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The First Crusade is one of the greatest adventures in all of history: an armed pilgrimage of 2000+ miles testing the human spirit in the most intense ways. Battles, famines, disasters, miracles, etc.
Plus there was a famous duel between a great warrior and a bear. 🧵
Plus there was a famous duel between a great warrior and a bear. 🧵
In his chronicles of the First Crusade, William of Tyre recounts the harrowing episode of Godfrey of Bouillon and others taking to the woods to hunt game in Pisidia, on the way to Antioch.
Godfrey heard a loud roar from a ways away, rode toward it, and there found an “enormous” bear chasing a man. It was later confirmed to be a man-eater.
Naturally he (and his brave horse) rushed toward the bear, which gave up pursuit of its original victim and attacked Godfrey.
Naturally he (and his brave horse) rushed toward the bear, which gave up pursuit of its original victim and attacked Godfrey.
The bear wounded the horse and the man was now on foot. He went to finish the bear with a big swing of his sword, but it didn’t quite land.
The bear countered with a takedown of his own, pinned Godfrey to the ground, and even got its teeth into Godfrey’s throat.
The bear countered with a takedown of his own, pinned Godfrey to the ground, and even got its teeth into Godfrey’s throat.
It got worse for the legendary Crusader. His sword had cut into his own leg, opening an artery.
With one final effort, Godfrey mustered the last of his famous strength and “seized the monster with his left hand and with his right plunged the sword up to the hilt in the side of the struggling beast.”
As he did, another knight also struck a great blow to the bear.
As he did, another knight also struck a great blow to the bear.
Godfrey was left nearly lifeless. They carried his body back to camp and people wailed at the sight of the great men laid so low.
They also brought with the bear he had helped kill, and the starving Crusaders got some badly needed red meat. Pilgrims said they “had never seen anything like it in size.”
A very mixed blessing: they would get to eat, but they appeared to have lost their leader.
A very mixed blessing: they would get to eat, but they appeared to have lost their leader.
But God wasn't done with his warrior.
Godfrey reappears in the chronicles at the Siege of Antioch. William notes that Godfrey had recovered “fully from the serious illness which had long troubled him, the result of the wound which he had suffered from a bear.”
Legend.
Godfrey reappears in the chronicles at the Siege of Antioch. William notes that Godfrey had recovered “fully from the serious illness which had long troubled him, the result of the wound which he had suffered from a bear.”
Legend.
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