Saladin, an essential figure of the Crusades, has left an indelible mark on history and the Western imagination. While his name primarily evokes the strategist and ruler who captured Jerusalem in 1187, over the centuries he has also become a legendary figure, with an image that far surpasses historical facts. Like all legends, those surrounding Saladin are rooted in reality, but they take shape in three distinct forms.
The Evolution of the Saladin Legend
The Chivalrous Prince
The most famous of these shapes the image of a chivalrous prince, respectful of his enemies and magnanimous towards prisoners. This idealised Saladin, in harmony with the values of chivalry, appears in numerous Western narratives where he spares captives, admires the courage of his adversaries, and sends gifts or physicians to European rulers.
The Christian Convert and Royal Descent
A second, more surprising legendary tradition questions his attachment to Islam, sometimes even portraying him as a Christian convert or the illegitimate descendant of a French royal lineage. These narratives reflect a broader medieval fascination with cross-cultural encounters and the notion that virtue and nobility could transcend religious boundaries.
The Romantic Saladin
Finally, another type of legend attributes to Saladin romantic adventures with European figures, the most famous being Eleanor of Aquitaine. These tales, emerging in the 13th century, have profoundly influenced the Western memory of Saladin, shaping an image of the ruler that endures to this day.
Early Western Depictions of Saladin
Tiles depicting Saladin, part of a set also including Richard I of England, now in the British Museum – Wikimedia Commons
The earliest Western sources on Saladin, though detailed, are deeply marked by the context of Crusade propaganda. Between the Third Crusade (1189-92) and the early 13th century, most writings depict him as a ruthless enemy and a divine punishment inflicted upon Christians.
A striking example of this perception appears in the Itinerarium Peregrinorum et Gesta Regis Ricardi I, circulated between 1200 and 1220. This text expresses Latin contempt for Saladin, portraying him not only as a tyrant and a moral degenerate but also as a scourge sent by God to chastise the sinful inhabitants of the Holy Land:
The Lord saw that the land of His Nativity, the place of His Passion, had fallen into an abyss of defilement. He therefore despised His inheritance and allowed the rod of His fury, Saladin, to unleash his wrath and exterminate this obstinate people.
The Shift in Perception: Saladin as a Chivalric Figure
Saladin on horseback going up against Richard I in this early 15th-century manuscript – Bibliothèque Nationale de France, ParisFr. MS. 12559, fol 127r
However, from the 1220s onward, a significant shift occurs in Western literature. A new narrative trend emerges, in which Saladin is now perceived in a chivalrous light, sometimes even idealised.
A Seeker of Knowledge
In L’Ordene de Chevalerie (circa 1220), he appears as a ruler eager for knowledge and honour, requesting knighthood from Hugh of Tiberias to better understand the codes and ethics of chivalry. This account contributes to the construction of Saladin as a model of wisdom and virtue, curious about Western values.
A Noble and Courteous Leader
This image continues to evolve throughout the 13th century. Around 1260, the Minstrel of Reims composes a poem depicting him as a courteous and noble ruler. The Estoire d’Outremer et de la naissance Salehadin reinforces this vision, attributing to him the ideal qualities of prudence, generosity, and bravery.
The Context of This Transformation
16th-century depiction of Saladin by Cristofano dell’Altissimo (1527–1605)
This narrative shift occurs after the Fourth Lateran Council (1215), during a period when chivalric ethics were promoted as a balance between secular values (honour, virtus, military prowess) and Christian virtues (forgiveness, penance, humility). Saladin thus becomes a paradoxical figure: although a ‘Saracen’, he fully embodies the chivalric ideals, to the extent that he is presented as a model to be followed.
This is not merely the rehabilitation of a former adversary’s image but a literary construction with a moral and political purpose. If a Muslim could attain such nobility, then a Western lord must be capable of the same. By elevating Saladin as an idealised mirror, the authors of these works sought to inspire the Christian nobility and promote a virtuous model of chivalry, where strength is accompanied by moral integrity and an ideal of perfection.
The evolution of Saladin’s image in Western literature reveals much about medieval attitudes towards enemies, virtue, and chivalry. Initially demonised as a divine scourge, he was later elevated as an exemplar of knightly virtue. This shift was not just a product of admiration but served a deeper didactic purpose, demonstrating that nobility and honour could exist beyond the boundaries of faith and culture.
Dr Lorris Chevalier, who has a Ph.D. in medieval literature, is a historical advisor for movies, including The Last Duel and Napoleon. Click here to view his website.
