Godfrey of Bouillon

Godfrey of Bouillon (c. 1060 – July 18 , 1100 , Jerusalem ), ( Godefroy de Bouillon in French ) was a leader of the First Crusade . He was either the eldest or the second son of Eustace II , count of Boulogne , and Ida, daughter of Godfrey II , Duke of Lower Lorraine .

Godfrey of Bouillon, from a fresco painted by Giacomo Jaquerio in Saluzzo , northern Italy , in 1420 ca. The sword of Godfrey of Bouillon, displayed at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem . Godfrey of Bouillon (c. 1060, – 18 July 1100) was a medieval Frankish knight who was one of the leaders of the First Crusade from 1096 until his death. He was the Lord of Bouillon , from which he took his byname, from 1076 and the Duke of Lower Lorraine from 1087. After the capture of Jerusalem in 1099, Godfrey became the first ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem , although he did not use the title "king". He was the second son of Eustace II , Count of Boulogne , and Ida of Lorraine (daughter of Godfrey III, Duke of Lower Lorraine and his wife, Doda ) and never married. Butler's Lives of the Saints . However, Alan Murray analyzed the argument in detail and concluded that contemporary documents clearly distinguish between the two names, and as there is no evidence for their identity and traditions of the Crusade indicate Geoffrey was unmarried and childless, the two must be considered to have been distinct. Geoffrey, the English landholder, was apparently an illegitimate brother of Godfrey, the Crusader.

Godfrey of Bouillon ( , , , ; 18 September 1060 – 18 July 1100) was one of the leaders of the First Crusade . He was the first ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem from 1099 to 1100. He apparently avoided using the title of king, choosing instead that of princeps . Older scholarship is more fond of another title, that of " advocatus (defender, protector) of the Holy Sepulchre", a secondary title probably used by Godfrey, which is still also preferred by the Catholic Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. The second son of Eustace II, Count of Boulogne , Godfrey became Lord of Bouillon (from which he took his byname ) in 1076 and secured his rights to the Duchy of Lower Lorraine in 1087 as a reward to his service to the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV during the Great Saxon Revolt . Godfrey and his brothers Eustace and Baldwin joined the First Crusade in 1096. He saw minor action at Nicaea , Dorylaeum and Antioch , before playing a key role during the successful Siege of Jerusalem in 1099. Raymond of Toulouse declined the offer to become king of Jerusalem, and Godfrey accepted the rulership instead. He refused the title of king, however, as he believed that he ought not wear "a crown of gold" where Jesus Christ had worn "a crown of thorns ". Godfrey secured his kingdom by defeating the Fatimids at Ascalon a month later, bringing the First Crusade to an end. Godfrey only ruled Jerusalem for one year before his death in 1100. He was succeeded by his brother Baldwin, who was crowned the first King of Jerusalem . The Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem: A Dynastic History 1099-1125 ]. [books How Carolingian Kingship Trumped Millenniarism at the End of the First Crusade ].

French nobleman and crusader (1060–1100) Godfrey of Bouillon ( , , , ; 1060 – 18 July 1100) was a medieval French nobleman and pre-eminent leader of the First Crusade . He became the first ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem from 1099 to 1100, although he avoided the title of king, preferring that of prince ( princeps ) and Advocatus Sancti Sepulchri , or Advocate of the Holy Sepulchre. He was the second son of Eustace II, Count of Boulogne , and Lord of Bouillon , from his mother's inheritance, in 1076. In 1087 Emperor Henry IV confirmed him as Duke of Lower Lorraine , a reward for his support during the Great Saxon Revolt . Along with his brothers Eustace III and Baldwin of Boulogne , Godfrey joined the First Crusade in 1096. He took part in actions at Nicaea , Dorylaeum , and Antioch , before playing a key role during the capture of Jerusalem in 1099. When Raymond IV of Toulouse declined the offer to become ruler of the new kingdom, Godfrey accepted the role and secured his kingdom by defeating the Fatimids at Ascalon a month later, bringing the First Crusade to an end. He died in July 1100 and was succeeded by his brother Baldwin as King of Jerusalem . The Crusades: A Documentary Survey . Duke Godfrey was born in the French kingdom , in the province of Reims , in the city of Boulogne by the English Sea . He was descended from illustrious and religious forebears. His father was the elder Lord Eustace , the famous and splendid Count of that region, whose many and memorable works are still recalled by the old men of the neighboring provinces and his memory as a religious and Godfearing man is like a blessing in the pious recollection of men. Duke Godfrey's mother was well-known among the noble matrons of the West, as much for her way of life as for her noble generosity. She was named Ida and was a sister of the exalted Duke Godfrey of Lorraine who was known as Struma. That Duke Godfrey, since he had no children, adopted his nephew Godfrey as his own son and bestowed his entire patrimony upon young Godfrey as his heir.

Ruler of Kingdom of Jerusalem (c. 1060–1100) Godfrey of Bouillon ( French : Godefroy ; Dutch : Godfried ; German : Gottfried ; Latin : Godefridus Bullionensis ; c. 1060 – 18 July 1100) was a preeminent leader of the First Crusade , and the first ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem from 1099 to 1100. Although initially reluctant to take the title of king, he agreed to rule as prince ( princeps ) under the title Advocatus Sancti Sepulchri , or Advocate of the Holy Sepulchre . He was the second son of Eustace II, Count of Boulogne in present day France. He received an inheritance from his mother's family in 1076 when he became Lord of Bouillon , which is now in Belgium. In 1087, Emperor Henry IV also confirmed him as Duke of Lower Lorraine , in reward for his support during the Great Saxon Revolt . Along with his brothers Eustace III and Baldwin of Boulogne , Godfrey joined the First Crusade in 1096. He took part in actions at Nicaea , Dorylaeum , and Antioch , before playing a key role during the capture of Jerusalem in 1099. When Raymond IV, Count of Toulouse declined the offer to become ruler of the new kingdom, Godfrey accepted the role and secured his kingdom by defeating the Fatimids at Ascalon a month later, bringing the First Crusade to an end. He died in July 1100 and was succeeded by his brother Baldwin as King of Jerusalem . Defenders of the West . God forbid", said he, "that I should be crowned with a crown of gold, where my Saviour bore a crown of thorns.