Knight Crusader
Encyclopedia
Knight Crusader is a children's historical novel by Ronald Welch
, first published in 1954. It is set primarily in the Crusader states
of Outremer
in the twelfth century and depicts the Battle of Hattin
and the Third Crusade
. The novel was awarded the Carnegie Medal
for 1954.
.
At the beginning of the novel, Outremer has been in existence for nearly one hundred years since the capture of Jerusalem in 1099. However, the Emir Saladin
is uniting the Islamic forces against the Crusader states. The great military orders of the Knights Templar
and Knights Hospitaller
are eager for the fray, but others are concerned that there are not enough Christian knights in Outremer to form a field army while continuing to garrison the castles that protect the Kingdom. Saladin invades Outremer and besieges Tiberias. The weak-willed King of Jerusalem is swayed by advisers to march to the relief of the besieged city across a waterless plain at the height of summer. Debilitated by the desert conditions before the battle even begins, the Christian army suffers a devastating defeat at Hattin. Most of the Christian held fortresses of Outremer fall to Saladin and Jerusalem falls to the Muslim armies.
These events are shown through the experiences of Philip d'Aubigny, a young English nobleman who was born in Outremer. He befriends a Turk, Jusuf, whom he rescues from robbers, and later impresses the king by his superior swordsmanship in a duel, gaining his knighthood. Philip overhears much discussion about the political and military situation. He suffers on the desert march, sees his father die in battle and is taken prisoner.
Philip has a relatively easy captivity in the household of Jusuf's father Usamah
in Damascus
, but chafes to be free. With Hospitaller help he and his friend Gilbert escape over the walls. They make their way to Krak
, the great Hospitaller fortress, after an encounter with the Assassins
. Philip commits himself to the service of Richard of England
and during the campaigns of the Third Crusade becomes one of the most celebrated knights of Christendom.
In the final chapters of the novel, Philip and his company of Crusaders arrive in Britain, where he takes part in a jousting tournament
at Cardiff Castle
. He learns from his squire's father that his family's castle at Llanstephan
has been taken by an ally of Prince John's
and leads a raiding party to win it back.
A notable aspect of the book is the bringing into contrast of the refinements of the medieval Islamic civilization
, which had been adopted by the Outremer noblemen, with the comparatively stark and crude European living conditions of the time, and the suggestion that the returning Crusaders brought Eastern standards of culture to the West.
Carnegie Medal
for the most outstanding children's book of 1954.
In The Nesbit Tradition, Marcus Crouch
describes Knight Crusader as Welch's finest book: "a highly competent piece of writing, the historical detail tightly integrated with the subject matter, the narrative economical and very brisk. The battle scenes are magnificently done". However, he criticizes its lack of selectivity: "Welch was so keen to put all he knew and felt about the Crusades into his book that he dissipated his effects and left a string of loose ends."
Ronald Welch
Ronald Welch was the pseudonym of British writer Ronald Oliver Felton TD. He took the name from his wartime regiment. He was for many years Headmaster of Okehampton Grammar School in Devon....
, first published in 1954. It is set primarily in the Crusader states
Crusader states
The Crusader states were a number of mostly 12th- and 13th-century feudal states created by Western European crusaders in Asia Minor, Greece and the Holy Land , and during the Northern Crusades in the eastern Baltic area...
of Outremer
Outremer
Outremer, French for "overseas", was a general name given to the Crusader states established after the First Crusade: the County of Edessa, the Principality of Antioch, the County of Tripoli and especially the Kingdom of Jerusalem...
in the twelfth century and depicts the Battle of Hattin
Battle of Hattin
The Battle of Hattin took place on Saturday, July 4, 1187, between the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem and the forces of the Ayyubid dynasty....
and the Third Crusade
Third Crusade
The Third Crusade , also known as the Kings' Crusade, was an attempt by European leaders to reconquer the Holy Land from Saladin...
. The novel was awarded the Carnegie Medal
Carnegie Medal
The Carnegie Medal is a literary award established in 1936 in honour of Scottish philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and given annually to an outstanding book for children and young adults. It is awarded by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals...
for 1954.
Plot summary
The novel is divided into three parts: the first part leads up to the Battle of Hattin; the second part, set four years later, shows Philip d'Aubigny's escape from captivity at the time of the Third Crusade, and the final part deals with Philip's reclaiming his ancestral lands in the Welsh MarchesWelsh Marches
The Welsh Marches is a term which, in modern usage, denotes an imprecisely defined area along and around the border between England and Wales in the United Kingdom. The precise meaning of the term has varied at different periods...
