Balian has survived the devastating defeat on the Horns of Hattin, and walked away a free man after the surrender of Jerusalem, but he is baron of nothing in a kingdom that no longer exists. Haunted by the tens of thousands of Christians now enslaved by Saladin, he is determined to regain what has been lost. The arrival of a vast crusading army under the soon-to-be-legendary Richard the Lionheart offers hope -- but also conflict, as natives and crusaders clash and French and English quarrel.
It all started with Hollywood.
Ridley
Scott’s film “The Kingdom of Heaven” which describes the fall of Jerusalem to
Saladin in 1187 in techno color captured my imagination. Being a historian by
training (I have a PhD in it), however, and being equally familiar with
Hollywood’s tendency to – shall we say – take liberties with the historical
record, I wondered just how much, if anything, in the film was true. To my
astonishment, I discovered that Balian d'Ibelin, the hero of Ridley
Scott's film. was a historical figure, and that he really had saved tens of
thousands of civilians from slaughter and slavery in 1187!
What was
more, just a cursory look at the facts revealed that his biography was not only
significantly different from that of the
Hollywood character, it was also significantly (at least in my eyes) more fascinating. Hollywood made him a
blacksmith, but contemporary Arab chronicles described his as “like a king.” In
the film, he dallies with a princess, in history he married a Dowager Queen and
founded a dynasty.
In the film, he is born in France and only arrives in the
Holy Land shortly before it is overrun by the Saracens; historically Balian
d’Ibelin played a leading role at the Frankish victory over Saladin at
Montgistard in 1177, played a critical role in opposing the usurpation of the
throne by Guy de Lusignan, and also succeeded in reconciling warring factions
within the kingdom.
In the film, Balian doesn’t take part in the fateful Battle
of Hattin; in fact, Balian commanded the rear-guard and was one of the few
noblemen to successfully fight his way off the field, while the majority became
capives. Most intriguing of all, however, rather than returning to France to
become a blacksmith again as in the Hollywood film, the historical Balian
fought in the Third Crusade and was Richard the Lionheart’s principle
ambassador to Saladin in 1192.
In short, I felt Balian
deserved a biography that reflected his historical accomplishments better than
“The Kingdom of Heaven” did. I sat down to write a biographical novel – and it
turned into a trilogy.
For readers tired of
cliches, cartoons and fantasy, my three-part biography of Balian based on the above facts
not only brings this important and
attractive historical character back to life, it provides
refreshing insights into everyday life in the late 12th century crusader
states. Populated with complex characters, "Envoy of Jerusalem,"
provides psychologically sound explanations for the
decisions and actions of the men and women who made history
in this fateful place and period. It offers humans in place of
villains and supermen.
"Envoy of Jerusalem" covers the critical five years between the fall of Jerusalem to the end of the Third Crusade. When the novel opens, Balian has survived the devastating defeat of the Christian army on the Horns of Hattin, and walked away a free man after the surrender of Jerusalem, but he is baron of nothing in a kingdom that no longer exists. Haunted by the tens of thousands of Christians captives now in Saracen slavery, Balian is determined to regain what has been lost. The arrival of a vast crusading army under the soon-to-be-legendary Richard the Lionheart offers hope - but also conflict as natives and crusaders clash and French and English quarrel.
This novel follows the fate not just of kings and barons, but also knights, squires, sailors and tradesmen. It particularly focuses on the horrific impact of a lost war on women - many of whom were condemned to slavery and prostitution in the wake of defeat. It also portrays the clash of cultures between the natives of the Holy Land and the crusaders. It, unlike most novels set in this period, describes the Third Crusade through the eyes of the men and women who called the Holy Land "home," rather than those that came out from the West. Likewise, Richard the Lionheart is shown as a man of many parts, rather than a brute, buffoon or paragon of virtue.
Last but not least, "Envoy of Jerusalem" explores the crisis in faith that the fall of Jerusalem produced among Christians of the period. The characters struggle with understanding the will of God and their individual role and place in the presumed divine plan. Hope I've whet your appetite!
Helena P. Schrader
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