The Children’s Crusade is one of the more unusual and disturbing events in the Medieval Ages. We know only scanty facts about the sad episode; however, thousands of children died during their journey to the Holy Land.

 

In 1212 two groups—one from France, the other from Germany—set off on a crusade to the Holy Land. These crusaders were composed entirely of children and young adults. They were convinced that they would be protected by God and because of this protection they would get to the Holy Land and take Jerusalem for the Christians.

 

The boy in charge of the French children was Stephen of Cloyes, a shepherd. He told the King of France that he had a letter from Christ ordering him to organize a crusade. Not surprisingly, King Philip was not impressed by the 12 year old and told him to go away and come back when he was older!!

 

Regardless of the rejection, Stephen went around preaching to children about his letter from Jesus and his desire to capture Jerusalem. He told his followers that the waters of the Mediterranean would part. It is said that he gathered 30,000 followers—all children.

 

The children boarded a boat in Marseilles and that was the last anything was heard of them.

 

A German Children’s Crusade also took place in 1212. A boy called Nicholas gathered some 20,000 followers. Their journey south from Germany to Italy included a very dangerous crossing of the Alps and many died of the cold there. Those that survived pushed onto Rome.

 

When they met the Pope, Innocent II, he told them that they were too young to take on such a venture and released them from their vows to conquer the Holy Land. Unfortunately, many of them died crossing the Alps.

 

The Children’s Crusade in hindsight seems like a cruel joke. The disastrous results did lead to a new crusade in 1217 in order of conquer Jerusalem from the Moslems. Moreover, we must recognize that this was a period of high illiteracy where the tales of the bible had literal meaning for much of the population.