Crusades trilogy

Last updated

The Crusades Trilogy is a series of historical novels written by Swedish author and journalist Jan Guillou about the Consolidation of Sweden and the Crusades. The main character of the trilogy is Arn Magnusson, a fictional Knight Templar in the 12th century, who becomes a witness as well as a catalyst to many important historical events both in his homeland of Västra Götaland and in the Crusader states. [1]

Contents

The trilogy consists of the following novels:

There is also a fourth novel entitled The Heritage of Arn (2001), original Swedish title Arvet efter Arn. It is as a direct follow-up to the trilogy, depicting the rise of Birger Jarl, who came to rule during the formation of Sweden and is the supposed founder of Stockholm. In Guillou's fictional universe, Birger Jarl is the grandson of Arn Magnusson.

Concept and creation

In 1995 Guillou had finished his bestselling Cold War spy series about Carl Hamilton. By this time he had begun noticing an increasing hostility in Western media, such as on CNN, against the Arab world. He concluded that the United States and the United Kingdom were looking to target a new enemy to replace the Soviet Union and Communism, in order for the West to keep the world separated into good guys and bad guys. He decided to depict this political development by writing about the previous Holy War between Christianity and Islam. [2]

Although the majority of the Crusading Knights came from France, Guillou needed a Swedish protagonist since he is mainly writing for a Swedish readership, even he admits that a Swedish crusading knight is less realistic. With this decision a large part of the plot had to be set in Sweden, but when Guillou began his historical research about the 12th century he found that Sweden was yet to be created. At his chosen period, the different realms that were to be consolidated into Sweden were still ruled by blood-feuding noble houses and many historical facts were vague and contested. This added the creation of Sweden as a major theme for the trilogy, and he chose the historical thesis that the region of Västra Götaland had been the cradle of Sweden. [3]

Main plot

The first novel begins in the year 1150 with the birth of Arn in the kingdom of Västergötland, one of the realms pre-dating Sweden. The story follows Arn's childhood and upbringing and his subsequent involvement in the politics and events of the realm, before being banished to the Holy Land at the age of 17.

The second novel follows Arn in Palestine, where he has become a Knights Templar and participates in the defense of Gaza and Jerusalem from the forces of Saladin. In parallel the novel also follows the development in Västergötaland, through the eyes of his lover Cecilia.

The third novel sees the return of Arn to Västergötland, where he implements his learnings from the Crusades into his home society and takes a crucial part in the formation of Sweden.

The character of Arn Magnusson

Arn is born in the year 1150 as the second son of a noble Folkung family in Arnäs, Västergötland. At the age of five he has a life-threatening accident when falling from the tower of his family's fortress, and is believed to be saved from harm thanks to his mother's intense prayers to Saint Bernard of Clairvaux. The mother considers it a miracle and finds she must recompensate God by giving the boy to the monastery in Varnhem.

Arn remains with the monks for twelve years, largely isolated from the outside world, and in addition to studying the languages and the learned arts of the monks he comes to be trained in the art of medieval war by a brother Guilbert who is a former Knight Templar in Outremer. Brother Guilbert trains Arn in horse riding and the use of weapons, with the modern techniques from France and the Holy Land that is yet to be discovered in Scandinavia, where the men still fight like Vikings. When reaching adulthood, the Prior Father Henri tells Arn he is to return to his family. Arn wishes to become a monk, but before being able to take the eternal vows of poverty, chastity and obedience (q.v. Evangelical counsels) he must witness the outside world.

Arn gets involved in the deadly politics of the realm, both with his own family's local feuds and the blood-feud between the two royal families competing for the throne. He proves himself as a superior swordsman when defending his family's honour and participates in the assassination of the king, making him a prolific adversary in the feud for the throne. Through political schemes he is judged guilty of the terrible sin of fornication before marriage with the noble daughter Cecelia Algotsdotter, who he is engaged to. Cecelia has become pregnant and tells her sister Katarina. Katarina, who fears she will be stuck in the nunnery she has until then shared with Cecelia, becomes jealous and tells the Abbess. To make things worse, she purports that Arn also had carnal knowledge of her as well, from a feast when she had attempted (and failed) to seduce a very naive and very drunk Arn. According to the laws of the Church, it is considered especially heinous and scandalous to have sexual intercourse with two women who have the same mother, and further triggered by his role in the ongoing power struggle in the realm, Arn is condemned to spend 20 years in the Holy Land as a Knight Templar, while Cecelia is given the same sentence to the nunnery.