.
At the beginning of the novel, Outremer has been in existence for nearly one hundred years since the capture of Jerusalem in 1099. However, the Emir 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...
is uniting the Islamic forces against the Crusader states. The great military orders of the Knights Templar
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
and Knights Hospitaller
Knights Hospitaller
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
are eager for the fray, but others are concerned that there are not enough Christian knights in Outremer to form a field army while continuing to garrison the castles that protect the Kingdom. Saladin invades Outremer and besieges Tiberias. The weak-willed King of Jerusalem is swayed by advisers to march to the relief of the besieged city across a waterless plain at the height of summer. Debilitated by the desert conditions before the battle even begins, the Christian army suffers a devastating defeat at Hattin. Most of the Christian held fortresses of Outremer fall to Saladin and Jerusalem falls to the Muslim armies.
These events are shown through the experiences of Philip d'Aubigny, a young English nobleman who was born in Outremer. He befriends a Turk, Jusuf, whom he rescues from robbers, and later impresses the king by his superior swordsmanship in a duel, gaining his knighthood. Philip overhears much discussion about the political and military situation. He suffers on the desert march, sees his father die in battle and is taken prisoner.
Philip has a relatively easy captivity in the household of Jusuf's father Usamah
Usamah ibn Munqidh
Majd ad-Dīn Usāma ibn Murshid ibn ʿAlī ibn Munqidh al-Kināni was a medieval Muslim poet, author, faris , and diplomat from the Banu Munqidh dynasty of Shaizar in northern Syria...
in Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
, but chafes to be free. With Hospitaller help he and his friend Gilbert escape over the walls. They make their way to Krak
Krak des Chevaliers
Krak des Chevaliers , also Crac des Chevaliers, is a Crusader castle in Syria and one of the most important preserved medieval castles in the world. The site was first inhabited in the 11th century by a settlement of Kurds; as a result it was known as Hisn al Akrad, meaning the "Castle of the...
, the great Hospitaller fortress, after an encounter with the Assassins
Hashshashin
The Assassins were an order of Nizari Ismailis, particularly those of Persia that existed from around 1092 to 1265...
. Philip commits himself to the service of Richard of England
Richard I of England
Richard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes, and Overlord of Brittany at various times during the same period...
and during the campaigns of the Third Crusade becomes one of the most celebrated knights of Christendom.
In the final chapters of the novel, Philip and his company of Crusaders arrive in Britain, where he takes part in a jousting tournament
Jousting
Jousting is a martial game or hastilude between two knights mounted on horses and using lances, often as part of a tournament.Jousting emerged in the High Middle Ages based on the military use of the lance by heavy cavalry. The first camels tournament was staged in 1066, but jousting itself did not...
at Cardiff Castle
Cardiff Castle
Cardiff Castle is a medieval castle and Victorian architecture Gothic revival mansion, transformed from a Norman keep erected over a Roman fort in the Castle Quarter of Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The Castle is a Grade I Listed Building.-The Roman fort:...
. He learns from his squire's father that his family's castle at Llanstephan
Llansteffan Castle
Llansteffan Castle is a castle overlooking the River Tywi as it enters Carmarthen Bay near the village of Llansteffan in Carmarthenshire, Wales.- Prehistoric site :...
has been taken by an ally of Prince John's
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
and leads a raiding party to win it back.
A notable aspect of the book is the bringing into contrast of the refinements of the medieval Islamic civilization
Islamic Golden Age
During the Islamic Golden Age philosophers, scientists and engineers of the Islamic world contributed enormously to technology and culture, both by preserving earlier traditions and by adding their own inventions and innovations...
, which had been adopted by the Outremer noblemen, with the comparatively stark and crude European living conditions of the time, and the suggestion that the returning Crusaders brought Eastern standards of culture to the West.
Characters
- Philip d'Aubigny of Blanche Garde, a squireSquireThe English word squire is a shortened version of the word Esquire, from the Old French , itself derived from the Late Latin , in medieval or Old English a scutifer. The Classical Latin equivalent was , "arms bearer"...
