The last issue of 2023 brings us more interesting medieval chronicles – this time from the Crusades, as we focus on the stories from those who relayed contemporary accounts of the battles, motivations, and the key characters who accompanied crusading armies over the course of several hundred years.

We begin with Oderic Vitalis – our earliest crusade chronicler in this issue – and his take on the events of the First Crusade and the history of the Latin East. His Ecclesiastical History (1142) provides us with an interesting glimpse into the impact of the crusading movement on Norman society and also addresses why the crusades mattered to people at that time. We move onto our next chronicler, or chroniclers I should say – two authors who demonstrate that crusade narratives could differ wildly and that we should always remain alert to bias. They both recount the events of the Albigensian Crusade and the actions of its leader, Simon de Monfort (1175–1218). The first of these, Peter of les Vaux-de-Cernay (†1218), was a staunch supporter of Simon; the second, the anonymous author of the Song of the Cathar Wars, was incredibly critical of Simon and took immense pleasure in his grisly demise. Then we move on to two of the most famous chroniclers of the crusades – Geoffrey of Villehardouin (1150–1213) and Robert de Clari (1170–1216) – and how their writing sheds light on the Fourth Crusade and its aftermath.

Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones