Peter The Hermit
By Lily Marlin
Famous as the Preacher and leader of People’s Crusade.
Peter shows the crusaders the way to Jerusalem
What was Peter the Hermit’s
influence on the People’s Crusade and
the First Crusade?
Peter the Hermit preaching the First Crusade, as
depicted in the 1851 Illustrated London Reading Book
Contents
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Early Life
Description
Possible pilgrimage to Jerusalem before 1096
Role in Preaching
People’s Crusade
Later Life
How different sources portray him
Conclusion
Early Life
• Born c.1050? – died July 8, 1115.
• Nicknames: Cucu Peter, Little Peter, Peter of
Amiens.
• French priest/monk.
• Not much is known of early life.
Description – What he wore
“ a woollen shirt, and over it a mantle reaching
to his ankles; his arms and feet were bare. He
lived on wine and fish; he hardly ever, or never,
ate bread.” His cape, his bare feet, and the
mule he rode were all the outward signs of the
apostolic poverty he had embraced and were
recognized and revered by his listeners.”
Guibert of Nogent,“The Deeds of God through
the Franks”.
Pilgrimage Jerusalem before 1095?
• William of Tyre, Albert of Aix and
Anna Comnena record different
versions of Peter’s attempted
pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
• Tale could have only been know
through tradition as writers were
born after time.
• Not mentioned in later sources.
Man (Peter the Hermit) meeting
with the Pope
Role in preaching
• Began preaching after
Pope Urban’s speech in
1095.
• One of many preachers
including Robert
d’Arbrissel.
• One of the first and most
influential preachers.
Preaching of Peter the Hermit
"The hermit set out, from whence I know not,
but we saw him passing through the towns
and villages, preaching everywhere, and the
people surrounding him in crowds, loading
him with offerings and celebrating his sanctity
with such great praises that I never remember
such honour bestowed upon any one."
Guibert de Nogent.
Role in Preaching
• Toured Europe preaching
Pope’s message.
• Followers preached in
places he could not visit.
• Followers eager to make
the pilgrimage and to fight
for internal glory.
“While all the princes, who required large funds and
great retinues of supporters, were arranging their
affairs in an organized and scrupulous fashion before
they left for the Holy Land, the common people, who
were poor in possessions but rich in numbers,
attached themselves to a certain Peter the Hermit.”
Guibert of Nogent, Hallam 1989
Peter the Hermit preaching the
Crusades to the people
Who joined the People’s Crusade?
• Preaching caused poor and
Feeble to join.
• Not only peasants.
• Middle-class burghers.
• Poor knights.
• Foot soldiers.
• Labourers.
• Tradesmen.
Peter of Amiens calls for the Crusade,
• Women, and the elderly. wood engraving, 19th century
“He was surrounded by such throngs of people, given
such gifts, acclaimed as such an example of holiness,
that I remember no one ever having been held in such
honour.”
Guibert of Nogent, Historia Hierosolymitana.
“whatever he did or said seemed almost godlike, to such
a degree that hairs were pulled from his mule as relics.”
Guibert of Nogent, Historia Hierosolymitana.
“whatever he said or did seemed like something half
divine”
Runciman 1951
• Pious, determined, charismatic, passionate, eloquent,
generous, ignorant, sharp-witted and courageous.
“.... he was generous in the way he made very liberal gifts to
the poor out of things which had been given to him; he
bestowed prostitutes as wives and provided their
dowries; he settled disputes and restored peace on all
sides with wonderful authority.”
Guibert of Nogent (c. 1055 – 1124) 'Historia
Hierosolymitana‘
“This man… had inspired an enormous army of followers,
partly from the strength of his reputation, partly by his
preaching, decided to travel through Hungary.”
Guibert of Nogent, Historia Hierosolymitana.
“Painted the sufferings of the natives and pilgrims of
Palestine, every heart was melted to compassion; every
breast glowed with indignation, when he challenged the
warriors of the age to defend their brethren, and rescue
their Savior: his ignorance of art and language was
compensated by sighs, and tears, and ejaculations; and
Peter supplied the deficiency of reason by loud and
frequent appeals to Christ and his mother, to the saints
and angels of paradise, with whom he had personally
conversed.”
