Women in the Crusades

The role of Women in the Crusades is frequently viewed as limited to domestic or illicit activities. Nevertheless, significant activities, including armed combat (which was frowned upon by the church), were key roles in the battles in the Holy Land. This article focuses on the First Crusades and identifies known participants. It also identifies some of the more famous women of the later crusades. For a discussion of the sociological and religious aspects of the mixing of women with the generally male crusaders, the reader is referred to the referenced documents. Further information can be found in Women of the Crusader States or in the companion article Crusades.

While many women stayed home to act as regents for their estates, others accompanied their husbands on their quests. Numerous nuns accompanied the priests and bishops that travelled as part of the quests. Still others actually took up arms, an anathema to their Muslim foes. For the later crusades, many women were from the Middle East region and offer some interesting stories, including one of a Muslim woman who fought the crusaders.

The story of women in the Crusades must begin with Anna Comnena, the daughter of Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos. She wrote a history of the First Crusade that is highly regarded as providing a view of the campaign from the Byzantine elite’s perspective, although her work has been described as a family panegyric rather than a serious history. She, unfortunately, was exiled to a monastery before the work could be finished.

The challenge faced by women of the crusades can be summarized by writings by Fulcher of Chartres, chaplain of Baldwin I of Jerusalem, who stated:

“Then the Franks, having again consulted together, expelled the women from the army, the married as well as the unmarried, lest perhaps defiled by the sordidness of riotous living should displease the Lord. These women then sought shelter for themselves in neighboring towns.”

Fulcher noted that a mass hysteria had surrounded the holy quest of the Crusades richly demonstrated by the belief that even a lowly waterfowl led by a nun [see below], had been blessed by the Holy Spirit and would lead them to Jerusalem.

A large number of nuns is believed to have travelled to the Holy Land during the Crusades, but only three are known from the First Crusade, and for only one of these do we know a name. [Note that Riley-Smith uses the term "anonyma" to refer to a woman of unknown name and this writeup does the same.]

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