At the age of 27, Arn has become a veteran in the Crusader army, when he faces the strangest experience a Knight Templar can have. During a time of truce, while pursuing a band of Saracen thieves, he comes across the very enemy of all Christendom, Saladin, and saves his life. This idea is apparently borrowed from The Talisman by Sir Walter Scott. After this, both become very close friends, but great enemies at the same time. Arn returns to his command of the fortress at Gaza, later seeing Saladin's army arrive but not stay to lay siege, instead advancing on a bigger prize, the city of Jerusalem. Arn is given the order to march with all his knights, and they defeat Saladin's army at the Battle of Montgisard. When Arnold of Torroja is named Grand Master of the Knights Templar, Arn is summoned to Jerusalem to become Master of the city.

In the Battle of Hattin, Arn is severely wounded and spends several weeks at Saladin's hospital in Damascus, after that he accompanies him to Jerusalem, which is conquered. In the very end of the second book, Richard the Lionheart comes to Palestine with an army of crusaders. He captures Acre from Saladin, and when about to buy the freedom of 5,700 prisoners from the Christian king, Saladin and Arn were horrified to see Richard having them slaughtered, even the children "as the mamluks were riding, trying to save them, in tears." Arn then confides that Richard "only will be remembered as the slaughterer" and that he will never capture Jerusalem, thus confiding himself that he doesn't care if the city remains in Muslim hands. He embraces Saladin, and then starts traveling home to Sweden, where a kingdom is about to be born. On his leave Saladin hands him a very large sum of gold money, the money that Richard declined to kill the prisoners. He also awards him a special sword worthy of a Knight Templar. The money allows him to fulfill the plans he has with the new kingdom.

After returning to Sweden along with a group of people from the Holy Land (among them two Armenian craftsmen, two Englishmen specializing in crossbows and longbows, glass workers, felt makers, copper smiths and two learned Saracen physicians), Arn has great plans for his childhood home, Arnäs, and Forsvik, the estate which was to be his before he was forced into service as a Templar. He explains his idea of "building for peace" by constructing a modern castle at Arnäs and to create a manufacturing centre at Forsvik.

Arn starts training several young men and boys to become knights (or at least a competent cavalry force) at Forsvik.

When he returns to his family, they are at first overwhelmed with a joy that soon cools when he voices his desire to marry Cecilia. His family wishes to use him for a political marriage, but due to the intrigues of Cecilia and her friend the Queen they are soon after married, earning them the enmity of Birger Brosa. After a little time they have a daughter together and Forsvik grows rapidly.

However his newfound luck is shattered when King Sverker attempts to kill the sons of the late King Knut. Commanding his force of cavalry, he defeats the king's soldiers at the Battle of Älgarås. He also takes command at the Battle of Lena and emerges victorious.

Two years later, when King Sverker returns once again with a Danish army and Arn commands the forces of King Erik at the Battle of Gestilren. He takes a fatal wound while pushing forward to kill King Sverker, he succeeds in this and the battle is won. He dies of his wounds a few days later, now aged 60, and is buried in Varnhem monastery.

Translations

The Knight Templar trilogy is translated to the following languages:

Film and TV adaptation

The trilogy was adapted into two Swedish movies and an extended tv series, with a simplified version of the original plot from the novels. The first movie Arn – The Knight Templar premiered in Sweden in December 2007, followed by Arn – The Kingdom at Road's End in August 2008. The tv series, extended into 6 hours, was first broadcast on TV4 (Sweden) in March 2010. The adaptation is the most expensive Swedish movie project ever. [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knights Templar</span> Catholic military order (1119–1312)

The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, mainly known as the Knights Templar, was a military order of the Catholic faith, and one of the wealthiest and most popular military orders in Western Christianity. They were founded c. 1119, headquartered on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, and existed for nearly two centuries during the Middle Ages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guy of Lusignan</span> French knight and King of Jerusalem (r. 1186–1192)