Edward Gibbon – The History of the Decline and Fall of the
Roman Empire.
Role in preaching
• Claimed to be appointed by
Christ.
• Followers wanted to be in
Jerusalem when the Lord came.
• Peter organized and guided the
followers as a spiritually purified
and holy group of pilgrims who
would be protected by the
Heavenly Host.
Peter the Hermit leading crusaders to Jerusalem
“...There was such universal
eagerness and enthusiasm
that every highway had some
of them; along with the
soldiers went an unarmed
crowd, more numerous than
the sand or stars, carrying
palms and crosses on their
shoulders...”
Anna Comnena, Hallam
1989
Peter the Hermit’s preaching
inspires awe and reverence in the
crowd of Crusaders
People’s Crusade
•Set out before time Pope had
given.
•No proper equipment or
supplies.
•Followers became unruly and
most were slaughtered by
Turks.
•Peter abandoned People’s
Crusade before Turkish attack
to stay in Constantinople.
•Joined First Crusade.
•Conquered Jerusalem.
The few surviving soldiers of
Peter’s army apprise
Godfrey and his Crusaders about
the massacre by the Saracens
On the way to the Holy Land, the
Crusaders discover the scattered
skeletal remains of the armies of
Peter the Hermit and Walter the
Penniless
How sources portray him – problems with
evidence
• Chroniclers Guibert of Nogent and
Albert of Aachen document life.
• Some say Peter was the instigator of
Crusade.
• Heinrich Von Sybel and Jonathan RileySmith claim Peter had been Idolised from
the time of his preaching.
• Poems have been written in honour of
Peter and his followers.
Conclusion
• Powerful figure his history as preacher in People’s
Crusade and First Crusade.
• Doubtful that people’s crusade would have happen
without him.
• One of the most famous preachers of Crusades.
• Inspired and led thousands.
• Showed attributes of authority, intelligence,
charisma, activity.
• Somewhat of a saviour to the common people.
• Life and accomplishments documented in
thorughout history (Guibert of Nogent, Anna
Comnena and Albert of Aachen).
• Painted as legend.
References
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Halsall, Paul, 1997, Medieval Sourcebook: Peter the Hermit and the Popular Crusade: Collected
Accounts, version of Guibert of Nogent, version of William of Tyre, version of Albert of Aix, version of
Anna Comnena, Viewed October 2010, http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/peterhermit.html
Ovington, Freya, 2005, CLIO History Journal: Peter the Hermit and the First Crusade, viewed October
2010, http://cliojournal.wikispaces.com/Peter+the+Hermit+and+the+First+Crusade
Evans, Michael, 2001, Peter the Hermit and the ‘Peoples’ Crusade’, viewed October 2010,
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/crusades/79579
Robinson, Molly, Old French Traditions of Place and Belonging: Roland, Alexis and Tristan: IV. Crusade,
2010, viewed October 2010, http://www.brynmawr.edu/french/294/Pilgrimagechapter.htm
Henry, John, 2004, Famous Men of the Middle Ages, viewed October 2010,
http://www.authorama.com/famous-men-of-the-middle-ages-21.html
Eckford, Teresa, 2009, The Crusades, Viewed October 2010, http://www.likesbooks.com/crusades.html
2008, The Baldwin Project: The Story of the Crusades – The Story of Peter the Hermit, viewed October
2010, http://www.mainlesson.com/display.php?author=wilmotbuxton&book=crusades&story=peter
2010, The First Crusade: The Accounts of Eyewitnesses and Participants, viewed October 2010,
http://engineerofknowledge.blogspot.com/2010/03/first-crusade-accounts-of-eyewitnesses.html
2010, Peter the Hermit, viewed October 2010, http://www.nndb.com/people/588/000095303/
Books:
1. Davies, A, H, 2007, An Outline History of the World, READ BOOKS, London.
2. Gibbon, Edward, 1802, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, T. Cadell
3. Runciman, Steven, 1951, A History of the Crusades: The First Crusade and the Foundation of the
Kingdom of Jerusalem, CUP Archive