The Knights Templar are surrounded by legends and conspiracy theories.  Who were they actually? This episode tracks the Templars from their inception as an order of warrior monks in the Crusader state of Jerusalem, to their astonishing expansion into an international organisation of enormous wealth and power.  Along the way we encounter Crusader kings, Bernard of Clairveaux, the white slave trade, the Knights Hospitaller, and the Assassins. 

Footnote: In this episode I mention Krak de Chevalier among the Templar castles because it is perhaps the most stunning example of Crusader fortresses.  However, unlike the other castles I have mentioned by name, Krak de Chevalier was used by the Hospitaller Knights, a brother order to the Templars.

The Crusaders have taken Jerusalem but they face one final battle.  When the men start to head home, the legend of the First Crusade is born, and a massive new wave of Crusaders heads east.  Not everyone wants to go home however; Godfrey of Bouillon becomes ruler of Jerusalem.  His brother Baldwin manages to take control of Edessa, and one Crusader aspires to be not just a prince, but to take the imperial throne for himself.  Along the way there are devious marriages, murder plots, and total disasters as the Crusaders defend their kingdoms in the east.

The Crusaders narrowly escape annihilation when they attempt to fight their way out of Antioch.  Some men credit the miracle of the Holy Lance for their amazing escape.  Divisions emerge amongst the nobles, while the army starves.  Some Crusaders turn to cannibalism, and a fiery trial by ordeal ends the career of a peasant preacher.  The Crusadering army finally arrives at the walls of Jerusalem in 1099, and the stories of what they do when they get inside are hair raising. Faith, violence, hate, and ambition are all rolled together in this dramatic episode.

As Western knights and nobles ride toward Jerusalem, there are many other cities they must take along the way.  Their first battlefield encounter with the Turks leaves a lasting impression on both sides, but they are soon occupied with besieging fortified cities.  Heads are brandished on spears and bodies hang on display from the ramparts. The siege of Antioch comes close to ending the entire crusade on more that one occasion, with starvation, desertion, and enemy armies of much larger size.  Heroic feats, cannibalism, and nearly miraculous escapes are all part of this gripping story. 

The First Crusade became the stuff of legend soon after it finished.  Western knights headed to Constantinople and ultimately to Jerusalem, to rescue pilgrimage sites from the control of Muslim invaders.  The crusade involved close to 100,000 people from Western Europe heading east, in a journey that would cover thousands of miles, mostly on foot.  It’s often told as a struggle of East vs. West, and Christianity against Islam.  The history is more complicated.  What set so many knights off on this journey to the east?  Why did so many ordinary people make the crusade?  Find out in this episode.

Related episodes include:

The Great Schism

The Normans in Italy

The Camino de Santiago pilgrimage is exploding in popularity these days, but the modern travellers are part of a tradition that is over 1000 years old.  How did the Camino begin?  Why did medieval people go on pilgrimages anyway?  From drinking wine used to wash skulls, to pilgrims in chains, this episode explores the world of medieval Christianity, and the surprising traditions around pilgrimage, including why the Camino is booming today.  Support this podcast on Patreon at: patreon.com/evaschubert 

The grandsons of Charlemagne slide into civil war, with thousands of Franks killing each other over the division of the empire.  Though the Treaty of Verdun ends the bloodletting, Frankish troubles are far from over.  Vikings sail up the Seine and sack Paris, finally leaving after being bought off by King Charles of West Francia.  However Louis the German, King of East Francia, makes Viking raiders return what they stole from his territory, and collects tribute money from them.  He may have been particularly disgruntled since his wife took a vow of chastity.  This is the story of a king dubbed "Louis of the Iron Hands" for his extraordinary strength, and the distinctive culture he created in the lands that would become Germany.  

Both the Germans and the French trace their origins to Charlemagne and the Franks. But who were the Franks, and how did they have such a powerful effect on the shape of Western Europe? This episode is a family drama gone wild, as the warriors of Charlemagne's family compete for land and status. Blindings, treachery and imprisonment follow. Our story will focus on one warrior in particular, known as Louis the German.

Roger II has played a high stakes game to secure his crown.  Now a king, he must face the consequences of backing the wrong Pope.  Rebellious barons, treacherous in-laws, and the loss of his beloved wife burden him as Roger continues to fight for his kingdom.  Two emperors conspire to jointly attack him, and the Sicilian navy stages an audacious raid at the gates of Constantinople.  Roger II defines himself as a ruler unlike any other in Western Europe.  His borrowing of statecraft, scholars, and silk makers from the East has his enemies whispering that he has gone full sultan.