The analyzed source presents the speech of Pope Urban II, in which he calls those present at the Council of Clermont to oppose Seljuks. His call is a response to a request for help from the Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos, worried about the invasion of the Anatolian plateau by the Turks. Pope was able to pick the necessary words in order not just to interest his audience but to gather an army. His speech served as a motivator for mobilizing Europeans to go to Holy Land.
Since the call had a severe effect, the study of the address of Urban II contributes to an understanding of the Europeans’ values at the beginning of the 11th century. Even though the records of the primary sources are not always accurate, they allow exploring the society of a certain period and the forces affecting its values and lives.
The Pope’s speech testifies to the intense piety of Europeans, their desire to support and protect Christianity. In particular, Urban II emphasized that the will of the Lord must be fulfilled first. Referring to families that may cause men to refuse to go to war, he recalled that “He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me.” Moreover, most of the crimes of the Turks that he describes are actions against the Christian faith. Increasing his dislike for them, he calls them pagans and a race alienated from God. At the same time, the description of crimes against the population, although terrible. They were not given as much time as crimes against religion.
The speech also confirms the gender division of society – the influence of patriarchy. Although Pope said that the rape of women is so terrible that it is better to keep quiet about them, he mentioned brutal scenes of killing men. It can be assumed that these crimes more impressed the audience represented by men. The influential position of men is also evidenced by the fact that when discussing the family as an obstacle, Urban II lists parents, children, and wives – they are perceived as weaknesses.
The Pope’s speech is full of bias against representatives of a religion different from Christianity, Muslims. The fact that his words had a significant effect and the fact that the Byzantine emperor turned to Urban II for political help is evidence of his considerable influence. Moreover, these facts give reason to say that politics and religion were intertwined, and the latter significantly determined political activity and directed it. A serious attitude to the request of the Byzantine emperor may indicate several possible motives. The Pope may intend to strengthen their relations to be allies or strengthen European influence on Byzantine lands. He could also assess the Turks threat as serious for Europe and influence its prevention.
Thus, the speech of Pope Urban II at the Council of Clermont encouraged Europeans to the first crusade. An analysis of his speech as the primary source reveals the features of 11th-century society. The main emphasis that the Pope did was faith, the defense of Christianity, and the confrontation with the Muslims. Since, thanks to his speech, many Europeans decided to go to the Holy Land, he chose effective incentives. Accent in the address on men also speaks of the patriarchy. Finally, the scale of the Pope’s influence, his interest in political affairs imply an interweaving of politics and religion.