Author: Lay, Stephen

Source: Portuguese Studies, Volume 24, Number 1, 15 March 2008 , pp. 7-31(25)

Publisher: Modern Humanities Research Association

Abstract:

In 1147 a fleet of English, Flemish and German crusaders en route to the Holy Land paused to assist Portuguese troops in an attack on Muslim-held Lisbon. During the subsequent siege a number of visiting crusaders were killed and special cemeteries were established outside the city to receive their remains. Many of their comrades firmly believed that death in combat against the enemies of the faith was a form of martyrdom. This pious hope was bolstered when a number of miracles were reported to have occurred in connection with these supposed martyrs. Over time a cult of crusader `saints' developed, centred on the monastery of São Vicente de Fora. The varied reactions of locals and visitors to the fallen crusaders provides a unique window into what the crusade actually meant to participants and at the same time reveals much about the impact of crusading ideas in Portugal.

Portuguese
Em 1147, uma frota de cruzados com destino à Terra Santa prestou auxílio aos Portugueses para conquistar Lisboa aos mouros. No decurso do cerco resultante vários cruzados estrangeiros foram mortos, sendo estabelecidos cemitérios particulares para receber os seus restos mortais. Muitos dos seus companheiros consideravam a morte no combate pela fé uma forma de martírio, crença esta reforçada por boatos da ocorrência de milagres relacionados com os supostos mártires. Com o decorrer do tempo desenvolveu-se um culto dos `santos' cruzados, centrado no mosteiro de São Vicente de Fora. As reacções variadas dos habitantes e dos visitantes ao local permitem um olhar invulgar sobre o sentido das cruzadas como elas foram vividas pelos próprios participantes, assim como sobre o impacto do ideário das cruzadas em Portugal.

Keywords: Crusades; cult; martyrdom; Henry the Crusader; Cruzadas; culto; martírio; Henrique o Cruzado

Document Type: Research article

Affiliations: 1: Monash University, Melbourne

Publication date: 2008-03-15

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• The only English-language journal devoted to the literature, culture, and history of Portugal, Brazil, and the Portuguese-speaking countries of Africa. Launched in 1985, it received the 'Best New Journal Award' of the Conference of Editors of Learned Journals in 1987. It publishes articles, translations, previously unpublished historical and literary texts, bibliographical information, and a survey of research and reviews.

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