Crusading and Masculinites: Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book analyses thirteenth-century sermons that sought to engage potential crusaders by urging them to emulate heroic leaders of the past, especially those described in the Old Testament, such as Judas Maccabeus, Matthias, and Abraham. It aims to challenge the contention that becoming a crusader entailed taking on a type of hybrid masculinity that drew both on ideals of secular knighthood and clerical vocation. The book presents a close examination of the depiction of Bohemond in the influential Gesta Francorum and related contemporary chronicles that draw closely on it. It demonstrates that martial abilities were also crucial to the performance of a high-status masculine identity in Fatimid Egypt. The book examines how cross-cultural contacts between Christians and Muslims influenced the ways in which writers of each faith characterised their adversaries during the crusades.