Peter The HermitBy Lily Marlin

Peter shows the crusaders the way to Jerusalem

Famous as the Preacher and leader of People’s Crusade.

What was Peter the Hermit’s influence on the People’s Crusade

and the First Crusade?

Peter the Hermit preaching the First Crusade, as depicted in the 1851 Illustrated London Reading Book

Contents• Early Life• Description• Possible pilgrimage to Jerusalem before 1096• Role in Preaching• People’s Crusade• Later Life• How different sources portray him• Conclusion

Early Life• Born c.1050? – died July 8, 1115.

• Nicknames: Cucu Peter, Little Peter, Peter of Amiens.

• French priest/monk.

• Not much is known of early life.

Description – What he wore

“ a woollen shirt, and over it a mantle reaching to his ankles; his arms and feet were bare. He lived on wine and fish; he hardly ever, or never, ate bread.” His cape, his bare feet, and the mule he rode were all the outward signs of the apostolic poverty he had embraced and were recognized and revered by his listeners.”

Guibert of Nogent,“The Deeds of God through the Franks”.

Pilgrimage Jerusalem before 1095?• William of Tyre, Albert of Aix and

Anna Comnena record different versions of Peter’s attempted pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

• Tale could have only been know through tradition as writers were born after time.

• Not mentioned in later sources.

Man (Peter the Hermit) meeting with the Pope

Role in preaching

• Began preaching after Pope Urban’s speech in 1095.

• One of many preachers including Robert d’Arbrissel.

• One of the first and most influential preachers.

Preaching of Peter the Hermit

"The hermit set out, from whence I know not, but we saw him passing through the towns and villages, preaching everywhere, and the people surrounding him in crowds, loading him with offerings and celebrating his sanctity with such great praises that I never remember such honour bestowed upon any one."

Guibert de Nogent.

Role in Preaching• Toured Europe preaching

Pope’s message.

• Followers preached in places he could not visit.

• Followers eager to make the pilgrimage and to fight for internal glory.

“While all the princes, who required large funds and great retinues of supporters, were arranging their affairs in an organized and scrupulous fashion before they left for the Holy Land, the common people, who were poor in possessions but rich in numbers, attached themselves to a certain Peter the Hermit.”

Guibert of Nogent, Hallam 1989

Peter the Hermit preaching the Crusades to the people

Who joined the People’s Crusade?• Preaching caused poor and

Feeble to join.• Not only peasants.• Middle-class burghers.• Poor knights.• Foot soldiers.• Labourers.• Tradesmen.• Women, and the elderly.

Peter of Amiens calls for the Crusade, wood engraving, 19th century

“He was surrounded by such throngs of people, given such gifts, acclaimed as such an example of holiness, that I remember no one ever having been held in such honour.”

Guibert of Nogent, Historia Hierosolymitana.

“whatever he did or said seemed almost godlike, to such a degree that hairs were pulled from his mule as relics.”

Guibert of Nogent, Historia Hierosolymitana.

“whatever he said or did seemed like something half divine” Runciman 1951

• Pious, determined, charismatic, passionate, eloquent, generous, ignorant, sharp-witted and courageous.

“.... he was generous in the way he made very liberal gifts to

the poor out of things which had been given to him; he bestowed prostitutes as wives and provided their dowries; he settled disputes and restored peace on all sides with wonderful authority.”

Guibert of Nogent (c. 1055 – 1124) 'Historia Hierosolymitana‘

“This man… had inspired an enormous army of followers, partly from the strength of his reputation, partly by his preaching, decided to travel through Hungary.”

Guibert of Nogent, Historia Hierosolymitana.

“Painted the sufferings of the natives and pilgrims of Palestine, every heart was melted to compassion; every breast glowed with indignation, when he challenged the warriors of the age to defend their brethren, and rescue their Savior: his ignorance of art and language was compensated by sighs, and tears, and ejaculations; and Peter supplied the deficiency of reason by loud and frequent appeals to Christ and his mother, to the saints and angels of paradise, with whom he had personally conversed.”

