The Role of European Women in The Third Crusade After The Liberation of The Holy Land

Abstract

This study sheds light on one of the most important subjects that has not been considered by researchers or historians. It is the role of European women in the third crusade as a result of the harsh defeat in Hattin battle in 1187 and its consequences on the crusade body in the Holy Land in addition to the disturbance it caused to the West.
The difficulty which encountered the research is that neither Arabic nor Western historical resources fulfill the researcher’s ambition and desire to reach the truth. The Western resources justified this negligence or ambiguity to the fact that the participation of the European women in wars side by side with men is a fact.
The researcher tried along with few available historical resources either Arabic or Western to form a comprehensive picture about the role of the European women in that sensitive period of the crusades history and existence in the Holy Land. Accordingly, the research included several areas. The first one is about the role of the women fighters who have been named by the English king Richard the Lionheart “The Palestinians” for their defense of the Lebanese city “Tyre”. This city which the Crusaders sought refuge in after the defeat and the strict Islamic closure over it, waiting for aids and reinforcement just to restore the glory to the crusades. The other area clarified the material and morale role of the European women who supported the campaign and their duties that comprised camping in landsides in Akko in addition to monitoring the fleets in the sea. The most important duties that the European woman carried out during the crusades is maintaining security, and gathering intelligence information about the Islamic side.
Determination and desire to support the crusade soldiers were the main motives for women, as their duties lied in courageously supporting the groups prepared for sea battles against Muslims’ ships providing them with weapons and supplies, in addition to torturing the Muslims prisoners of war.
The final area is about the heroic actions and courage that the woman from Europe had in the land battlefields not only as a soldier, but also as an undercover knight on horse. This heroic action astonished the Islamic side when considering the woman knight fighting hard with courage without fearing death or capture.