News, history, and narrative: remembering the fall of Jerusalem c. 1200

Abstract

In late 1187, letters and envoys from the east alerted audiences in the west to the defeat of Christian forces at Hattin in July, the subsequent capture of various major Christian strongholds, and, finally, the siege of Jerusalem beginning in late September. However, news of Jerusalem’s fall on 2 October does not seem to have reached Western Europe until spring 1188. This extended delay is particularly surprising because chronicles tend to treat the defeat at Hattin, the loss of Jerusalem, and the launch of the Third Crusade in late October 1187 as a sequence of directly related events. It is easy to understand why: this was the chronological order of events; in hindsight, the encyclical that launched the crusade could be read in this way; and it made for a simpler, more compelling historical account. However, it also represents a re-ordering and re-shaping of the past. This article explores how contemporary writers tackled the chronology of events in late 1187. It examines six late twelfth- or early thirteenth-century histories and chronicles, dividing them into two main groups based on the “global” or “local” perspective taken by each author. In theory, those writing from a “local” perspective were more likely to structure their accounts according to when information was received compared to those taking a “global” perspective, whose authors emphasised the date of events. However, analysis shows that both groups chose to obscure the complicated realities of communication and action in 1187 in favour of a more streamlined narrative.