, later knightKnightA knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
, of Outremer - Sir Hugo d'Aubigny of Blanche Garde, a Baron of the High Court of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, Philip's father
- Llewellyn, Philip's manservant
- Sir Fulk de Grandmesnil, Philip's uncle
- Sir Joscelin de Grandmesnil, Philip's cousin
- Sir Walter de Nogent, a newcomer to Outremer, who challenges Philip to a duel
- Sir Gilbert d'Assailly, Philip's friend, a young knight from Normandy
- Jusuf Al-Hafiz, a Muslim nobleman
- Peter de Chaworth, a young squire, taken on by Philip in Part Two
- Sir Geoffrey de Chaworth of Kidwelly CastleKidwelly CastleKidwelly Castle is an Norman castle overlooking the river Gwendraeth and the town of Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire, Wales.The present remains of the castle include work from about 1200 to about 1476. Created as a defence against the Welsh, the castle fell to the Welsh several times in the twelfth...
, Peter's father - Richard de Clare, son of the Earl of Gloucester, Philip's page in Part Three
- Sir Walter de Braose, a cousin of the d'Aubignys who holds LlanstephanLlansteffan CastleLlansteffan Castle is a castle overlooking the River Tywi as it enters Carmarthen Bay near the village of Llansteffan in Carmarthenshire, Wales.- Prehistoric site :...
Historical characters
- Guy of LusignanGuy of LusignanGuy of Lusignan was a Poitevin knight, son of Hugh VIII of the prominent Lusignan dynasty. He was king of the crusader state of Jerusalem from 1186 to 1192 by right of marriage to Sibylla of Jerusalem, and of Cyprus from 1192 to 1194...
, King of Jerusalem - Sir Balian d'IbelinBalian of IbelinBalian 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...
, a Baron of the High Court of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, here Philip's godfather - Raynald of ChâtillonRaynald of ChatillonRaynald of Châtillon was a knight who served in the Second Crusade and remained in the Holy Land after its defeat...
, Lord of OultrejordainOultrejordainLordship of Oultrejordain or Oultrejourdain was the name used during the Crusades for an extensive and partly undefined region to the east of the Jordan river, an area known in ancient times as Edom and Moab... - Raymond 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:...
- SaladinSaladinṢalāḥ 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...
, leader of the Saracens - Usamah Ibn-MenquidhUsamah ibn MunqidhMajd ad-Dīn Usāma ibn Murshid ibn ʿAlī ibn Munqidh al-Kināni was a medieval Muslim poet, author, faris , and diplomat from the Banu Munqidh dynasty of Shaizar in northern Syria...
, a diplomat and scholar of Damascus, here Jusuf's father - The Old Man of the Mountains, leader of the AssassinsHashshashinThe Assassins were an order of Nizari Ismailis, particularly those of Persia that existed from around 1092 to 1265...
- King Richard of EnglandRichard I of EnglandRichard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes, and Overlord of Brittany at various times during the same period...
, a leader of the Third Crusade - Conrad of MontferratConrad of MontferratConrad 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...
, a contender for the kingship of Jerusalem - Roger de MoulinsRoger de MoulinsRoger de Moulins was Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller from 1177 to his death in 1187, succeeding Jobert of Syria.The Hospitallers were rivals of the Knights Templar, but Pope Alexander III persuaded Roger to make a truce with them in 1179...
, Grand MasterGrand Master (order)Grand Master is the typical title of the supreme head of various orders of knighthood, including various military orders, religious orders and civil orders such as the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Orange Order...
of the Knights HospitallerKnights HospitallerThe Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
Literary significance and reception
Published after The Gauntlet, a time-travel tale with a medieval setting, Knight Crusader is the author's first fully historical novel. It is generally considered the first of his Carey series; although the surname does not appear in this novel, the Careys were Earls of Aubigny. The novel was awarded the Library Association'sChartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals
The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals is a professional body representing librarians and other information professionals in the United Kingdom.-History:...
Carnegie Medal
Carnegie Medal
The Carnegie Medal is a literary award established in 1936 in honour of Scottish philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and given annually to an outstanding book for children and young adults. It is awarded by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals...
for the most outstanding children's book of 1954.
In The Nesbit Tradition, Marcus Crouch
Marcus Crouch
Marcus Crouch was a British librarian and an influential reviewer of, and commentator on, children's books.- Life and works :...
describes Knight Crusader as Welch's finest book: "a highly competent piece of writing, the historical detail tightly integrated with the subject matter, the narrative economical and very brisk. The battle scenes are magnificently done". However, he criticizes its lack of selectivity: "Welch was so keen to put all he knew and felt about the Crusades into his book that he dissipated his effects and left a string of loose ends."