A Swift Answer: Wind in the Sources of the Crusades

Many chronicles of the crusades mention winds having an effect on military operations. The present article discusses different types of situations, in which, according to the chronicles, winds played an important role. It argues that, whether or not these accounts reflect some meteorological reality, many of them were careful constructs intended to demonstrate the providential nature of the crusades. According to their authors, wind was an instrument that God used to help (or, sometimes, chastise) crusaders. At least in some cases, the basis of accounts of winds as an important factor on the battlefield was not testimonies of participants but the Bible or historical texts. Specifically, this article demonstrates that some narratives of the Battle of Antioch of June 28, 1098, that foreground winds borrow heavily from the accounts of the Battle of Frigidus of September 6, 394 C.E.