Thesis
Some of the Christian knights participated because if they died in battle their sins would be forgiven, while others wanted fame and fortune also escaping the law and traveling the country were some reasons that the knights joined.
Source #1 Pope Urban’s Sermon at Clermont (1095)
The Turks and Arabs were conquering the land of the Christian people so Pope Urban gave a speech influencing Christian knights to do God’s will and defeat the enemy. The knights had a peace of mind in the beginning of this journey because Pope Urban had told them that if a knight would fall in battle, their sins would be forgiven. The Pope had also shown a way for people that were going down dark paths in society, to redeem themselves and achieve glory. Robbers and thieves could become knights while brothers that had been in quarrel with each other could come together to fight side by side against barbarians.
Source #2 Ekkehard (1102)
About one hundred thousand men became soldiers of God to defeat the enemies of the church. The west Franks were quick to take action do to their homeland was ruined with civil war and famine. Not just normal men participated, high ranking individual's took part also due to the influence of prophets that had appeared to them. It is stated that “A great part of them started forth with wife and child and laden with their entire …show more content…
In a way to receive forgiveness of their sins, these men joined the crusades. Some men wanted to chase after earthly treasures but others simply wanted to escape their debts or to escape punishment for crimes that they committed. While some used the Crusades to get rid of their wrong doings, other men wanted to begin a new life away from their state of poverty back home. The majority of men joined the crusades to better themselve, however, there was a smaller group that joined because they believed strongly in their faith and wanted to fight only in the name of