Gouffier of Lastours (also Goufier, Golfier, Gulpher) was a knight from
Lastours in the
Limousin
Limousin (; oc, Lemosin ) is a former administrative region of southwest-central France. On 1 January 2016, it became part of the new administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It comprised three departments: Corrèze, Creuse, and Haute-Vienn ...
in France, who participated in the
First Crusade
The First Crusade (1096–1099) was the first of a series of religious wars, or Crusades, initiated, supported and at times directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The objective was the recovery of the Holy Land from Islamic ru ...
. He was lord of the
Château de Lastours
The Château de Lastours (Limousin: ''Chasteu de Las Tors'') is a ruined castle in the ''commune'' of Rilhac-Lastours in the Haute-Vienne ''département'' of France.
Construction began in the 12th century. Today in ruins, it was the former sea ...
, near
Nexon, Haute-Vienne
Nexon (; oc, Neiçon) is a commune in the Haute-Vienne department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in west-central France. Nexon station has rail connections to Bordeaux, Périgueux, Brive-la-Gaillarde and Limoges.
Inhabitants are known as ''Ne ...
.
Origins
Gouffier's date of birth is unknown. He was the son of Guy I of Lastours and Agnes, sister of the lord of
Chambon-Sainte-Valérie. He had two brothers, Guy II and Gerald. Along with his brothers, he donated land to Beaulieu Abbey sometime between 1062 and 1072, in return for masses to be said for their deceased father.
First Crusade
On 23 December 1095 he heard
Pope Urban II
Pope Urban II ( la, Urbanus II; – 29 July 1099), otherwise known as Odo of Châtillon or Otho de Lagery, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 March 1088 to his death. He is best known for convening th ...
preach the crusade at
Limoges
Limoges (, , ; oc, Lemòtges, locally ) is a city and Communes of France, commune, and the prefecture of the Haute-Vienne Departments of France, department in west-central France. It was the administrative capital of the former Limousin region ...
. Gouffier and his brothers joined the crusade, initially travelling in the
army of their suzerain,
Raymond IV of Toulouse
Raymond IV, Count of Toulouse ( 1041 – 28 February 1105), sometimes called Raymond of Saint-Gilles or Raymond I of Tripoli, was a powerful noble in southern France and one of the leaders of the First Crusade (1096–1099). He was the Count of ...
, and of the papal legate
Adhemar of Le Puy
Adhemar (also known as Adémar, Aimar, or Aelarz) de Monteil (died 1 August 1098) was one of the principal figures of the First Crusade and was bishop of Puy-en-Velay from before 1087. He was the chosen representative of Pope Urban II for th ...
.
The accounts of Gouffier's actions in the early part of the crusade are somewhat unreliable. He supposedly distinguished himself at the
Siege of Nicaea
The siege of Nicaea was the first major battle of the First Crusade, taking place from 14 May to 19 June 1097. The city was under the control the Seljuk Turks who opted to surrender to the Byzantines in fear of the crusaders breaking into the ci ...
. On the crusaders' subsequent march through Anatolia, the army was split into two. Gouffier was supposedly part of the smaller army that was ambushed
at Dorylaeum in July 1097, and was sent to the larger army to request help from
Godfrey of Bouillon
Godfrey of Bouillon (, , , ; 18 September 1060 – 18 July 1100) was a French nobleman and pre-eminent leader of the First Crusade. First ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem from 1099 to 1100, he avoided the title of king, preferring that of princ ...
, who arrived just in time to defeat the
Turks
Turk or Turks may refer to:
Communities and ethnic groups
* Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic languages
* Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
* Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic o ...
. However, it is more likely that Gouffier was already in the larger army, travelling with Godfrey and Raymond.
At the
Siege of Antioch
The siege of Antioch took place during the First Crusade in 1097 and 1098, on the crusaders' way to Jerusalem through Syria. Two sieges took place in succession. The first siege, by the crusaders against the city held by the Seljuk Empire, last ...
, Gouffier was part of the group that blockaded the route out of the city over
Mount Silpius. The crusaders also built a bridge of boats over the
Orontes River
The Orontes (; from Ancient Greek , ) or Asi ( ar, العاصي, , ; tr, Asi) is a river with a length of in Western Asia that begins in Lebanon, flowing northwards through Syria before entering the Mediterranean Sea near Samandağ in Turkey.
...
, and Gouffier crossed over it on horseback and killed three Turks who were waiting to ambush the crusaders on the other side. A few days later during another skirmish, he killed an
emir
Emir (; ar, أمير ' ), sometimes transliterated amir, amier, or ameer, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or cerem ...
and captured his horse. At another skirmish, he saved Raymond of Toulouse by killing fifteen Turks, breaking all of his weapons and shield in the process.
