Beggars Banquet: The Politics of Food in the First and Third Crusades

Owen H. Martin
Dr. Stephanie Russell, Faculty Mentor

The crusades were an important turning point in medieval history. What initially started as a pilgrimage became a military expedition as people enthusiastically responded to the Pope’s call. By the Third Crusade the Crusades transformed from a popular pilgrimage turned military expedition into holy wars waged by kings for political goals. This change can be seen not just in the makeup of those who traveled to the Levant but also in what they ate, when they were able to eat, and how they were able to eat. Access to food and how food was distributed was crucial to the development of a stratified crusading army with powerful noble leaders who used access to food as a tool to gain political legitimacy after the death of Bishop Adhemar of Le Puy. Similarly eating was used a powerful symbol for crusaders to express relationships of power and domination.

 

Keywords: Crusades, Food, Politicking, Logistics, Domination

Topic(s):History

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Session: TBA
Location: TBA
Time: TBA