By Lorris Chevalier
Saladin, an essential figure of the Crusades, has left an indelible mark on history and the Western imagination. While his name primarily evokes the strategist and ruler who captured Jerusalem in 1187, over the centuries he has also become a legendary figure, with an image that far surpasses historical facts. Like all legends, those surrounding Saladin are rooted in reality, but they take shape in three distinct forms.
The Evolution of the Saladin Legend
The Chivalrous Prince
The most famous of these shapes the image of a chivalrous prince, respectful of his enemies and magnanimous towards prisoners. This idealised Saladin, in harmony with the values of chivalry, appears in numerous Western narratives where he spares captives, admires the courage of his adversaries, and sends gifts or physicians to European rulers.
The Christian Convert and Royal Descent
A second, more surprising legendary tradition questions his attachment to Islam, sometimes even portraying him as a Christian convert or the illegitimate descendant of a French royal lineage. These narratives reflect a broader medieval fascination with cross-cultural encounters and the notion that virtue and nobility could transcend religious boundaries.
The Romantic Saladin
Finally, another type of legend attributes to Saladin romantic adventures with European figures, the most famous being Eleanor of Aquitaine. These tales, emerging in the 13th century, have profoundly influenced the Western memory of Saladin, shaping an image of the ruler that endures to this day.
Early Western Depictions of Saladin
– Wikimedia Commons
The earliest Western sources on Saladin, though detailed, are deeply marked by the context of Crusade propaganda. Between the Third Crusade (1189-92) and the early 13th century, most writings depict him as a ruthless enemy and a divine punishment inflicted upon Christians.
A striking example of this perception appears in the Itinerarium Peregrinorum et Gesta Regis Ricardi I, circulated between 1200 and 1220. This text expresses Latin contempt for Saladin, portraying him not only as a tyrant and a moral degenerate but also as a scourge sent by God to chastise the sinful inhabitants of the Holy Land:
The Lord saw that the land of His Nativity, the place of His Passion, had fallen into an abyss of defilement. He therefore despised His inheritance and allowed the rod of His fury, Saladin, to unleash his wrath and exterminate this obstinate people.
The Shift in Perception: Saladin as a Chivalric Figure
However, from the 1220s onward, a significant shift occurs in Western literature. A new narrative trend emerges, in which Saladin is now perceived in a chivalrous light, sometimes even idealised.
A Seeker of Knowledge
In L’Ordene de Chevalerie (circa 1220), he appears as a ruler eager for knowledge and honour, requesting knighthood from Hugh of Tiberias to better understand the codes and ethics of chivalry. This account contributes to the construction of Saladin as a model of wisdom and virtue, curious about Western values.
A Noble and Courteous Leader
This image continues to evolve throughout the 13th century. Around 1260, the Minstrel of Reims composes a poem depicting him as a courteous and noble ruler. The Estoire d’Outremer et de la naissance Salehadin reinforces this vision, attributing to him the ideal qualities of prudence, generosity, and bravery.
The Context of This Transformation
This narrative shift occurs after the Fourth Lateran Council (1215), during a period when chivalric ethics were promoted as a balance between secular values (honour, virtus, military prowess) and Christian virtues (forgiveness, penance, humility). Saladin thus becomes a paradoxical figure: although a ‘Saracen’, he fully embodies the chivalric ideals, to the extent that he is presented as a model to be followed.
This is not merely the rehabilitation of a former adversary’s image but a literary construction with a moral and political purpose. If a Muslim could attain such nobility, then a Western lord must be capable of the same. By elevating Saladin as an idealised mirror, the authors of these works sought to inspire the Christian nobility and promote a virtuous model of chivalry, where strength is accompanied by moral integrity and an ideal of perfection.
The evolution of Saladin’s image in Western literature reveals much about medieval attitudes towards enemies, virtue, and chivalry. Initially demonised as a divine scourge, he was later elevated as an exemplar of knightly virtue. This shift was not just a product of admiration but served a deeper didactic purpose, demonstrating that nobility and honour could exist beyond the boundaries of faith and culture.
Dr Lorris Chevalier, who has a Ph.D. in medieval literature, is a historical advisor for movies, including The Last Duel and Napoleon. Click here to view his website.
Click here to read more from Lorris Chevalier
Further Readings:
Brian C. David, “Inventing Saladin: The role of the Saladin legend in European culture and identity” (2017). Masters Theses
Margaret Jubb, The Legend of Saladin in Western Literature and Historiography (Lewiston: Edwin Mellen Press, 2000).
Jonathan Phillips, “The changing reputation of Saladin in the Latin West, c. 1170 to c. 1220,” Crusades, Vol. 23:1 (2024)
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