In 1098 the crusaders took Antioch and successfully broke a countersiege by the Turks. After this, Gouffier's deeds are better-recorded in the sources. He helped capture a town referred to as "Talamania", possibly
al-Bara
Bara or al-Bara ( ar, بارة) is one of the former "Dead Cities" in northwestern Syria. It is located in the Zawiya Mountain approximately north from Hama and approx. 80 km southwest from Aleppo. Al-Bara is also town in Ariha district ...
, and he was instrumental in the
Siege of Ma'arra
The Siege of Ma'arra occurred in late 1098 in the city of Ma'arrat al-Numan, in what is modern-day Syria, during the First Crusade. It is infamous for the claims of widespread cannibalism displayed by the Crusaders.
Prologue
After the Crusader ...
in December 1098. On the evening of 11 December Gouffier climbed onto the walls of Ma'arra, followed by so many other crusaders that the ladder broke under their weight.
The crusaders arrived
at Jerusalem in July 1099, and captured the city on 15 July. Gouffier was with Raymond of Toulouse, who pressed the Muslim defenders back into the
Tower of David
The Tower of David ( he, מגדל דוד, Migdál Davíd), also known as the Citadel ( ar, القلعة, al-Qala'a), is an ancient citadel located near the Jaffa Gate entrance to the Old City of Jerusalem.
The citadel that stands today dates t ...
before they surrendered.
Gouffier then briefly passes back into legend. Supposedly, he saved a lion from the clutches of a snake, and the lion then followed him everywhere, even into battle. When Gouffier departed for Europe by boat, the sailors were afraid of the lion and would not let it on board, so the lion swam after the boat and drowned.
When he returned to Lastours, he donated five Muslim
standards Standard may refer to:
Symbols
* Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs
* Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification
Norms, conventions or requirements
* Standard (metrology), an object th ...
to the
Abbey of Saint Martial
The Abbey of Saint Martial (french: Abbaye Saint-Martial, Limoges; Limousin: ''Abadiá de Sent Marçau de Limòtges'') was a monastery in Limoges, France, founded in 848 and dissolved in 1791.
The buildings were razed at the beginning of the 19t ...
in Limoges. He also donated tapestries to the castle of
Arnac-Pompadour
Arnac-Pompadour (; oc, Arnac e Pompador) is a Communes of France, commune in the Corrèze Departments of France, department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of central France.
The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Pompadours'' in French. ...
. His brother Guy had died on the crusade, but in 1114, Gouffier and his other brother Gerard donated land to
Gerald of Sales Gerald of Sales (c.1055 or 1070 – 1120) was a French monastic reformer from Salles, Lot-et-Garonne near Bergerac, Dordogne in the south-west of France. His feast day is on April 20.
Monastic reformer
Gerald of Salles was ruler of Salles near Berg ...
to found the Abbey of Dolon. The last mention of Gouffier is around 1126, when he is recorded as castellan of
Hautefort
Hautefort (; oc, Autafòrt) is a commune in the Dordogne department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France.
It was part of the former province of Périgord.
History
The ancient fortress dates back to the early Middle Ages, as proved by t ...
. The date of his death is unknown, but he was buried at
Le Chalard
Le Chalard (; oc, Lu Chaslar) is a Communes of France, commune in the Haute-Vienne Departments of France, department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Regions of France, region in western France.
Inhabitants are known as ''Peyrouliers''.
See also
*Comm ...
.
Supposedly he also intervened on behalf of an unnamed queen of France, who had been accused of adultery. Gouffier defeated her accuser in a duel, and was then allowed to add the
fleur de lis
The fleur-de-lis, also spelled fleur-de-lys (plural ''fleurs-de-lis'' or ''fleurs-de-lys''), is a lily (in French, and mean 'flower' and 'lily' respectively) that is used as a decorative design or symbol.
The fleur-de-lis has been used in the ...
, the symbol of French royalty, to his own coat of arms.
Family
Gouffier was married to Agnes, daughter of Ranulf of
Aubusson. Her dowry was the castle of
Gimel
Gimel is the third letter of the Semitic abjads, including Phoenician Gīml , Hebrew Gimel , Aramaic Gāmal , Syriac Gāmal , and Arabic (in alphabetical order; fifth in spelling order). Its sound value in the original Phoenician and in all d ...
. They had three children, Gouffier, Olivier, and Guy. Guy died in Jerusalem during the
Second Crusade
The Second Crusade (1145–1149) was the second major crusade launched from Europe. The Second Crusade was started in response to the fall of the County of Edessa in 1144 to the forces of Zengi. The county had been founded during the First Crusa ...
