Hodierna of Jerusalem
| Hodierna | |
|---|---|
 Countess Hodierna holding the dying troubadour Jaufre Rudel | |
| Countess of Tripoli | |
| Tenure | 1137–1152 |
| Born | c. 1110 |
| Died | c. 1164 (aged 53–54) |
| Spouse | Raymond II of Tripoli |
| Issue | Melisende of Tripoli Raymond III of Tripoli |
| House | House of Rethel |
| Father | Baldwin II of Jerusalem |
| Mother | Morphia of Melitene |
Hodierna of Jerusalem (c. 1110 – c. 1164) was a countess consort of Tripoli through her marriage to Raymond II of Tripoli, and regent of the County of Tripoli during the minority of her son from 1152 until 1155.
Early life
[edit]Hodierna was born c. 1115-17.[1] She was the third daughter of Baldwin of Bourcq, a Frankish crusader, and Morphia of Melitene, an Armenian noblewoman. Hodierna and her older sisters, Melisende and Alice, were born while their father was the count of Edessa.[2] The County of Edessa was, along with the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the Principality of Antioch, and the County of Tripoli, one of the states established in 1099 following the crusaders' victory over Muslims.[3]
In 1118 Baldwin was elected king of Jerusalem.[4] The following year he installed his cousin Joscelin of Courtenay as the new count of Edessa and brought his family to Jerusalem.[5] Hodierna gained another sister, Ioveta, after her parents were crowned king and queen in 1119.[2]
In 1122 Count Pons of Tripoli rebelled against King Baldwin. Historian Kevin Lewis considers it "very possible" that Hodierna's betrothal to Raymond was first brought in the aftermath of this dispute up as a way to reconcile the two ruling families.[1] Queen Morphia died probably in 1126 or 1127. Since he no longer expected to have a son, King Baldwin started providing for his daughters and settling his succession.[6] Melisende, the eldest daughter, was to be his heir;[7] in 1129 she was married to Count Fulk V of Anjou.[8] Alice, the second eldest, was married to Prince Bohemond II of Antioch in 1126.[7] Hodierna, the third daughter, may have been betrothed to Raymond, son of Count Pons of Tripoli, already at this time.[1][7] Ioveta, the youngest, was sent to the Convent of Saint Anne.[7] Hodierna's father died in 1131, and was succeeded by Melisende and Fulk.[9]
Countess of Tripoli
[edit]Count Pons was defeated by Muslims and killed in 1137.[10] He was succeeded by his son, Raymond II.[11] The exact date of Hodierna's marriage to Raymond II is not recorded. Lewis presumes that it was delayed because she was far too young in 1127.[1] They were married by 1138. Historian Malcolm Barber believes the union to have been arranged by Queen Melisende, who was concerned to provide for her youngest sisters, Hodierna and Ioveta, and to link the ruling houses of all the crusader states. Ioveta, on the other hand, was made an abbess.[2] Hodierna had her first child, Raymond III, in 1140.[1]
Hodierna was close to her sisters: she may have asked Melisende to arrange for the assassination of Alphonse I of Toulouse, son of Raymond IV of Toulouse, in 1148, when Alphonse came to claim the County of Tripoli. Hodierna supported Melisende in her struggle with her son Baldwin III in 1150-52. Melisende ended up on the losing side by 1152, but she was given a small fief to rule in Nablus, where she and Hodierna were able to influence the election of the Latin Patriarch.
Regency
[edit]In 1152, Hodierna was in the midst of a dispute with her husband Raymond II of Tripoli. Hodierna, like her sisters, was very independent, but Raymond was a jealous man and kept her in seclusion. There were even rumours that their daughter Melisende (named after the queen) was fathered by a different man. Her sister Melisende and her nephew Baldwin came north to intervene. Hodierna and Raymond agreed to reconcile, but it was also decided that Hodierna should return to Jerusalem with Melisende for a short time.
Almost as soon as they had left Tripoli, Raymond was killed by the Hashshashin. Hodierna immediately returned to assume the regency of the county for her son Raymond III, who was still a child. Baldwin ensured the support of the nobles of the county, and Hodierna allowed him to give the castle of Tortosa to the Knights Templar, in order to defend from an attack by Nur ad-Din Zangi, who invaded when he heard of Raymond's death. Hodierna remained regent until her son was declared adult in 1155.
Later life
[edit]Hodierna remained by Melisende's side when Melisende lay dying in 1161. Now rid of the influence of his mother, Baldwin III took personal control of Nablus, exchanging it with Philip of Milly who received the lordship of Oultrejordain in return. Hodierna gave her assent to this transaction on behalf of Melisende. Hodierna died at an unknown date, probably in the 1160s.
Legacy
[edit]According to the legendary Vida of the troubadour Jaufré Rudel of Blaye, the legend of her beauty, brought back to France by pilgrims, inspired Rudel's songs of amor de lonh— "distant love." The story claims that he took part in the Second Crusade to see her but fell sick and was brought ashore, dying. Hodierna is said to have come down from her castle on hearing the news, and Rudel died in her arms. This romantic but unlikely story seems derived from Rudel's verse's enigmatic nature and his presumed death on the Crusade. Edmond Rostand took it as the basis for his 1895 verse drama La Princesse Lointaine but reassigned the female lead from Hodierna to her jilted daughter Melisende.
Sources
[edit]- Barber, Malcolm (2012). The Crusader States. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0300189315.
- Lewis, Kevin James (2017). The Counts of Tripoli and Lebanon in the Twelfth Century: Sons of Saint-Gilles. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-4724-5890-2.
- ^ a b c d e Lewis 2017, p. 104.
- ^ a b c Barber 2012, p. 157.
- ^ Barber 2012, p. 2.
- ^ Hamilton 1978, p. 147.
- ^ Runciman 1952, pp. 154–155.
- ^ Mayer 1985, p. 139.
- ^ a b c d Mayer 1985, p. 140.
- ^ Mayer 1985, p. 141.
- ^ Barber 2012, p. 149.
- ^ Lewis 2017, p. 118.
- ^ Lewis 2017, p. 129.