Medieval Academy of America

The Western Attitude toward Islam during the Period of the Crusades Author(s): Dana Carleton Munro Source: Speculum, Vol. 6, No. 3 (Jul., 1931), pp. 329-343 Published by: Medieval Academy of America Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2848507 . Accessed: 28/03/2013 11:20
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SPECULUM
BY DANA CARLETON MUNRO

A JOURNALOF MEDIAEVAL STUDIES
THE WESTERN ATTITUDE TOWARD ISLAM DURING THE PERIOD OF THE CRUSADES1

AT THE timeoftheFirstCrusade,verylittlewasknown westin
Christians been fighting had againstthe followers the Prophet of andhowmany pilgrims visited HolyLand. In theaccounts had the ofthepilgrimages is little anyinformation theProphet if there about or thebeliefs Islam and verylittleaboutthe character cusof and tomsoftheSaracens. Whatlittle said in theearlier is accounts is A favorable. passagefrom Bernard Wisehas often the beenquoted, 'The Christians paganshave theresuchpeace between and them, thatifI shouldgo a journey, in thejourney camelor ass and my which carries baggage my should and I should die, leaveeverything there without guard, a and go to thenexttownto getanother, on I my return shouldfindall myproperty untouched.'In general, exceptfora short periodearlyin the eleventh whenthe century madHakimpersecuted Jews and Christians, both were pilgrims not and allowed to the persecuted theMuslims were by freely visit Holy and Sepulchre otherspotshallowed the eventsof the Old and by New Testaments.Whenlargebandswithevidences wealth of bewas ganto go on pilgrimages, cupidity theBedouins aroused. the of The attackon BishopGunther hiscompanions thepilgrimand on was but age in 1064-1065 theoutstanding instance; it is to be noted thattheywererescued a Saracenforce soon as their as by plight was known.Joranson thattheaccountof brings veryacutely out 'theharrowing and was of experiences' Gunther hisassociates writ1 PresideIntial address read OF AMERICA, 2

seem strange, Prutz pointsout2,whenwe considerhow long the as

ernEuropeabouttheMuslimsand theirreligion. This may

der (Berlin, 1883), p. 72. HI.Prutz, Ki1turgeschichte Kreuzziige 329

April 25, 1931.

at the Sixth Annual Meeting of the MEDIAEVAL

ACADEMY

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330

The Western Attitude TowardIslam

ten about the year 1075,that is, just at the timewhenPope Gregory VII announced'the projectof an armedexpedition against the enemies of God,' whichhe stated in one of his letterswas 'designedto go to the Lord's Sepulchre.'1 Thus the inceptionof the crusading movementwas accompaniedby propaganda to excite the passions of the Christiansagainst the Muslims. How farsuchpropagandawas used by Pope Urban II is uncertain. At the Council of Clernmont, spoke more or less definitely he about the sufferings their fellow Christiansin the East. Fulcher of of Chartres,who was livingin the Holy Land when he wrotehis account of the speech, represented Urban as saying that the Turks 'have killedand capturedmany, have destroyedthe chupchesand devastated the Kingdomof God.' The ArchbishopBaldric of Dol makes thePope speak indefinitely 'diresufferings, of and scourgings,