Myth and Gold How the Christian West and the Islamic East Viewed One Another During the First and Second Crusades

Abstract

Record ID: 80

Award(s): Excellence in Research Mentoring; Excellence in Research Communication

Student Major: History

Project Advisor: Robert Haug

Abstract: I aim to answer the question of "how did the Muslim people feel about the invading European crusaders and vice versa from 1096 to 1149," with specific focus given to contemporary evidence from both Islamic and Christian sources. Beyond using memoirs from the time period, I have compiled a list of secondary books and research articles to flesh out an answer. I chose this period to showcase that the crusades were not based purely on hate and prejudice, and that both sides warranted a conflict. Despite these wars, love and friendship blossomed between the two belligerent factions, outlying a nuanced reality of how the crusades played out. The outcome of the work will dissuade the notion that this era was not "black and white" morally or purely hateful, but instead bring to light the fear and collaboration experienced by both the Christian West and Islamic East.