Blood flowed on holy soil throughout the crusades, as the Western European Christians and Muslims clashed over land and faith. Christians felt that it was their God-given right to slay the unfaithful and take back their holy land, backed up by powerful bishops. The zealous pride of the Christians is evident in The Song of Roland, while further supported by both accounts of Pope Urban II. The sadisticly blinded Christians saw themselves as heroes guided by God while slaughtering men in the Letter of Godfrey, Raymond, and Daimbert to Pope Paschal. The Muslims had to defend themselves as told in A Muslim Call for Resistance to the Crusaders. Muslim’s feared the attacks of the europeans, while respecting their power as discussed in Usamah Ibn-Munqidh
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The will of the laymen to join in violence with the crusades came from the influence of their religious highers. The church said it was God’s will, “not I, but the Lord prays and exhorts you; as heralds of Christ, by frequent exhortation, to urge men of all ranks, knights and foot-soldiers, rich and poor, to hasten to exterminate this vile race from the lands of our brethren” (Fulcher of Chartres 4). Laymen saw this as their chance to be something greater, to serve a higher purpose and gain valor. The church made it seem as if one would receive rewards for their service. Incentives were set out for the poor and needy, “Let those who have formerly been mercenaries at low wages, now gain eternal rewards. Let those who have been striving to the detriment both of body and soul, now labor for a two-fold reward” (Fulcher of Chartres 4). The church aims to nullify the alms of slaughtering others through religious reinforcement, “this word is given to you by God. When an armed attack is made upon the enemy, let this one cry be raised by all the soldiers of God: God wills it! God wills it!” (Robert the Monk 5). The christians are promised salvation from the Lord, much as muslims through Jihad, if they offer themselves as sacrifice. Pope Urban II asks the men to follow and proclaims that they must “offer himself to Him as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God” (Robert the Monk 5). The Muslims responded to the religious aggression with their own concepts of holy duty. The Muslims saw it as their holy duty to commit Jihad against the nonbelievers, a holy war. The original Caliphs performed yearly Jihad, attacks on the surrounding non-believers in honor of the Prophet Mohammed, “Each year, the ruler would personally make an incursion into the territory of the unbelievers, or he would entrust the task to another. This state of affairs continued until
The will of the laymen to join in violence with the crusades came from the influence of their religious highers. The church said it was God’s will, “not I, but the Lord prays and exhorts you; as heralds of Christ, by frequent exhortation, to urge men of all ranks, knights and foot-soldiers, rich and poor, to hasten to exterminate this vile race from the lands of our brethren” (Fulcher of Chartres 4). Laymen saw this as their chance to be something greater, to serve a higher purpose and gain valor. The church made it seem as if one would receive rewards for their service. Incentives were set out for the poor and needy, “Let those who have formerly been mercenaries at low wages, now gain eternal rewards. Let those who have been striving to the detriment both of body and soul, now labor for a two-fold reward” (Fulcher of Chartres 4). The church aims to nullify the alms of slaughtering others through religious reinforcement, “this word is given to you by God. When an armed attack is made upon the enemy, let this one cry be raised by all the soldiers of God: God wills it! God wills it!” (Robert the Monk 5). The christians are promised salvation from the Lord, much as muslims through Jihad, if they offer themselves as sacrifice. Pope Urban II asks the men to follow and proclaims that they must “offer himself to Him as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God” (Robert the Monk 5). The Muslims responded to the religious aggression with their own concepts of holy duty. The Muslims saw it as their holy duty to commit Jihad against the nonbelievers, a holy war. The original Caliphs performed yearly Jihad, attacks on the surrounding non-believers in honor of the Prophet Mohammed, “Each year, the ruler would personally make an incursion into the territory of the unbelievers, or he would entrust the task to another. This state of affairs continued until