La Terre des Sarazins: The Amplified Version

I express my thanks to the Meredith College School of Arts and Humanities and the Society for the Study of Medieval Languages and Literature for support of my travel to Oxford and Cambridge in Summer 2015. My research would be impossible without the able assistance of the staff of Interlibrary Loan, Carlyle Campbell Library, Meredith College. I would also like to thank the readers and editors of Crusades for their helpful comments and suggestions.

Abstract

La Terre des Sarazins (LTS), a little-known memento of the Fifth Crusade, is identified as a letter to Pope Innocent III by an unnamed patriarch of Jerusalem. The report describes the Ayyubid hierarchy, including also a portrayal of the Holy Land and a geography of Egypt. An amalgam of several genres, LTS offers an engaging and colorful account of the extended family of Saladin and the topography of Muslim lands. Four versions of LTS in Anglo-Norman survive in eight known manuscripts. The formation of the amplified version occupied several generations; it is tentatively concluded that it dates from the 1330s. The present contribution sheds new light upon LTS by publishing, for the first time, a critical edition and modern English translation of the amplified version. A broad swath of our text reads like a travel narrative or guide for pilgrims. After surveying the domains of Saphadin and his sons, the geographical program of the amplified version begins in Egypt with brief profiles of its chief cities. The focus then shifts to Palestine and its places, particularly as these are related to biblical people and events, followed by entries on Galilee, Arabia, Idumaea, Phoenicia, and Syria. The biblically significant places of Jerusalem are described in detail, with emphasis on the life of Christ, especially the events of Holy Week and its aftermath. After excursions to Samaria and Judaea, the narrative concludes with concise descriptions of the miracle-working image at Saydnaya and of the Assassins.

Notes

I express my thanks to the Meredith College School of Arts and Humanities and the Society for the Study of Medieval Languages and Literature for support of my travel to Oxford and Cambridge in Summer 2015. My research would be impossible without the able assistance of the staff of Interlibrary Loan, Carlyle Campbell Library, Meredith College. I would also like to thank the readers and editors of Crusades for their helpful comments and suggestions.

4 playnement] planiement R

4–5 tierz de ceo non vouloit] t. de cesti voir vouloit BR; huius nominis tertius Sh

7 diligeaument] diligeanment Ro

15 Et c’est] et ces BR

18 faut et est] f. i est; f. et est R

28 la sainte cité de Jherusalem] la s. de J.; la saince de J. R

30 le patriarche] la P.

31 mil cc xvij] mil cc lxvij BR

34 d’Asie] dase BR; Asie U · vj^c cités] ui^c s cites; .ui.c. cites R

36 Melchisemagach] Melchisemagath R

38 Moise] Moile; Moi le R

43–44  d’un sydoine] dun so sydoine R

52 prement] prennent R

53 Libans] li kaus? BR

56 lé partent] le parcent R

62 tantost] toutost? R

65 message estoit le premier with cancelled or blotted letter before le

68 tierz] ciers R

74 en Damiece] en damiete R · de Damiece] de damiete R

75 Thanin] chaum?; chanin R

78 l’eaue de Nil] leaue du n. R · qe le Rin] qe le mi; qe le ini R; maior est Reno Sh

79  fiens] fiene with s written over -e; fiens R · dés mi juing jusques] d. miiuung j.; d. mi iuing j. R

84 tour de Soldan] i. du s. R  · Et a pié] Et au p. R

87 Puille et Venise] puille de uenise R

94 palmiers] poumiers BR; pamiers D · l’arbre de bamier] larbre du b. R

97 des coulompe] des coulomps R

100–101 et ele prist de fruit] et le p. de f.; et ele p. dufruit R

101 redresca] rerresca with d written over second r

102 couperent et a matyn] comperent et a m.; comperent et au m. R

106–107 aprés le Char] a. ea char; a. le char R

110 allumé] abame; alume R

114–15 Pois feves et blé sont la queillis de la seint Martyn jusqes en l’entree de marz] P.f. et b. ront pur potage so. la fays a la seint Martyn et q. en lentree de m.; P. feues ec b. rout pour potage so. la fais ala saint M. ec q. en len tree de m. R; Pysa et legumina et huiusmodi a festo sancti Martini colliguntur usque ad mensem martii Sh