Guy of Lusignan was a French Poitevin knight who reigned as the king of Jerusalem from 1186 to 1192 by right of marriage to Sibylla, and King of Cyprus from 1192 to 1194.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jan Guillou</span> French-Swedish author and journalist

Jan Oskar Sverre Lucien Henri Guillou is a French-Swedish author and journalist. Guillou's fame in Sweden was established during his time as an investigative journalist, most notably in 1973 when he and co-reporter Peter Bratt exposed a secret and illegal intelligence organization in Sweden, Informationsbyrån (IB). He is still active within journalism as a column writer for the Swedish evening tabloid Aftonbladet. Among his books are a series of spy fiction novels about a spy named Carl Hamilton, and a trilogy(+) of historical fiction novels about a Knight Templar, Arn Magnusson. He is the owner of one of the largest publishing companies in Sweden, Piratförlaget, together with his wife, publisher Ann-Marie Skarp, and Liza Marklund.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raymond III, Count of Tripoli</span> Count of Tripoli from 1152 to 1187

Raymond III was count of Tripoli from 1152 to 1187. He was a minor when Nizari Assassins murdered his father, Raymond II of Tripoli. Baldwin III of Jerusalem, who was staying in Tripoli, made Raymond's mother, Hodierna of Jerusalem, regent. Raymond spent the following years at the royal court in Jerusalem. He reached the age of majority in 1155, after which he participated in a series of military campaigns against Nur ad-Din, the Zengid ruler of Damascus. In 1161 he hired pirates to pillage the Byzantine coastline and islands to take vengeance on Byzantine emperor Manuel I Komnenos, who had refused to marry his sister Melisende. He was captured in the Battle of Harim by Nur ad-Din's troops on 10 August 1164, and imprisoned in Aleppo for almost ten years. During his captivity, Amalric I of Jerusalem administered the county of Tripoli on his behalf.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Montgisard</span> 1177 battle between the Crusaders and Ayyubids

The Battle of Montgisard was fought between the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Ayyubid Dynasty on 25 November 1177 at Montgisard, in the Levant between Ramla and Yibna. The 16-year-old Baldwin IV of Jerusalem, severely afflicted by leprosy, led outnumbered Christian forces against Saladin's troops in what became one of the most notable engagements of the Crusades. The Muslim Army was quickly routed and pursued for twelve miles. Saladin fled back to Cairo, reaching the city on 8 December, with only a tenth of his army. Muslim historians considered Saladin's defeat to be so severe that it was only redeemed by his victory ten years later at the Battle of Cresson, Battle of Hattin and the Siege of Jerusalem in 1187, although Saladin defeated Baldwin IV in the Battle of Marj Ayyun and the Siege of Jacob’s Ford in 1179, only to be defeated by Baldwin IV again at the Battle of Belvoir Castle in 1182 and the Siege of Kerak in 1183.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gerard of Ridefort</span>

Gérard de Ridefort, also called Gerard de Ridefort, was Grand Master of the Knights Templar from the end of 1184 and until his death in 1189.

Heraclius or Eraclius, was archbishop of Caesarea and Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Cresson</span> Middle ages battle

The Battle of Cresson was a small battle between Frankish and Ayyubid forces on 1 May 1187 at the "Spring of the Cresson." While the exact location of the spring is unknown, it is located in the environs of Nazareth. The conflict was a prelude to decisive defeat of the Kingdom of Jerusalem at the Battle of Hattin two months later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Knights Templar</span> Order product of the crusades founded in 1119

The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and the Temple of Jerusalem, or Templars, was a military order founded in 1119/20.

<i>Arn: The Knight Templar</i> 2007 Swedish epic film

Arn: The Knight Templar is an epic film based on Jan Guillou's trilogy about the fictional Swedish Knight Templar Arn Magnusson. The film was released to cinemas in Sweden on 17 December 2007 and the sequel, Arn – The Kingdom at Road's End, was released 22 August 2008, but both films were combined into a single cut for the English release on DVD in 2010. While the film is mostly in Swedish and most of the production was made in Sweden, the film is a joint production between Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Germany. With a total budget of around SEK 210 million for both films, it is the most expensive production in Swedish cinema. The film grossed $22.5 million according to BoxOfficeMojo.

