Godfrey of Bouillon was one of the most important leaders of the First Crusade and the first ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. He is remembered as a devout and courageous knight who played a central role in the capture of Jerusalem in 1099 CE.
Godfrey of Bouillon – Early Life
Godfrey of Bouillon was born around 1060 CE, probably in Boulogne-sur-Mer in what is now northern France. His father was Eustace II, Count of Boulogne, who had fought alongside William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 CE and was rewarded with large estates in England. His mother was Ida of Lorraine, the daughter of Godfrey III, Duke of Lower Lorraine. As such, Godfrey was born into one of the most powerful noble families in western Europe.
As a young man, Godfrey was named as the heir to the Duchy of Lower Lorraine by his maternal uncle. However, when his uncle died, the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV gave the duchy to his own son instead of Godfrey. This was a significant setback for Godfrey. With that said, Godfrey remained loyal to the emperor and fought on his behalf in a series of military campaigns, including the siege of Rome in 1084 CE. As a reward for this loyalty, Henry IV formally invested Godfrey as Duke of Lower Lorraine in 1089 CE. As such, Godfrey’s early life was shaped by the complex politics of the Holy Roman Empire and his efforts to secure the lands and titles that he believed were rightfully his.
Godfrey of Bouillon – First Crusade
In November of 1095 CE, Pope Urban II called for a crusade at the Council of Clermont in France. The Crusades were a series of religious wars carried out by Christian crusaders from Europe during the timeframe of the Middle Ages. Beginning in 1095 CE, the Crusades saw European knights and noblemen travel to the Middle East in an attempt to capture the Holy Land from Muslim control. Godfrey was among the first and most enthusiastic of the European nobles to respond to the Pope’s call.
Godfrey’s commitment to the crusade was remarkable. For instance, he sold or mortgaged most of his estates to the bishops of Liege and Verdun in order to raise the money needed to fund his army. He set out in August of 1096 CE with his brothers Eustace and Baldwin, leading a force of several thousand men along the route through Hungary and the Byzantine Empire toward Constantinople. Godfrey and his brothers arrived at Constantinople in November of 1096 CE, where they joined the other crusading forces that had gathered before pushing into Muslim-held territory. As such, Godfrey’s preparation and departure for the First Crusade showed a deep level of personal commitment and religious devotion.
Godfrey of Bouillon – Journey to Jerusalem
The crusading army faced many challenges on the long journey from Constantinople to Jerusalem. Godfrey played an important role in several of the key battles and sieges along the way. For instance, at the Battle of Dorylaeum in July of 1097 CE, he helped relieve the vanguard of the crusading army that had been pinned down by Turkish forces. He also took part in the long and brutal Siege of Antioch, which began in October of 1097 CE and lasted until June of 1098 CE.
After the fall of Antioch, the crusading army was divided over what to do next. Several of the major leaders, including Bohemond of Taranto and Godfrey’s brother Baldwin, chose to stay in the north to secure their own territories. The rest of the crusaders eventually continued south toward Jerusalem. Godfrey joined this group and marched with the remaining army through Palestine toward the ultimate goal of the crusade.
Godfrey of Bouillon – Capture of Jerusalem
The crusading army arrived outside the walls of Jerusalem in June of 1099 CE. At the time, Jerusalem was under the control of the Fatimid Caliphate, a Muslim dynasty based in Egypt. The siege of Jerusalem lasted approximately five weeks. The crusaders built wooden siege towers and ladders to assault the city’s walls. The main attack took place on July 14th and 15th, 1099 CE. Godfrey and his knights were among the first to climb over the walls and enter the city. After fierce fighting, Jerusalem fell to the Crusaders on July 15th, 1099 CE. The fall of Jerusalem was the defining moment of the First Crusade and one of the most significant events of the Middle Ages.
Following the capture of the city, the crusading leaders met to decide who would govern Jerusalem. Raymond IV, Count of Toulouse, was offered the position first but declined. The other leaders then turned to Godfrey, who accepted the role. With that said, Godfrey refused to take the title of king. He stated that he would never wear a crown of gold in the city where Jesus Christ had worn a crown of thorns. Instead he took the title of Advocatus Sancti Sepulchri, which means Defender of the Holy Sepulchre in Latin. As such, Godfrey became the first ruler of the newly established Kingdom of Jerusalem, though he refused to call himself its king.
Godfrey of Bouillon – Ruler of Jerusalem
Godfrey’s rule in Jerusalem was short but significant. He worked to establish a working government in the newly captured city and to defend it against the many threats it faced. For instance, just weeks after the capture of Jerusalem, a large Egyptian army marched north to retake the city. Godfrey led the Crusader forces against this army at the Battle of Ascalon on August 12th, 1099 CE and won a decisive victory that secured Jerusalem from immediate Egyptian attack.
With that said, Godfrey’s authority was always limited. He faced political opposition from the patriarch of Jerusalem, Dagobert of Pisa, who sought to bring the city under the direct authority of the Church. As well, many of the surrounding towns and fortresses continued to resist Crusader control. Without a reliable supply of soldiers or reinforcements from Europe, Godfrey had to rely on the loyalty of the crusading barons who had stayed in the Holy Land. Regardless, during his short time as ruler he worked to rebuild Christian institutions in the city, restore the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and establish the foundations of a workable feudal government.
Godfrey of Bouillon – Death and Legacy
Godfrey of Bouillon died on July 18th, 1100 CE in Jerusalem, just one year after the capture of the city. The exact cause of his death is not fully known. Most accounts suggest he died of illness during a military expedition in the region around Caesarea. He was approximately forty years old. He left no children and had not named a successor. As a result, his brother Baldwin traveled quickly from Edessa to Jerusalem to claim the throne. Baldwin was crowned the first King of Jerusalem on Christmas Day, 1100 CE.
Godfrey of Bouillon became one of the most celebrated figures of the Middle Ages after his death. He was remembered as the perfect Christian knight, deeply pious, brave in battle and selfless in his devotion to the crusading cause. For instance, the medieval poet Dante placed him among the warrior saints in his famous work the Divine Comedy. He was also included among a famous group of ideal historical heroes known as the Nine Worthies. With that said, historians have noted that the legend of Godfrey was in many ways greater than the reality. In fact, other leaders such as Bohemond of Taranto and Raymond of Toulouse played equally important military roles during the First Crusade. Regardless, Godfrey’s decision to refuse the title of king and his reputation for piety and fairness made him the most celebrated figure of the First Crusade and one of the most enduring legends of the Middle Ages.
