Helvis of Ibelin
Encyclopedia
Helvis of Ibelin was a daughter of Balian of Ibelin
and his wife, Maria Komnene, who was the dowager Queen of Jerusalem
. Helvis was a member of the House of Ibelin. She was Lady of Sidon by her first and second marriage.
, which made Helvis a half-sister of Queen Isabella I of Jerusalem. Helvis was one of four siblings: although their order of birth is uncertain, the manuscripts of the Lignages d'Outremer suggest she was the elder daughter, and possibly the eldest child. Her maternal grandparents were John Komnenos and his wife Maria Taronitissa. Her paternal grandparents were Barisan of Ibelin
and his wife Helvis of Ramla.
Helvis' siblings were John of Ibelin, the Old Lord of Beirut
, Margaret of Ibelin, and Philip of Ibelin, Regent of Cyprus.
Helvis spent her early life in Jerusalem, though during Saladin
's siege of the city
in 1187, Helvis, her mother and siblings were escorted to live in Tripoli
. Her father Balian remained in Jerusalem and negotiated its surrender to Saladin, but joined his family in Tripoli afterward. They then went to Tyre, where they formed the strongest support for Conrad of Montferrat
, who married Helvis's half-sister Queen Isabella in November 1190.
, a widower over forty years her senior. Reginald had been imprisoned by Saladin and married Helvis soon after his release in April 1190.
The couple had the following children:
Reginald died in 1202, leaving Helvis a widow.
arrived at Jaffa
, he took part in King Amalric II of Jerusalem
's expedition into Galilee
. Amalric rewarded Guy's service by arranging his marriage to Helvis. They married in 1204.
The couple had the following children:
The couple were married four twelve years before Helvis' death in 1214. She had five children in total.
Balian of Ibelin
Balian of Ibelin was an important noble in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem in the 12th century.-Early life:Balian was the youngest son of Barisan of Ibelin, and brother of Hugh and Baldwin. His father, a knight in the County of Jaffa, had been rewarded with the lordship of Ibelin after the...
and his wife, Maria Komnene, who was the dowager Queen of Jerusalem
Kingdom of Jerusalem
The Kingdom of Jerusalem was a Catholic kingdom established in the Levant in 1099 after the First Crusade. The kingdom lasted nearly two hundred years, from 1099 until 1291 when the last remaining possession, Acre, was destroyed by the Mamluks, but its history is divided into two distinct periods....
. Helvis was a member of the House of Ibelin. She was Lady of Sidon by her first and second marriage.
Life
Helvis' mother was the widow of Amalric I of JerusalemAmalric I of Jerusalem
Amalric I of Jerusalem was King of Jerusalem 1163–1174, and Count of Jaffa and Ascalon before his accession. Amalric was the second son of Melisende of Jerusalem and Fulk of Jerusalem...
, which made Helvis a half-sister of Queen Isabella I of Jerusalem. Helvis was one of four siblings: although their order of birth is uncertain, the manuscripts of the Lignages d'Outremer suggest she was the elder daughter, and possibly the eldest child. Her maternal grandparents were John Komnenos and his wife Maria Taronitissa. Her paternal grandparents were Barisan of Ibelin
Barisan of Ibelin
Barisan of Ibelin was an important figure in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem, and was the founder of the Ibelin family. His name was later written as "Balian" and he is sometimes known as Balian the Elder or Balian I....
and his wife Helvis of Ramla.
Helvis' siblings were John of Ibelin, the Old Lord of Beirut
John of Ibelin, the Old Lord of Beirut
John of Ibelin , called the Old Lord of Beirut, was a powerful crusader noble in the 13th century, one of the best known representatives of the influential Ibelin family...
, Margaret of Ibelin, and Philip of Ibelin, Regent of Cyprus.
Helvis spent her early life in Jerusalem, though during Saladin
Saladin
Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb , better known in the Western world as Saladin, was an Arabized Kurdish Muslim, who became the first Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and founded the Ayyubid dynasty. He led Muslim and Arab opposition to the Franks and other European Crusaders in the Levant...
's siege of the city
Siege of Jerusalem (1187)
On July 4, 1187 the Kingdom's army was defeated at the Battle of Hattin by Saladin and only Balian of Ibelin commanding a small number of soldiers remained in Jerusalem. The Siege of Jerusalem lasted from September 20 to October 2, 1187. On October 2, 1187 Balian of Ibelin surrendered Jerusalem to...
in 1187, Helvis, her mother and siblings were escorted to live in Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
. Her father Balian remained in Jerusalem and negotiated its surrender to Saladin, but joined his family in Tripoli afterward. They then went to Tyre, where they formed the strongest support for Conrad of Montferrat
Conrad of Montferrat
Conrad of Montferrat was a northern Italian nobleman, one of the major participants in the Third Crusade. He was the de facto King of Jerusalem, by marriage, from 24 November 1190, but officially elected only in 1192, days before his death...