. Olivier had a daughter, Agnes, who was married to Constantine, the brother of the troubadour
Bertran de Born
Bertran de Born (; 1140s – by 1215) was a baron from the Limousin in France, and one of the major Occitan troubadours of the 12th-13th century. He composed love songs (cansos) but was better known for his political songs (sirventes). He wa ...
.
Legacy
Although he was a relatively minor noble, Gouffier was a local celebrity in the Limousin thanks to his participation in the crusade. From the period following the Siege of Antioch to the crusaders' arrival at Jerusalem, he is mentioned in the eyewitness accounts of
Raymond of Aguilers Raymond of Aguilers was a participant in and chronicler of the First Crusade (1096–1099). During the campaign he became the chaplain of Count Raymond IV of Toulouse, the leader of the Provençal army of crusaders., vol. IV, p. 1009. His chronicl ...
,
Peter Tudebode Peter Tudebode ( la, Petrus Tudebodus) was a Poitevin priest who was part of the First Crusade as part of the army of Raymond of Saint-Gilles. He wrote an account of the crusade, ''Historia de Hierosolymitano itinere'', including an eye-witness acc ...
, and the author of the
Gesta Francorum
The ''Gesta Francorum'' (Deeds of the Franks), or ''Gesta Francorum et aliorum Hierosolimitanorum'' (Deeds of the Franks and the other pilgrims to Jerusalem), is a Latin chronicle of the First Crusade by an anonymous author connected with Bohemon ...
(who had been following
Bohemond of Taranto
Bohemond I of Antioch (5 or 7 March 1111), also known as Bohemond of Taranto, was the prince of Taranto from 1089 to 1111 and the prince of Antioch from 1098 to 1111. He was a leader of the First Crusade, leading a contingent of Normans on the qu ...
but joined Raymond of Toulouse after Antioch).
His earlier exploits are less certain. Evidently there was an
Occitan poem about Gouffier, the ''
Canso d'Antioca
The ''Canso d'Antioca'' is a late twelfth-century Occitan epic poem in the form of a ''chanson de geste'' describing the First Crusade up to the Siege of Antioch (1098). It survives only in a single manuscript fragment of 707 alexandrines, now pr ...
'', written by
Gregory Bechada. Gouffier was Bechada's patron, and Bechada presumably heard about the crusade from Gouffier himself and others who were there, but his work survives only in fragments. It was, however, an influence on the Castilian ''
Gran Conquista de Ultramar
The ''Gran conquista de Ultramar'' ('Great Conquest Beyond the Sea') is a late 13th-century Castilian chronicle of the Crusades for the period 1095–1271. It is a work of compilation, translation and prosification of Old French and Old Occitan ...
'', which records Gouffier's deeds at Nicaea, Dorylaeum, and Antioch. It also influenced the troubadour
Uc de Pena, who mentions Gouffier's role as a messenger at Dorylaeum.
The legends of the lion and of the queen of France must have developed after Bechada wrote his poem. The legend of the queen of France is very late, dating from the sixteenth century. The lion story first appears in a note appended to the end of the chronicle of
Geoffrey of Vigeois, probably added around 1200. The story strongly resembles ''
Yvain, the Knight of the Lion
, original_title_lang = fro
, translator =
, written = between 1178 and 1181
, country =
, language = Old French
, subject = Arthurian legend
, genre = Chivalric romance
, fo ...
'' by
Chrétien de Troyes
Chrétien de Troyes (Modern ; fro, Crestien de Troies ; 1160–1191) was a French poet and trouvère known for his writing on Arthurian subjects, and for first writing of Lancelot, Percival and the Holy Grail. Chrétien's works, including ''E ...
.
[Sweetenham and Paterson, p. 11.]
References
Sources
*François Arbellot, "Les chevaliers limousins à la première croisade (1096-1102)". ''Bulletin de la Société archéologique et historique du Limousin'' 29 (1881), pp. 5–72.
*Claude Bernard, "Un Chevalier limousin: Goufier de Lastours", ''Bulletin de la Société archéologique et historique du Limousin'' 86 (1955), pp. 23–33.
*Marcus Bull, ''Knightly Piety and the Lay Response to the First Crusade: The Limousin and Gascony, c. 970-1130''. Oxford, 1993.
*Carol Sweetenham and Linda M. Paterson, ''The Canso d'Antioca: An Occitan Epic Chronicle of the First Crusade''. Ashgate, 2003.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gouffier of Lastours
11th-century births
12th-century deaths
Occitan nobility
Christians of the First Crusade
People from Haute-Vienne