Henri de Valenciennes

Henri de Valenciennes was a 13th century crusade writer . Together with Geoffroi de Villehardouin and Robert de Clari , he was a participant and chronicler of the fourth crusade (1202-1204) and subsequent events.

Valenciennes was from Flanders and was a cleric, but after a sinful life he took the cross in penance and joined the retinue of Henry of Flanders for the fourth crusade. In Constantinople he later became a canon in Hagia Sophia .

After Heinrich von Flanders had risen to become emperor of the Latin Empire founded by the Crusaders in 1206 , Valenciennes began to write a chronicle in Old French . It begins chronologically in the year 1206, i.e. shortly after the Chronicle of Villehardouin ends. The focus of his report is his patron, Emperor Heinrich, which is why this work is more of a report of deeds about this ruler, whom he loyally stylized as a hero.

literature

• Continuation of the l'histoire de Villehardouin d'après les mémoires de Henri de Valenciennes. In: Geoffrey de Ville-Hardon: Chronique de la Prize de Constantinople par les Francs (= Collection des Chroniques Nationales Françaises. Vol. 3, ZDB -ID 978277-1 ). Avec Notes et Eclaircissements par Jean-Alexandre Buchon . Verdiere, Paris 1828, pp. 195-264 .
• Natalis de Wailly (Ed.): Histoire de la Conquête de Constantinople par Geoffroi de Ville-Hardouin, avec la continuation de Henri de Valenciennes. Texts rapproché du français modern. Hachette, Paris 1870, ( digitized version ).
• Henri de Valenciennes: Histoire de l'Empereur Henri de Constantinople (= Documents relatifs à l'histoire des croisades . 2, ISSN  0768-2557 ). Published by Jean Longnon. Librairie Orientaliste Paul Geuthner, Paris 1948.