, who married Helvis's half-sister Queen Isabella in November 1190.
First Marriage
Helvis firstly married Reginald of SidonReginald of Sidon
Reginald Grenier was Lord of Sidon and an important noble in the late-12th century Kingdom of Jerusalem.-Rise to fame:...
, a widower over forty years her senior. Reginald had been imprisoned by Saladin and married Helvis soon after his release in April 1190.
The couple had the following children:
- Agnes, married Raoul (Ralph) de Saint-Omer of TiberiasRalph of TiberiasRalph of Tiberias was briefly Prince of Galilee and twice Seneschal of Jerusalem in the Crusader states in Palestine.He was exiled after an assassination attempt on Amalric II of Jerusalem...
, seneschal of Jerusalem (stepson of Raymond III of TripoliRaymond III of TripoliRaymond III of Tripoli was Count of Tripoli from 1152 to 1187 and Prince of Galilee and Tiberias in right of his wife Eschiva.-Early life:...
). (However, only one MS of the Lignages d'Outremer explicitly states that she was Helvis's daughter; given her first name, she may have been from Reginald's previous marriage to Agnes of CourtenayAgnes of CourtenayAgnes of Courtenay was the daughter of Joscelin II of Courtenay by his wife Beatrice , and the mother of king Baldwin IV of Jerusalem and queen Sibylla of Jerusalem.-Dynasty:...
.) - Fenie (Euphemia), married Eudes (Odo) de Saint-Omer of Tiberias, Constable of Tripoli, Lord of Gogulat (stepson of Raymond III of Tripoli, brother of Raoul).
- BalianBalian GrenierBalian I Grenier was the Count of Sidon and one of the most important lords of the Kingdom of Jerusalem from 1202 to 1241. He succeeded his father Renaud. His mother was Helvis, a daughter of Balian of Ibelin...
, who married Margaret of Brienne, and succeeded Reginald in Sidon in 1202.
Reginald died in 1202, leaving Helvis a widow.
Second Marriage
When Guy de MonfortGuy de Montfort, Lord of Sidon
Guy de Montfort was the younger son of Simon III de Montfort and Amicia, sister of Robert FitzPernel, Earl of Leicester.-Crusade:...
arrived at Jaffa
Jaffa
Jaffa is an ancient port city believed to be one of the oldest in the world. Jaffa was incorporated with Tel Aviv creating the city of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel. Jaffa is famous for its association with the biblical story of the prophet Jonah.-Etymology:...
, he took part in King Amalric II of Jerusalem
Amalric II of Jerusalem
Amalric II of Jerusalem or Amalric I of Cyprus, born Amalric of Lusignan , King of Jerusalem 1197–1205, was an older brother of Guy of Lusignan....
's expedition into Galilee
Galilee
Galilee , is a large region in northern Israel which overlaps with much of the administrative North District of the country. Traditionally divided into Upper Galilee , Lower Galilee , and Western Galilee , extending from Dan to the north, at the base of Mount Hermon, along Mount Lebanon to the...
. Amalric rewarded Guy's service by arranging his marriage to Helvis. They married in 1204.
The couple had the following children:
- PhilipPhilip of Montfort, Lord of TyrePhilip of Montfort, was Lord of La Ferté-Alais and Castres-en-Albigeois 1228–1270, Lord of Tyre 1246–1270, and Lord of Toron aft. 1240–1270...
, who stayed in the Holy Land and became Lord of Tyre. - Pernelle, who became a nun at the abbey of Saint-Antoine des Champs in Paris.
The couple were married four twelve years before Helvis' death in 1214. She had five children in total.
Ancestors
Sources
- Peter W. Edbury, John of Ibelin and the Kingdom of Jerusalem, Woodbridge, 1997.
- Marie-Adélaïde Nielen (ed.), Lignages d'Outremer, Académie des inscriptions et belles-lettresAcadémie des Inscriptions et Belles-LettresThe Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres is a French learned society devoted to the humanities, founded in February 1663 as one of the five academies of the Institut de France.-History:...
, 1993. - Reinhold Röhricht (ed.), Regesta Regni Hierosolymitani MXCVII-MCCXCI, and Additamentum, Berlin, 1893-1904.
- William of TyreWilliam of TyreWilliam of Tyre was a medieval prelate and chronicler. As archbishop of Tyre, he is sometimes known as William II to distinguish him from a predecessor, William of Malines...
, A History of Deeds Done Beyond the Sea. E. A. Babcock and A. C. Krey, trans. Columbia University PressColumbia University PressColumbia University Press is a university press based in New York City, and affiliated with Columbia University. It is currently directed by James D. Jordan and publishes titles in the humanities and sciences, including the fields of literary and cultural studies, history, social work, sociology,...
, 1943.