Norwegian Crusade

Battle context

The Norwegian Crusade, led by King Sigurd I and lasting from 1107 to 1111, holds a specific place in the history of the Crusading movement as the first instance of a European king personally traveling to the Holy Land. It took place in the immediate aftermath of the First Crusade, during the period when the newly established Crusader states were consolidating their position. The Norwegian force numbered 5,000, and the expedition involved coordination with Baldwin I of Jerusalem and the Doge of Venice, Ordelafo Faliero, indicating engagement with the principal political and naval powers of the Latin East. As the earliest royal crusade, it set a precedent for the direct participation of European monarchs in the Crusading enterprise that would become a defining feature of subsequent major expeditions throughout the twelfth century.