Kobiety i krucjaty

by Helen J. Nicholson, Mateusz Józefowicz (Translator)

Książka porusza temat zaangażowania kobiet w ruch krucjatowy między drugą połową XI wieku, kiedy papież Grzegorz VII zarządził pokutną wyprawę krzyżową w celu wsparcia chrześcijan ze Wschodu, a 1570 rokiem, kiedy ostatnia ostoja krzyżowców na Cyprze została zdobyta przez Turków osmańskich. Uwzględnia działania kobiet nie tylko na bitewnych polach – zarówno jako obrończyń, jak i agresorek – ale także ich rolę w werbowaniu krzyżowców oraz wspieraniu krucjat poprzez mecenat, propagandę i modlitwę.

Kobiety epoki średniowiecza były głęboko zaangażowane w ruch krucjatowy, ale role, które mogły odgrywać i sposób, w jaki współcześni dokumentowali ich czyny, były podyktowane konwencjami społecznymi i oczekiwaniami kulturowymi. Książka koncentruje się głównie na kobietach wywodzących się ze świata łacińskiego, ale też analizuje wpływ krucjat na życie Żydów w Europie Zachodniej i muzułmanów na Bliskim Wschodzie oraz porównuje stosunki między łacinnikami a muzułmanami z relacjami między muzułmanami a innymi grupami chrześcijan.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Medieval, School, Womens

380 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2023

Reviews

[Klissia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is like about the books that are published that researches about the life of warrior viking women ,they
existed or not ?At the end not is well documented enough
about these lives (because theyre were women of course),if you waiting for read stories aboud knight warrior women fighting for her faith ,you will be a little frustrated,women here were not in the centre of the action in battles,but have a important role in supporting financially , caring for theirs husbands,sons or being mediators,diplomats and ruling/managing theirs states,kingdoms in the absence of men.Good work.

[Alexandria · Rating 3 out of 5]

"We may not accept that a demon inspired the woman, but through her disruptive behavior and impersonation of a male demon she gained authorization to preach."

[Gauthier · Rating 3 out of 5]

For obvious reasons, most books on the Crusades have not focused on the role of women. They were definitely not ignored (the stories about Maragaret of Provence's defense of Damietta, Eleanor of Aquitaine joining the Second Crusade, or that anonymous woman who died at the Siege of Acre in around 1190, using her body to fill the ditch, are well known) but we lacked a more in-depth view of their reality, whether they were queens, nobles, simple folks, or whether they went to the Holy Land on their own or accompanying a husband, a brother. Some of them stayed, hoping to see their loved one(s) come back.
Thanks to this book, we now get to understand better the roles that women played during the Crusades. There were many of those: some women helped gather funds, prayed, negotiated for ransoms of captured loved ones, and participated in some military campaigns. The list is long. Unfortunately, the author explains that there is much we don't know and that we probably never will.
Despite this, Nicholson provides us with a good overview in this highly researched book that encompasses the Crusades in the Middle East, Spain, Eastern Europe, and Southern France. There are even some examples on the Muslim side, although those are few and far between.
Regardless, this is definitely a must-have for any avid Crusades history readers like me.

[Cathleen Sarti · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book on the various involvements of women in the crusades - lots of detail to the point that I was sometimes a bit overwhelmed with all the names. But all in all, it also showed the wider society impact of the crusades, the way it formed medieval culture and society, and of course that leaving women out of it, leaves out important contexts and connections.