The Tragic Crusade of the Children

In 1212, there were two crusades, one of which was French and the other was German, and the end was very painful. It is also said that there is no connection between them, perhaps due to the fact that children are in the majority, and the traces they left on their consciences.

Crusade of the French Children

When King Philippe of France was at the Cathedral of Saint Denis with his entourage in May 1212, a young boy who could snuggle up next to him handed him a letter. The boy was a 12-year-old shepherd named Etienne. He was born in the city of Cloyes, in the Orleannais region. In John, he said that Jesus appeared to him in the guise of a poor pilgrim while he was herding his sheep, as in the verse "Feed my lambs" to the Apostle Peter. He explained that he had given him bread, and that Jesus had given a letter to the King of France to be delivered. In the letter, it was requested to organize a crusade.

King Philippe did not listen to the boy and ordered him to return to his homeland. Etienne, however, was too caught up in the story he told and was in the mood of a savior.

At the gate of the Cathedral of Saint Denis, he began to preach passionately that children would save Christianity, and that a crusade should be organized for this. He was saying that the victory that the counts and kings could not achieve, that he was commissioned by Jesus, would be bestowed upon him, that when he stepped into the sea, the sea would open, as was done to the Prophet Moses, and they would march to the Holy Land. He impressed people, old and young, men and women, with his superior oratory power.

With the spread of these fiery sermons, with the Crusader fire that had already settled in them since 1095, old and young people began to come running from all sides. A large number of children began to join them. Groups of boys and girls, young and old, marched in processions through the cities. Gifts given to children increased participation. A month later they met in Vendome and decided to move to the Holy Land.

Heading the road

They walked with censers waving with the golden "Oriflamme" flag chosen by Etienne. They went on, chanting, "Lord God, glorify Christianity, Lord God, give us back the true cross." When the children's parents and everyone around asked where they were going, they answered "to God" as if unanimously. It was not possible to restrain the children. Some had to return to their homes because they were hungry.

The king consulted the teachers at the University of Paris, and when he issued an order, some of the children returned to their homes. It is known that the church did not intervene, and even those who set out were consecrated by the priests and their parents were pushed aside. According to Munro's sources, the remaining 30,000 children reached Vendome.

Leader Etienne was getting into a car surrounded by armed guards. He insisted on wearing a sunshade to protect himself from the sun. Nobility children were accompanying him on horseback. She looked so holy that anyone who could get a hair from her head or a thread from her dress considered herself lucky. The rest were all on foot. It's been a very difficult journey. Many of the children died on the way.

In Marseille they were received with great enthusiasm. Most of the children were hosted in homes. The rest slept on the streets. The next morning, the children and all the people of Marseille, led by Etienne, gathered in the port. The sea, which was expected and mentioned as the miracle of the Prophet in the story (this time), did not split. Some of the children cried out that Etienne had deceived them by walking on them. Some returned to their homes, the rest persistently waited for the miracle to happen. A few days later, two merchants, Iron Hugue and Pig Guillaume, offered to take the children to the Holy Land free of charge for God. Etienne immediately agreed. They sailed with seven ships.

In 1230 a priest arrived who claimed to have sailed with Etienne. He explained that they were caught in a storm after sailing for a few days at sea, that two of his ships crashed into the nearby rocks and shattered, that none of them survived, and that they were sold as slaves in Egypt. Marseille merchants active in this process were executed not for kidnapping and selling children, but for attempting to abduct Emperor Frederick.

Crusade of the German Children

The leader of the German expedition was a boy from Cologne named Nicholas. The supporters who took action between Easter (April 17) and Petekost holidays in 1212 (June 5); It consisted of men, women, teenagers and children and even young mothers with babies on their breasts. Most of them were young and had left their plows and flocks.

It is not known exactly when and where the groups met. All that is known is that they were in Genoa. The children carried crosses, scepters and inscriptions. Nicholas himself carried the Greek T-shaped cross. The cross did not get any reaction, except for the parents, children were served food everywhere.

On August 25, they arrived in Genoa, numbering more than seven thousand. The crowd gathered at the seaside in the morning, seeing that the sea did not part like the French children, they were greatly disappointed. Although some of them managed to return to their homes, the vast majority either died on the way or were sold into slavery by slave traders.

Some parents whose children could not return sued Nicholas' father, and Nicholas' father was hanged.

Conclusion

This movement, which cost the lives of nearly thirty-seven thousand children, was a tragedy with the support of the people, as the King of France sanctified the priests except for a very small number who returned by order.

Gary Dickson, the author of the relevant article in the Murray Crusader Encyclopedia, states that it was "a stupid attempt that ended in disaster", and stated that it could be "a trap of secret Muslims of Muslims" as one of the reasons. This Crusader Paranoia, which sees Muslims as the cause of every trouble they face and continues even today, seems worth investigating.

References

Dana J. Munro, “The Children's Crusade,” American Historical Review, Volume XIX, (London: Mac Millan and Co. Ltd, 1914) p. 516-523.

Gary Dickson, “Childeren's Crusade,” The Crusades An Encyclopedia Alan V. Murray Editor (California: ABC-CLIO, Inc, 2016), p. 242-244.