About the year 1095 there lived at Amiens France, a monk named Peter the Hermit. Peter was present at a council of clergy and people held at Clermont in France when his Holiness, Pope Urban II, made a stirring speech. He begged the people to rescue the Holy Sepulchre and other sacred sites from the Mohammedans. The council was so roused by his words that they broke forth into loud cries, "God wills it! God wills it!" "It is, indeed, His will," said the Pope, "and let these words be your war-cry when you meet the enemy." Peter listened with deep attention. Immediately after the council he began to preach in favor of a war against the Turks. With head and feet bare, and clothed in a long, coarse robe tied at the waist with a rope, he went through Italy from city to city, riding on a donkey. He preached in churches, on the streets, wherever he could secure an audience. When Peter had gone over Italy he crossed the Alps and preached to the people of France, Germany, and neighboring countries. Everywhere he kindled the zeal of the people, and multitudes enlisted as champions of the cross.
In 1070, 29 years before the First Crusade, a group of monks from Calabria in southern Italy arrived in the vicinity of the Ardennes Forest, part of Godfroi de Bouillon's domains. They were led by Prince Ursus. Upon their arrival in the Ardennes the Calabrian monks obtained the patronage of Godfroi's aunt and, in effect, foster mother.
They received a tract of land at Orval, not far from where Dagobert II had been assassinated some five hundred years earlier. They established an abbey there, but by 1108 had mysteriously disappeared, leaving no record of their whereabouts. Tradition says they returned to Calabria. Orval became, by 1131, one of Saint Bernard’s fiefs.
Before their departure from Orval, however, the Calabrian monks may have left a crucial mark on Western history. Included in their ranks, according to some sources, was a man subsequently known as Peter the Hermit. In 1095, along with Pope Urban II, Peter made himself known throughout Christendom by charismatically preaching the need for a crusade -- a holy war (jihad?) to reclaim Christ's sepulchre and the Holy Land from the hands of the Muslim "infidels". Today, Peter the Hermit, Godfroi's personal tutor, is regarded as one of the chief instigators of the Crusades.
Godfroi was unusual among the Crusaders. Upon preparing to leave for the Holy Land, he was the only European commander (there were four distinct armies, each commanded by an illustrious and influential Western potentate) to renounce his fiefs, sell all his goods, and make it apparent that the Holy Land, for the remainder of his life, would be his domain. This is even more surprising, when one realizes that if the crusade proved successful, any one of the four potentates would have been eligible to occupy the throne of Jerusalem. Godfroi seems to have known beforehand that he would be selected.
In 1099, immediately after the capture of Jerusalem, a group of anonymous figures convened in a secret conclave, in order to elect a King of Jerusalem. Despite a persuasive claim by Raymond, count of Toulouse, the mysterious and obviously influential electors promptly offered the throne to Godfroi de Bouillon. About the year 1095 there lived at Amiens France, a monk named Peter the Hermit. Peter was present at a council of clergy and people held at Clermont in France when his Holiness, Pope Urban II, made a stirring speech. He begged the people to rescue the Holy Sepulchre and other sacred sites from the Mohammedans. The council was so roused by his words that they broke forth into loud cries, "God wills it! God wills it!" "It is, indeed, His will," said the Pope, "and let these words be your war-cry when you meet the enemy." Peter listened with deep attention. Immediately after the council he began to preach in favor of a war against the Turks. With head and feet bare, and clothed in a long, coarse robe tied at the waist with a rope, he went through Italy from city to city, riding on a donkey. He preached in churches, on the streets, wherever he could secure an audience. When Peter had gone over Italy he crossed the Alps and preached to the people of France, Germany, and neighboring countries. Everywhere he kindled the zeal of the people, and multitudes enlisted as champions of the cross.
In 1070, 29 years before the First Crusade, a group of monks from Calabria in southern Italy arrived in the vicinity of the Ardennes Forest, part of Godfroi de Bouillon's domains. They were led by Prince Ursus. Upon their arrival in the Ardennes the Calabrian monks obtained the patronage of Godfroi's aunt and, in effect, foster mother.
They received a tract of land at Orval, not far from where Dagobert II had been assassinated some five hundred years earlier. They established an abbey there, but by 1108 had mysteriously disappeared, leaving no record of their whereabouts. Tradition says they returned to Calabria. Orval became, by 1131, one of Saint Bernard’s fiefs.
Before their departure from Orval, however, the Calabrian monks may have left a crucial mark on Western history. Included in their ranks, according to some sources, was a man subsequently known as Peter the Hermit. In 1095, along with Pope Urban II, Peter made himself known throughout Christendom by charismatically preaching the need for a crusade -- a holy war (jihad?) to reclaim Christ's sepulchre and the Holy Land from the hands of the Muslim "infidels". Today, Peter the Hermit, Godfroi's personal tutor, is regarded as one of the chief instigators of the Crusades.
Godfroi was unusual among the Crusaders. Upon preparing to leave for the Holy Land, he was the only European commander (there were four distinct armies, each commanded by an illustrious and influential Western potentate) to renounce his fiefs, sell all his goods, and make it apparent that the Holy Land, for the remainder of his life, would be his domain. This is even more surprising, when one realizes that if the crusade proved successful, any one of the four potentates would have been eligible to occupy the throne of Jerusalem. Godfroi seems to have known beforehand that he would be selected.
