Establishing Prussia as a locus for crusade: the role of Nicolaus von Jeroschin’s Chronicle of Prussia.

Fischer, Mary

Abstract

This article aims to show how the Teutonic Order exploited the cult of pilgrimage and traditional crusading appeals to position Prussia as a locus for crusade. In order to justify diverting crusaders to north-eastern Europe it was necessary to show that the same spiritual benefits accrued to these crusaders. The article argues that the order's leadership used the language of the mystics and the linguistic and metaphorical resources these suggested to revitalise the idea of Christian knighthood, taking the idea of chivalry back to its ideological roots. They co-opt the lexicon of pilgrimage in the service of armed pilgrimage in Prussia and uses the authority of the saints and biblical heroes to buttress its claim to authenticity.

Citation

Fischer, M. (2013). Establishing Prussia as a locus for crusade: the role of Nicolaus von Jeroschin’s Chronicle of Prussia. In Medieval Mobilities: From Scandinavia to the Slavic Lands. Brepols

• Acceptance Date: Dec 31, 2013
• Publication Date: 2013
• Deposit Date: Sep 19, 2013
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Book Title: Medieval Mobilities: From Scandinavia to the Slavic Lands
• Keywords: Crusades; Prussia; chivalry; masculinity; nobility; pilgrimage; Chronicle of Prussia
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/id/eprint/6321