Jerusalem in Medieval Narrative (Cambridge Studies in Medieval Literature, Series Number 72)

"During the early medieval period, crusading brought about new ways of writing about the city of Jerusalem in Europe. By creating texts that embellished the historical relationship between the Holy City and England, English authors endowed their nation with a reputation of power and importance. In Jerusalem in Medieval Narrative, Suzanne Yeager identifies the growth of medieval propaganda aimed at rousing interest in crusading, and analyzes how fourteenth-century writers refashioned their sources to create a substantive (if fictive) English role in the fight for Jerusalem. Centering on medieval identity, this study offers new assessments of some of the fourteenth century's most popular works, including English pilgrim itineraries, political treatises, the romances Richard, Coeur de Lion and The Siege of Jerusalem, and the prose Book of Sir John Mandeville. This study will be an essential resource for the study of medieval literary history, travel, crusade, and the place of Jerusalem."--Publisher's description Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Series-title......Page 4 Title......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Contents......Page 7 Acknowledgments......Page 8 Abbreviations......Page 10 Introduction: texts and contexts......Page 13 Imagining Jerusalem in fourteenth-century England......Page 14 English pilgrims and the negotiations of Jerusalem travel......Page 16 English crusading identities: origins and contexts......Page 18 The holy city as guarantor of sacral identity: the Jerusalem relation......Page 21 Negotiating the past: remembering Jerusalem, refining history......Page 23 Virtual travel to Jerusalem in the middle ages......Page 25 Past scholarly approaches: the context......Page 27 CHAPTER 1 Pilgrimage to Jerusalem: three accounts by English authors......Page 29 Who were the writers?......Page 32 Textual community in English pilgrim accounts: sharing the sources......Page 33 Wey's methodology: creating a user-friendly guide......Page 35 Writing travel: what to expect on pilgrimage......Page 36 Writing Jerusalem: memorializing the heart of the pilgrimage......Page 40 Developing Christian communitas: cultural interactions with the other......Page 46 Tourism and pilgrimage: situating Jerusalem in later accounts......Page 55 CHAPTER 2 Craving heritage: portrayals of Richard I and the English quest for Jerusalem in Richard, Coer de Lyon......Page 60 The background of Richard's romance......Page 63 Richard's historical character and involvement in the Third Crusade......Page 65 Reinventing the past: the poetic Richard, cannibal, and "Christianissimus rex"......Page 66 The construction of Richard's Jerusalem relation......Page 75 The unfavorable portrayal of Philip: questioning French kingship......Page 77 Ownership of Jerusalem: the test and sign of divine favor......Page 83 Jerusalem and France as English inheritance......Page 87 CHAPTER 3 The crusade of the soul in The Siege of Jerusalem......Page 90 Religious identity in the Siege: portraying Jews and Romans creatively......Page 91 Rome: toward a literal reading of the Siege......Page 93 Typology and the Christian assimilation of Josephus: crusade as prophecy fulfillment......Page 99 Shifting cultural identities: from Jerusalem to Rome......Page 102 Exegetical influences in England: interpreting the historical siege of Jerusalem......Page 104 The Siege as Devotional and Political Text for Affective Use......Page 114 Saving the Jewish City, Saving the Christian Soul......Page 118 CHAPTER 4 The Book of Sir John Mandeville: text of pilgrimage and spiritual reform......Page 120 Textual background: Mandeville's identity and the Book's "English" reception......Page 121 The role of Jerusalem in the Book: sacred object and religious center......Page 123 Geographic centrality and its relation to religious devotion......Page 128 The Book of John Mandeville and regaining the center......Page 130 Conquering Jerusalem: tactical strategies and the Book......Page 137 Re-reading Mandeville: the Book as cure for the soul......Page 141 Pilgrimage and crusade of the soul: the importance of place......Page 144 CHAPTER 5 Beyond the Celestial and Terrestrial Jerusalem: the Promised Land in western Christendom......Page 147 Guillaume de Deguileville's Jerusalem as an internal destination of private peace......Page 150 Reifying the Jerusalem pilgrimage: progressing by disposition, transcending landscape......Page 162 Philippe de Mézières' Jerusalem as an external destination and end to the war......Page 165 Conclusion......Page 176 INTRODUCTION: TEXTS AND CONTEXTS......Page 185 1. PILGRIMAGE TO JERUSALEM: THREE ACCOUNTS BY ENGLISH AUTHORS......Page 189 2. CRAVING HERITAGE: PORTRAYALS OF RICHARD I AND THE ENGLISH QUEST FOR JERUSALEM IN RICHARD, COER DE LYON......Page 196 3. THE CRUSADE OF THE SOUL IN THE SIEGE OF JERUSALEM......Page 204 4. THE BOOK OF SIR JOHN MANDEVILLE: TEXT OF PILGRIMAGE AND SPIRITUAL