Abstract
This article explores women’s support for crusaders as a contemporary feminine ideal within medieval holy war. Divided into two parts, it discusses the thirteenth-century noblewoman Ela of Salisbury as a case study. The first section examines Ela’s portrayal within Matthew Paris’ chronicles and her supposed belief in her own salvation following the martyrdom of her son William II Longespée during the Seventh Crusade. The second section investigates the interactions between the historical Ela and her son within the context of his crusades, as well as contemporary expectations of women’s sponsorship of the movement. It becomes apparent that Ela consistently worked to enable William II’s pilgrimages and was eager to display herself as a model patron of crusade.
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