<i>The Road to Jerusalem</i> 1998 novel by Jan Guillou

The Road to Jerusalem is the first book in Jan Guillou's The Knight Templar book series. The book follows the fictional character of Arn Magnusson from his birth and until he sets off to Jerusalem.

<i>The Knight Templar</i>

The Knight Templar is the second book in Jan Guillou's The Knight Templar book series. This book follows the fictional character of Arn Magnusson as a Knight Templar in the kingdom of Jerusalem. The book starts in Arn's 27th year and ends as he departs the holy lands.

<i>The Kingdom at the End of the Road</i> 2000 Book by Jan Guillou

The Kingdom at the End of the Road is the third book in Jan Guillou's The Knight Templar book series. This book follows the fictional character of Arn Magnusson as he returns home to Sweden after 20 years as a Knight Templar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Varnhem</span> Place in Västergötland, Sweden

Varnhem is a locality situated in Skara Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden with 707 inhabitants in 2010.

<i>The Heritage of Arn</i>

The Heritage of Arn is a sequel to The Knight Templar by Jan Guillou about Birger jarl, the founder of Stockholm - fictionalized to be Arn Magnusson's grandson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Marj Ayyun</span> Battle in 1179

The Battle of Marj Ayyun was a military confrontation fought at Marj Ayyoun near the Litani River in June 1179 between the Kingdom of Jerusalem under Baldwin IV and the Ayyubid armies under the leadership of Saladin. It ended in a decisive victory for the Muslims and is considered the first in the long series of Islamic victories under Saladin against the Christians. However, the Christian King, Baldwin IV of Jerusalem, who was crippled by leprosy, saved by his bodyguard and narrowly escaped capture during his escape.

The original historic Knights Templar were a Christian military order, the Order of the Poor Fellow Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, that existed from the 12th to 14th centuries to provide warriors in the Crusades. These men were famous in the high and late Middle Ages, but the Order was disbanded very suddenly by King Philip IV of France, who took action against the Templars in order to avoid repaying his own financial debts. He accused them of heresy, ordered the arrest of all Templars within his realm, put the Order under trial and many of them burned at the stake. The dramatic and rapid end of the Order led to many stories and legends developing about them over the following centuries. The Order and its members increasingly appear in modern fiction, though most of these references portray the medieval organization inaccurately.

<i>Arn – The Kingdom at Roads End</i> 2008 Swedish epic film

Arn – The Kingdom at Road's End is an epic film based on Jan Guillou's trilogy about the fictional Swedish Knight Templar Arn Magnusson. It was released to cinemas in Sweden on 22 August 2008 and is the sequel to the 2007 film Arn – The Knight Templar, but both films were combined into a single cut for the English release on DVD in 2010.

<i>Knight Crusader</i> Book by Ronald Welch

Knight Crusader, "the story of Philip d'Aubigny", is a children's historical novel by Ronald Welch, first published by Oxford in 1954 with illustrations by William Stobbs. It is set primarily in the Crusader states of Outremer in the twelfth century and features the Battle of Hattin and the Third Crusade. Welch won the annual Carnegie Medal from the Library Association, recognising the year's best children's book by a British subject.

William Borrel was acting Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller, ad interim, from 1 May 1187 until his death at the Battle of Hattin in 1187. He became custodian of the Hospitallers after the Grand Master Roger de Moulins was killed in the Battle of Cresson on 1 May 1187.

References

  1. ↑ Sandra Ballif Straubhaar, "A Birth Certificate for Sweden, Packaged for Postmoderns: Jan Guillou's Templar Trilogy," in The Year's Work in Medievalism 15 (2002), ed. Jesse Swan and Richard Utz.
  2. ↑ Guillou, Jan (2003). På jakt efter historien. pp. 90-91 Guillou, Jan (2009). Orders makt och vanmakt. pp. 429-437
  3. ↑ Guillou, Jan (2003). På jakt efter historien. pp. 93, 95 Guillou, Jan (2009). Orders makt och vanmakt. pp. 434-435
  4. ↑ "Svenska Dagbladet". Archived from the original on 2016-03-17. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.