Franks and Saracens: Reality and Fantasy in the Crusades

by Avner Falk

Overview

This is the first and only book to examine the Crusades from the added viewpoint of psychoanalysis, studying the hidden emotions and fantasies that drove the Crusaders and the Muslims to undertake their terrible wars. The reader will learn that the deepest and most powerful motives for the Crusades were not only religious or territorial - or the quest for lands, wealth or titles - but also unconscious emotions and fantasies about one's country, one's religion, one's enemies, God and the Devil, Us and Them. The book also demonstrates the collective inability to mourn large-group losses and the collective needs of large groups such as nations and religions to develop a clear identity, to have boundaries, and to have enemies and allies. Motives which the Crusaders and the Muslims were not aware of were among the most powerful in driving several centuries of terrible and seemingly endless warfare.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781855757332
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	07/14/2010
Pages:	238
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements vii

About the Author ix

Preface xi

Chapter 1 Us and them 1

Chapter 2 Romans, Germans, and Berbers 29

Chapter 3 Frankish myths of origin 39

Chapter 4 From Franks to Crusaders 45

Chapter 5 The fantasy of the "Holy Roman Empire" 53

Chapter 6 A short history of the "Saracens" 65

Chapter 7 The First Crusade: a "pilgrimage" to resue the "Holy Land" 73

Chapter 8 The fantastic "Kingdom of Jerusalem" 99

Chapter 9 The Second Crusade: persisting fantasies 121

Chapter 10 Templars and Hospitallers: monkish knights 133

Chapter 11 The "Saracens" look at the "Franks" 137

Chapter 12 The Third Crusade: a "lion-hearted" king in search of a "holy land" 149

Chapter 13 The Fourth Crusade: Christians massacre Christians 155

Chapter 14 The Fifth Crusade: a fantastic invasion of Egypt 167

Chapter 15 The Sixth Crusade: winning Jerusalem peacefully 177

Chapter 16 The Seventh Crusade: the unhappy war of "Saint Louis" 183

Chapter 17 The Eighth Crusade: "Saint Louis" fails again and dies 189

Chapter 18 The Ninth Crusade: the last fantasy 191

Chapter 19 Aftermath: the end of a two-century fantasy 195

Epilogue: "The new Crusaders" 199

References 201

Bibliography 211

Index 219