Godfrey of Bouillon
Godfrey of Bouillon was a Frankish noble and one of the principal leaders of the First Crusade, commanding the forces of Lorraine during the long march from Western Europe to the Holy Land beginning in 1096. A skilled warrior renowned for his personal piety and physical strength, he sold or mortgaged much of his lands to finance his crusade. Godfrey played a pivotal role in the siege of Antioch and the climactic assault on Jerusalem in July 1099. When the city fell, he was chosen as its ruler by the other Crusader leaders. In a celebrated act of Christian humility, he refused the title 'King of Jerusalem,' declaring that he would not wear a crown of gold where Christ had worn a crown of thorns. Instead he accepted the title 'Advocate of the Holy Sepulchre.' His reign lasted barely a year before his death from illness in 1100, but his reputation for bravery, justice, and religious devotion made him a legend. In later medieval literature he was celebrated as one of the Nine Worthies, the supreme examples of chivalric virtue alongside heroes like King Arthur and Alexander the Great.
- Lived: 1060 CE – 1100 CE
- Nationality: french
- Roles: military_leader