127 estendy ses rams jusqes a temps] e. ces rains j. au t. R

128 ceux de pays quer se] c. de p. quei se; c. du p. quer se R

130–33 Des fleuves de Damas ... porte saint Semion] Du fleuve de Damas et lun court parmy liben et par le pie darcade et se depart . . . a x mille dantioche (danchioche R) il se boute en la mer Et est appelle ceo fleuve la porte saint Semion; In pede Lybani montis scaturiunt duo rivi qui fluvii sunt Damasci. Abana per Libanum et Archadie plana fluit et excipitur a mari, ubi beatus Eustachius uxor uxore ac filiis desolatus remansit. Farfat per Syriam prope muros Anthiochie currit, seque mari ad X miliaria ab Antiochia infundit ubi dicitur porta sancti Symonis Sh; see Pitts, ed., “La Terre des Sarazins: The Summary Version,” lines 111–14

133–34 pié de Liben] p. du l. R

136 les mons de] les mont de; les mons de with s in mons made from –t R

139 d’autre de] dautre du R

139–40 de Phataly est une cité en la montaigne qi est aussi nommee Phatali Et le flun] de phataly Et le flun E de phatali est une cite en la montaigne qi est aussi nommee phatali Et le flun R

154 Et an dessouz] Et au d. R

158 lingniees] lingnieee R

173 La est le mont] La e. de m.

183 est assise Beite] est ess assise b. R

184 l’ymage] lygnage BR

187–88  ou Chayn occist Abel] ou chayn ou abel fu ocis BR; in campo in quo Abel occisus est a fratre Sh

192 et du roy David] et fu Roy david BR; et David regis Sh

193 cité de Jherusalem] cite de dieu J. R

194 milieu du monde] mi. de mo.; mi. du mo. R · liues de Sichen] l. de de s.; l. de s. R

196–97 il acheta] il acheca BR

204 jour de samady] j. du s. R

209 fontaigne de Syon] f. de gyon R

212 Cedron entre en] c. en en BR

214 en Licostrathos] en lui costrathos en licostrathos R; In loco Licostratos Sh

216 Joseph enseveli] J. lenseveli BR

219 Et se apparut a postres] et sa apparut a p.; et sapparut as apostres R

220–21 Et el mont d’Olivet monta il es ciex voiant touz le xl jour aprés Pasques] Et la monta il es ciex voiant touz le xl jour apres pasques Et tote foiz il monta el mont dolivet Et son amy Roy de Tyr BR; a monte trium luminum hoc est Oliveti Sh

224–25 et de la a ij liues] Et a de la a ij l. with first a cancelled; et de la a .ij. l. R

226 fontayne dont] f. donc BR

228 montaine dont] m. donc BR

233 Sydon] sydon BR; Torrens vel Caverna Cison Sh

237 mauveisté fu trebuchiee] m. su t. BR

240 corucié] corcie BR

248 Can’ et Bethel] can et bechel BR

249 en Bethel] en bechel BR

251 s’asist] la sist; sasist R

254 trespassa] contre trespassa BR; obiit Sh

272 tempté de Deable] tempte du deable R

277 arbre en .j. cortyl qi] a. et. j. c. qi BR; cf. Sh

281 ou il torne en tresdamageuse vengance des Sarazins sanz nombre] aut perpetua sterilitate dampnatur aut in penam Sarracenorum inestimabilis ultio infertur Sh

283 Lamech] lameth BR

297 Belmense] belineuse?; belineuse R

304 el servise du patriarche] ele s. de p.; el s. du p. R

305 c’est Escalonne] Ceste e.; cest e. R

307 Sardenay] Sarneday BR

313 haucent] h. added in left margin R

316 d’Antioche ou les Hassasis] dantioche les hassasis BR; cf. Sh

319–20  Il habitent] Il habitoit; Il habitoit (sic) Ro; Il habitent R

320 autres aussi come] autres come Ro · se il fuissent] se il fuissent with first i scratched out; se il fussent R

321 Et dés qe] Et ces qe; Et des q. R; Et ces q. Ro

322 et a obeir] et ab aobeir; et a obeir R