Lasting from the 11th to the 13th century, the period known as the Crusades spreads across the core of the Medieval era, spawning the consolidation of the feudal world and the final push of Christendom in Europe. Most famously known for the invasions and wars in the Holy Land, it also included conflicts against the Muslim state of Al’Andalous in Iberia, known as the Reconquista, as well as fights against pagan people in Northern Europe and the Baltics.

The Crusades are a controversial topic, but it is fair to say these wars were far from limited to religious matters. There was land to conquer, profits to make, and prestige to win on the battlefields, may it be on the Holy Land or elsewhere. Particularly for the rulers of Crusader states such as the Kingdom of Jerusalem, it was less about spreading Christ’s influence or fighting the Saracens than making trades, maintaining diplomacy, and consolidating power. Faith was as good an excuse as any other to wage war, and it certainly managed to rile up nobles, knights, and commoners alike across Europe. But in practice, the politics of the Crusader states were pragmatic, and the neighbouring Muslim powers sometimes turned from enemies to allies and partners against Christian rivals.

Indeed, there was constant infighting and tensions between the Crusaders, divided among nationalities, dynasties, and their visions of the Crusader states.

New and overeager crusaders would often clash with local nobles who learned tolerance and compromise after years of ruling over the very diverse population of the Levant, marrying locals, and dealing with respected and magnanimous Muslim leaders such as Saladin. Various religious military orders were also wrestling for power and influence, Teutonic Knights, Knights Templar, and Knights Hospitaller often caught in internecine feuds, or throwing oil on the fire of war by their sheer zealotry.

The popular vision of the Crusades writes a narrative of a shock of civilization between the Islamic world and the Christian Europeans, but it was also a flourishing era of cultural exchange, with traders bringing back ancient and new knowledge and technologies into Europe. As it’s often the case, the reality was more nuanced than the popular tale. What remains however is a powerful and influential myth of holy warriors fighting for faith and salvation, often in foreign lands. This myth and its symbols are very influential in our modern vision of the Middle Ages, and historical fantasy in general.