Louis IX of France: Piety, Crusade Heroics, and Relic Legacy

Jean de Joinville's "Life of Saint Louis" portrays King Louis IX of France as a saint and holy martyr, emphasizing his bravery, moderation, justice, and commitment to peace. This article delves into Louis's personal piety, his role in becoming a saint, and the miraculous transformation of his body into relics after his death.

Louis's Piety and Personal Life

Louis's principal biographer, Jean de Joinville, highlights the king's deep piety. Louis was known for constant prayer, celebrating daily liturgical offices, and frequenting monasteries. He even prayed on horseback while traveling.

Despite bringing his wife, Margaret, on crusade and having several children abroad, another biographer, William of Saint-Pathus, alleged that Louis practiced abstinence. Joinville's account, however, suggests Louis abstained only from discussing his wife and children. Joinville noted, "I had already spent 5 years with him, and never yet had I heard him speak about the queen or the children, to me or to anyone else. And it seems to me that this conduct was not becoming to be so distant from his wife and his children."

William of Saint-Pathus also recounts the challenges Louis and Margaret faced due to the close surveillance of Louis's mother, Blanche of Castile. Blanche reportedly used all her power to prevent her son from being with his wife, except in the evenings. To circumvent this, Louis and Margaret would meet in a spiral staircase at their favorite residence in Pontoise, where Louis's chamber was directly above Margaret's. Ushers would alert them to Blanche's approach by knocking on the floor, allowing them to return to their respective chambers before she arrived.

Dedication to the Church and Crusades

Louis IX demonstrated extraordinary dedication to the Church. He brought relics from the Middle East to France and, more significantly, participated in the Crusades. His commitment to the Crusades stemmed from a miraculous recovery from a mortal illness. When gravely ill, Louis requested to be given the cross, signifying his commitment to crusade. This commitment proved contagious, as his three brothers—Robert, Count of Artois; Alphonse, Count of Poitiers; and Charles, Count of Anjou (later King of Sicily)—also took the cross.

Bravery and Leadership

Louis's bravery was evident from a young age. After his father's death, at only 12 years old, he faced a coalition of rebellious barons who conspired to make Philip Hurepel, his father's half-brother, king. However, they underestimated his formidable mother, Blanche of Castile.

An assembly of barons, led by Peter Mauclerc, Count of Brittany, planned a rebellion. Joinville attributes their failure to divine intervention, as Thibaut of Champagne (later King of Navarre) arrived with 300 knights to support the queen.

Louis consistently led his men into battle. Joinville describes an incident during the landing of crusaders at Damietta in the Middle East. Upon hearing that the standard of Saint-Denis had landed, Louis, despite objections, leapt into the sea, fully armed, to join his men on shore. He was so eager to engage the Saracens that his companions had to restrain him.

The Battle of Al-Mansura and Captivity

The Battle of Al-Mansura, an attempt to advance on Jerusalem from Egypt, was a significant defeat for the French army. Louis's brother, Robert of Artois, was killed, and the Knights Templar were annihilated.

Despite the defeat, Louis acted heroically. Joinville recounts how six Turks attempted to capture him, but he single-handedly freed himself with powerful sword blows. The Count of Soissons, witnessing the king's valor, remarked, "Shall, let the pack of hounds howl, for by God's qua, this was the oath we most often swore. We'll talk this day again, you and I, in the lady's chamber."

In the aftermath of the battle and a subsequent outbreak of disease, Louis was taken prisoner by the Mamluks, Egyptian soldiers who blocked the French retreat along the Nile Valley.

Loyalty and Steadfastness

Louis eventually negotiated his and his men's release. He promised the Emirs 500,000 pounds for his people's deliverance and agreed to return Damietta to secure his own freedom, believing a man of his rank should not buy his freedom with money.

Louis's loyalty and steadfastness to the cause of the Crusade were remarkable. After his release, despite having fulfilled his duty and being morally free to return to France, he chose to remain. His counselors urged him to return to France to raise men and money to avenge himself against God's enemies. However, Louis went against their advice, stating, "I have considered... that if I leave the kingdom of Jerusalem, it will be lost since no one will dare to stay there after I have gone. And so I have determined that I will not for any price leave the kingdom of Jerusalem to be lost since I came to conquer and defend it. My decision is to stay for the time being."