By Annette Güntzel Basel
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Amsterdamer Beiträge zur älteren Germanistik 70 (2013), 209-222 Special Issue Section: Saints and Sovereigns GODFREY OF BOUILLON: THE STYLIZATION OF AN IDEAL RULER IN UNIVERSAL CHRONICLES OF THE 12TH AND 13TH CENTURIES by Annette Güntzel Basel Abstract This article is about the first Christian ruler of Jerusalem, Godfrey of Bouillon, and the way he was shaped into the ideal ruler in the Latin universal chronicles of late C12 and C13. Godfrey was not canonized, but even early descriptions tend to present him as a legendary figure. Scholarship has analyzed Godfrey’s presentation as a Christ- like ruler in Old French epics. Since Godfrey was a towering figure of the First Crusade, this raises the question of whether he was presented in a similar way in the influential universal chronicles. Written from a historian’s perspective, this article examines the different modes of description of Godfrey of Bouillon in the Latinate culture of Western Europe. This allows showing the similarities and differences between the examined universal chronicles, including central texts composed in the (Holy) Roman Empire like Ekkehard of Aura and Otto of Freising. There are far- reaching intertextual connections. The text basis of this study on Latin universal chronicles indicates that certain issues in German studies go beyond the German language sphere, requiring an interdisciplinary approach. The figure of Godfrey of Bouillon, who travelled to the Near East in the year 1096 with a contingent of crusaders, and, three years later, was elected the first Christian ruler of Jerusalem, was depicted with legend-like features from an early date. Scholarship has paid due attention to the stylization of Godfrey as a Christ-like ruler in Old French epics and as one of Les neuf preux in late medieval icono- graphy (Wolfzettel 2004; Emplaincourt 1987; Despy 1985; Schroeder 1971; Waeger 19691). His transformation into the mythical founder of the princely house of Brabant, making him the progenitor of the Belgian State, has also been studied (Koll 1998: 55–58; Dierkens 1996; Despy 1985; Waeger 1969: 31–37, 64–74). Godfrey´s role in the universal chronicles of the 12th and 13th centuries, however, has 1 Waeger analyses the picture of Godfrey of Bouillon in the historiography of the 18th and 19th centuries. 210 Annette Güntzel not yet been analyzed. Here I shall focus on the issue of how Godfrey was depicted during the unsuccessful period of the crusades to the Orient, and which glorifying elements were used in historiography. I shall explore whether glorifying elements can also be found in histori- ography, or are unique to other genres. However, before turning to the universal chronicles, the ‘historic Godfrey’ on his way to Jerusalem shall be sketched – as far as we can actually grasp him today. In 1096, Godfrey of Bouillon, Duke of Lower Lotharingia, led a great army to the East (Murray 1992). However, it would be exaggerating to call him the key figure in this enterprise. In fact, the dominant person- ality was Raymond of St. Gilles (Jaspert 2004: 221). It seems that Godfrey’s influence in the crusaders’ army grew once his brother Baldwin of Boulogne conquered Edessa and was able to provide him with money and supplies. Nevertheless, seven days after the conquest of Jerusalem, the crown was first offered to Raymond of St Gilles. Raymond rejected it, most likely with the justification that he did not want to be king where Jesus had lived – a bonmot later attributed to Godfrey of Bouillon (France 1983: 321; Mayer 92000: 58). Godfrey, however, accepted the crown. A few months later, he had himself in- vested as the lord of Jerusalem by the papal legate and Patriarch of the city, Daimbert of Pisa. According to William of Tyre, Godfrey con- ceded Jerusalem to the Patriarch on Easter of the year 1100 (France 1983: 324; Mayer 92000: 62). He probably kept a tight control on the further conquest of Palestine, making large concessions to the church of Jerusalem. He died in July 1100, and his brother Baldwin succeed- ed him as King of Jerusalem. His death nearly coincides with the start of his reception. In the 12th century, the beginnings of a stylization typical for legends become ap- parent, particularly in the Old French epics. Friedrich Wolfzettel cal- led the figure of Godfrey an “exemplary model of ideologically and politically motivated romanticization and glorification” (“Musterbei- spiel ideologisch und politisch gewollter Verklärung und Ranger- höhung”, Wolfzettel 2004: 127). Nevertheless, this study shall concentrate on the reception of God- frey in historiography. The corpus of texts for this analysis consists of the universal chronicles of the late 12th and 13th centuries. These texts were authored in a period of frustrated crusades to the Orient, from the .