REFORM......Page 212 5 . BEYOND THE CELESTIAL AND TERRESTRIAL JERUSALEM: THE PROMISED LAND IN WESTERN CHRI STENDOM......Page 223 CONCLUSION......Page 227 PRIMARY SOURCES......Page 231 SECONDARY SOURCES......Page 242 Index......Page 260 Cover 1 Half-title 3 Series-title 4 Title 5 Copyright 6 Contents 7 Acknowledgments 8 Abbreviations 10 Introduction: texts and contexts 13 Imagining Jerusalem in fourteenth-century England 14 English pilgrims and the negotiations of Jerusalem travel 16 English crusading identities: origins and contexts 18 The holy city as guarantor of sacral identity: the Jerusalem relation 21 Negotiating the past: remembering Jerusalem, refining history 23 Virtual travel to Jerusalem in the middle ages 25 Past scholarly approaches: the context 27 CHAPTER 1 Pilgrimage to Jerusalem: three accounts by English authors 29 Who were the writers? 32 Textual community in English pilgrim accounts: sharing the sources 33 Wey's methodology: creating a user-friendly guide 35 Writing travel: what to expect on pilgrimage 36 Writing Jerusalem: memorializing the heart of the pilgrimage 40 Developing Christian communitas: cultural interactions with the other 46 Tourism and pilgrimage: situating Jerusalem in later accounts 55 CHAPTER 2 Craving heritage: portrayals of Richard I and the English quest for Jerusalem in Richard, Coer de Lyon 60 The background of Richard's romance 63 Richard's historical character and involvement in the Third Crusade 65 Reinventing the past: the poetic Richard, cannibal, and "Christianissimus rex" 66 The construction of Richard's Jerusalem relation 75 The unfavorable portrayal of Philip: questioning French kingship 77 Ownership of Jerusalem: the test and sign of divine favor 83 Jerusalem and France as English inheritance 87 CHAPTER 3 The crusade of the soul in The Siege of Jerusalem 90 Religious identity in the Siege: portraying Jews and Romans creatively 91 Rome: toward a literal reading of the Siege 93 Typology and the Christian assimilation of Josephus: crusade as prophecy fulfillment 99 Shifting cultural identities: from Jerusalem to Rome 102 Exegetical influences in England: interpreting the historical siege of Jerusalem 104 The Siege as Devotional and Political Text for Affective Use 114 Saving the Jewish City, Saving the Christian Soul 118 CHAPTER 4 The Book of Sir John Mandeville: text of pilgrimage and spiritual reform 120 Textual background: Mandeville's identity and the Book's "English" reception 121 The role of Jerusalem in the Book: sacred object and religious center 123 Geographic centrality and its relation to religious devotion 128 The Book of John Mandeville and regaining the center 130 Conquering Jerusalem: tactical strategies and the Book 137 Re-reading Mandeville: the Book as cure for the soul 141 Pilgrimage and crusade of the soul: the importance of place 144 CHAPTER 5 Beyond the Celestial and Terrestrial Jerusalem: the Promised Land in western Christendom 147 Guillaume de Deguileville's Jerusalem as an internal destination of private peace 150 Reifying the Jerusalem pilgrimage: progressing by disposition, transcending landscape 162 Philippe de Mézières' Jerusalem as an external destination and end to the war 165 Conclusion 176 Notes 185 INTRODUCTION: TEXTS AND CONTEXTS 185 1. PILGRIMAGE TO JERUSALEM: THREE ACCOUNTS BY ENGLISH AUTHORS 189 2. CRAVING HERITAGE: PORTRAYALS OF RICHARD I AND THE ENGLISH QUEST FOR JERUSALEM IN RICHARD, COER DE LYON 196 3. THE CRUSADE OF THE SOUL IN THE SIEGE OF JERUSALEM 204 4. THE BOOK OF SIR JOHN MANDEVILLE: TEXT OF PILGRIMAGE AND SPIRITUAL REFORM 212 5 . BEYOND THE CELESTIAL AND TERRESTRIAL JERUSALEM: THE PROMISED LAND IN WESTERN CHRI STENDOM 223 CONCLUSION 227 Bibliography 231 PRIMARY SOURCES 231 SECONDARY SOURCES 242 Index 260 During the early medieval period, crusading brought about new ways of writing about the city of Jerusalem in Europe. By creating texts that embellished the historical relationship between the Holy City and England, English authors endowed their nation with a reputation of power and importance. In Jerusalem in Medieval Narrative, Suzanne Yeager identifies the growth of medieval propaganda aimed at rousing interest in crusading, and analyses how fourteenth-century writers refashioned their sources to create a substantive (if fictive) English role in the fight for Jerusalem. Centring on medieval identity, this study offers assessments of some of the fourteenth century's most popular works, including English pilgrim itineraries, political treatises, the romances Richard, Coeur de Lion and The Siege of Jerusalem, and the prose Book of Sir John Mandeville. This study will be an essential resource for the study of medieval literary history, travel, crusade, and the place of Jerusalem. An analysis of the representation of the holy city in some of the fourteenth century's most popular works, including romances, political treatises and travel writings. This study will be of great interest to scholars working on medieval literature, cities, travel, crusades, and the history of Jerusalem.