Sæwulf

Sæwulf (fl. 1102) was an English pilgrim to Palestine, who left a Latin account of his voyage.[1]

Pilgrimage

Jerusalem fell to the forces of the First Crusade in 1099, after a successful siege. Sæwulf's account of his journey there begins in Apulia in summer 1102, with his taking ship at Monopoli. Via many ports, he made a landfall at Jaffa, and began a tour of Palestine, including Jericho and Hebron.[1]

His account of his journey described the prevailing lawlessness of the Judean hills following the Crusade. He noted the road between Jaffa and Jerusalem "was very dangerous ... because the Saracens are continually plotting an ambush... day and night always keeping a lookout for someone to attack'.[2]

The return journey started in a dromond from Jaffa in May 1103. It was attacked near Acre by Saracen ships, but defended itself and escaped. It was attacked again on the voyage from Cyprus to Constantinople, by pirates. Sæwulf's account ends at the Dardanelles.[1]

See also

Notes
  1. Damian-Grint, Peter. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/24468. Missing or empty |title= (help) (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  2. The Crusades: The Authoritative History of the War for the Holy Land by Thomas Asbridge

Work
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