom, it also examines the far-reaching impact of the crusades and crusaders on the Jews of western Europe and the Muslims of the Middle East. Furthermore, it compares the complex relations between Latin Christians, Muslims, and other Christian groups during this historical period.

This book is a valuable resource for scholars, historians, and anyone interested in exploring the diverse and complex roles of women in medieval history, shedding light on their significant contributions to the crusades and their impact on the broader world.

Weight: 584g
Dimension: 161 x 242 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780198806721