| Abstract |
Famine and cannbalism among participants in the First Crusade a presentation of the contents of the sources. Between the beginning of the siege of Antioch (October 21, 1097) and the abandonment of the region of Ma'arrat-an Nu'man fortress (January 13, 1099), the forces participating in the First Crusade went through three episodes of extreme starvation. The first episode of famine occurred in the winter of 1097-1098, during the siege of the fortress of Antioch by the Crusaders, with a maximum peak of manifestation between 5 and 25 January 1098. The second occurred during the siege of Christian troops in Antioch by the forces of Kerbogha, atabeg of Mosul (June 1098). The third episode of famine was consumed after the conquest of the fortress of Ma'arrat-an-Nu'man (December 12, 1098- January 13, 1099). The periods of famine faced by the crusading forces led to two episodes of cannibalism by crusaders. The first is placed by La chanson d'Antioche, during the siege of the fortress of Antioch by the Crusaders, respectively during the famine of the winter of 1097-1098, probably between January 5 and 25, 1098. It was attributed by the mentioned source to the group of the Tafuri. The second, was placed by the historical sources after the occupation of the fortress of Ma'arrat-an-Nu'man (December 12, 1098 - January 13, 1099). |
