yôN`), c.1058–1100, Crusader, duke of Lower Lorraine. He fought for Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV against Pope Gregory VII and against Rudolf of Swabia and was rewarded (c.1082) with the duchy of Lower Lorraine, which he claimed through his mother. With his brothers Eustace and Baldwin, he was among those who set out (1096) for Jerusalem on the First Crusade. On the way to Constantinople, he allowed his army to pillage the countryside, but after his arrival he made peace (Jan., 1097) with the Byzantine emperor, Alexius I Alexius I (Alexius Comnenus) , 1048–1118, Byzantine emperor (1081–1118). Under the successors of his uncle, Isaac I, the empire had fallen prey to anarchy and foreign invasions...... Click the link for more information. . He played a minor role at Nicaea and Antioch, but achieved prominence in the siege of Jerusalem (1099) and was elected ruler of the city after its capture. Having refused the title of king on religious grounds, he was designated defender of the Holy Sepulcher. He won the battle of Ascalon (1099) and brought several Syrian towns under tribute. Godfrey was distinguished for his piety and simplicity. As the first Latin ruler of Jerusalem, he became the central figure of various legends, and his deeds were glorified in the chansons de geste chansons de geste [Fr.,=songs of deeds], a group of epic poems of medieval France written from the 11th through the 13th cent. Varying in length from 1,000 to 20,000 lines, assonanced or (in the 13th cent.
..... Click the link for more information. . His brother, Baldwin I, succeeded him as ruler of Jerusalem and took the title king.
Bibliography
See J. C. Andressohn, The Ancestry and Life of Godfrey of Bouillon (1972).
Godfrey of Bouillon
(born c. 1060—died July 18, 1100, Jerusalem) Duke of Lower Lorraine (1089–1100) and a leader of the First Crusade who became the first Latin ruler in Palestine (1099). He joined the crusade in 1096 and captured Jerusalem from the Muslims in 1099; refusing the title of king, he was instead called Defender of the Holy Sepulchre. He made truces with nearby Muslim cities and fought off an Egyptian attack, but he alienated other crusaders and left the kingdom weakened.
Godfrey of Bouillon
(Godefroi de Bouillon). Born c. 1060 in Bouillon; died July 18, 1100, in Jerusalem. One of the leaders of the First Crusade to the East (1096–99).
In 1087, Godfrey of Bouillon became the duke of Lower Lorraine. In 1099 after the conquest of Palestine by the crusaders he became the first ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, taking the title of Defender of the Holy Sepulcher.
REFERENCE
Andressohn. J. C. The Ancestry and Life of Godefrey of Bouillon. Bloomington, 1947.Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content.
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