The Crusading Vow before and during the First Crusade

Abstract

Crusading vows were a unique phenomenon that arose out of a combination of the Roman Catholic Church’s hierarchical structure, its roots in the Roman Empire and the vassal and lord feudal relationship of the Early Medieval Period. This article examines the history of vows up to the First Crusade, examining the history of how Roman law and politics had an element of vows to the Roman pantheon for the good of the state. Additionally, how vows were used during the First Crusade and some of the effects those vows had on the military campaign itself. Crusading vows changed and formalized over the subsequent centuries and crusades across the Middle East and Europe. The military campaign, particularly in Asia Minor and during the Siege of Antioch saw the use of the vow to keep the morale of the soldiers high, to motivate the army to continue the struggle and to fortify them for hardships. The monastic vows made by clergy beginning in the 6th century through to the military oaths of today’s armed forces are a historical offshoot of the vows and oaths made by knights and the military orders originating during the crusading period.