Edward Gibbon – The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.

Role in preaching• Claimed to be appointed by

Christ.

• Followers wanted to be in Jerusalem when the Lord came.

• Peter organized and guided the followers as a spiritually purified and holy group of pilgrims who would be protected by the Heavenly Host.

Peter the Hermit leading crusaders to Jerusalem

“...There was such universal eagerness and enthusiasm that every highway had some of them; along with the soldiers went an unarmed crowd, more numerous than the sand or stars, carrying palms and crosses on their shoulders...” Anna Comnena, Hallam 1989

Peter the Hermit’s preaching inspires awe and reverence in the crowd of Crusaders

People’s Crusade•Set out before time Pope had given.

•No proper equipment or supplies.

•Followers became unruly and most were slaughtered by Turks.

•Peter abandoned People’s Crusade before Turkish attack to stay in Constantinople.

•Joined First Crusade.

•Conquered Jerusalem.

The few surviving soldiers of Peter’s army apprise Godfrey and his Crusaders about the massacre by the Saracens

On the way to the Holy Land, the Crusaders discover the scattered

skeletal remains of the armies of Peter the Hermit and Walter the Penniless

How sources portray him – problems with evidence

• Chroniclers Guibert of Nogent and Albert of Aachen document life.

• Some say Peter was the instigator of Crusade.

• Heinrich Von Sybel and Jonathan Riley-Smith claim Peter had been Idolised from the time of his preaching.

• Poems have been written in honour of Peter and his followers.

Conclusion• Powerful figure his history as preacher in People’s

Crusade and First Crusade.• Doubtful that people’s crusade would have happen

without him.• One of the most famous preachers of Crusades.• Inspired and led thousands.• Showed attributes of authority, intelligence,

charisma, activity.• Somewhat of a saviour to the common people.

• Life and accomplishments documented in thorughout history (Guibert of Nogent, Anna Comnena and Albert of Aachen).

• Painted as legend.

References1. Halsall, Paul, 1997, Medieval Sourcebook: Peter the Hermit and the Popular Crusade: Collected Accounts,

version of Guibert of Nogent, version of William of Tyre, version of Albert of Aix, version of Anna Comnena, Viewed October 2010, http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/peterhermit.html

2. Ovington, Freya, 2005, CLIO History Journal: Peter the Hermit and the First Crusade, viewed October 2010, http://cliojournal.wikispaces.com/Peter+the+Hermit+and+the+First+Crusade

3. Evans, Michael, 2001, Peter the Hermit and the ‘Peoples’ Crusade’, viewed October 2010, http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/crusades/79579

4. Robinson, Molly, Old French Traditions of Place and Belonging: Roland, Alexis and Tristan: IV. Crusade, 2010, viewed October 2010, http://www.brynmawr.edu/french/294/Pilgrimagechapter.htm

5. Henry, John, 2004, Famous Men of the Middle Ages, viewed October 2010, http://www.authorama.com/famous-men-of-the-middle-ages-21.html

6. Eckford, Teresa, 2009, The Crusades, Viewed October 2010, http://www.likesbooks.com/crusades.html7. 2008, The Baldwin Project: The Story of the Crusades – The Story of Peter the Hermit, viewed October

2010, http://www.mainlesson.com/display.php?author=wilmotbuxton&book=crusades&story=peter8. 2010, The First Crusade: The Accounts of Eyewitnesses and Participants, viewed October 2010,

http://engineerofknowledge.blogspot.com/2010/03/first-crusade-accounts-of-eyewitnesses.html9. 2010, Peter the Hermit, viewed October 2010, http://www.nndb.com/people/588/000095303/

Books:1. Davies, A, H, 2007, An Outline History of the World, READ BOOKS, London.2. Gibbon, Edward, 1802, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, T. Cadell3. Runciman, Steven, 1951, A History of the Crusades: The First Crusade and the Foundation of the Kingdom

of Jerusalem, CUP Archive