In 1099, immediately after the capture of Jerusalem, a group of anonymous figures convened in a secret conclave, in order to elect a King of Jerusalem. Despite a persuasive claim by Raymond, count of Toulouse, the mysterious and obviously influential electors promptly offered the throne to Godfroi de Bouillon. With uncharacteristic modesty Godfroi declined the title of King, accepting instead the title of Defender of the Holy Sepulchre, king in everything but name.
To the south of Jerusalem stands a high hill known as Mount Sion (Zion). When Jerusalem fell to Godfroi's crusaders in 1099, the hill hosted the ruins of an old Byzantine basilica, which allegedly dated from the fourth century and which was called the Mother of all Churches (no kidding!). At the express command of Godfroi, an abbey was built on the site of these ruins. This abbey, called the Abbey of Notre Dame du Mont de Sion, was extremely well fortified, with its own walls, towers, and battlements. It is believed that the knights and monks who occupied this abbey were formed into an official and duly constituted "order", specifically, the Ordre de Sion.
The elusive Calabrian monks from Orval were apparently in the Holy Land at the time, along with Peter the Hermit, who may have enjoyed considerable power. In fact, there is evidence to support the idea that the Calabrian monks of Orval were, in fact the mysterious conclave which elected Godfroi ruler, and that furthermore, they were the occupants of Notre Dame de Sion. This possibility cannot be proved with the currently available evidence, but if it is true, it would attest to the Ordre de Sion's power - a power that included the right to confer thrones.
Thus began the first of seven wars known as the "Crusades" or "Wars of the Cross," waged to rescue the Holy Land from the Mohammedans. It is said that more than 100,000 men, women and children went on the first Crusade. Each wore on the right shoulder the emblem of the cross. Peter was in command of one portion of this great multitude.
His followers began their journey with shouts of joy and praise. But they had no proper supply of provisions. So when passing through Hungary they plundered the towns and compelled the inhabitants to support them. This roused the anger of the Hungarians. They attacked the Crusaders and killed a great many of them.
After long delays about seven thousand of those who had started on the Crusade reached Constantinople. They were still enthusiastic and sounded their war-cry, "God wills it!" with as much fervor as when they first joined Peter's army. Leaving Constantinople, they went eastward into the land of the Turks. A powerful army led by the sultan met them. The Crusaders fought heroically all day long but at length were badly beaten. Only a few escaped and found their way back to Constantinople. Peter the Hermit had left the Crusaders before the battle and returned to Constantinople.
He afterwards joined the army of Godfrey of Bouillon. Godfrey's army was composed of six divisions, each commanded by a soldier of high rank and distinction. It was a well organized and disciplined force and numbered about half a million men.
It started only a few weeks after the irregular multitude which followed Peter the Hermit, and was really the first Crusading army, for Peter's undisciplined throng's could hardly be called an army. After a long march Godfrey reached Antioch and laid siege to it. It was believed that this Moslem stronghold could be taken in a short time; but the city resisted the attacks of the Christians for seven months.
It then surrendered. And now something happened that none of the Crusaders had dreamed of. An army of two hundred thousand Persians arrived to help the Moslems. They laid siege to Antioch and shut up the Crusaders within its walls for weeks. However, after a number of engagements in which there was great loss of life, the Turks and Persians were at last driven away.
The way was now opened to Jerusalem. But out of the half million Crusaders who had marched from Europe less than fifty thousand were left. They had won their way at a fearful cost. Still onward they pushed with brave hear, , until on a bright summer morning they caught the first glimpse of the Holy City in the distance.
For two whole years they had toiled and suffered in the hope of reaching Jerusalem. Now it lay before them. But it had yet to be taken. For more than five weeks the Crusaders carried on the siege. Finally, on the 15th of July, 1099, the Turks surrendered. The Moslem flag was hauled down and the banner of the cross floated over the Holy City.
A few days after the Christians had occupied Jerusalem Godfrey of Bouillon was chosen king of the Holy Land. "I will accept the office," he said, "but no crown must be put on my head and I must never be called king. I cannot wear a crown of gold where Christ wore one of thorns nor will I be called king in the land where once lived the King of Kings."
Peter the Hermit is said to have preached an eloquent sermon on the Mount of Olives. He did not, however, remain long in Jerusalem, but after the capture of the city returned to Europe. He founded a monastery in France and within its walls passed the rest of his life.
"The Order of Sion was founded in the 1090’s by Godfroi de Bouillon, they claim that it was this Order that lay behind Hugues of Champagne and the founding of the Templars.
""The avowed and declared objective of the Prieure de Sion is the protection and restoration of the Merovingian dynasty and bloodline, to the throne not only of France, but to the thrones of other European nations as well. By dint of dynastic alliances and intermarriages, this line came to include Godfroi de Bouillion, who captured Jerusalem in 1099, and various other noble and royal families, past and present.
."Godfroi was, by legend, a member of the Grail Family, and by lineage a Merovingian and apparently, rightful King of Jerusalem by his descent from King David. It is clear that he was aware of this. When he left for the first crusade, he sold all of his property. He intended to stay in Jerusalem. Godfroi was close to de Payen and the count of Champagne, and Baudoin [his brother] was integral to the founding of the Templars.
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