Florine of Burgundy (1083–1097 at Philomelium, modern-day

Akşehir Akşehir is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of Konya Province, Turkey. Its area is , and its population is 93,965 (2022). It was known historically as Philomelium. The town is situated at the edge of a fertile plain, on the north ...

, Turkey) was a French

crusader Crusader or Crusaders may refer to: Military * Crusader, a participant in one of the Crusades * Convair NB-36H Crusader, an experimental nuclear-powered bomber * Crusader tank, a British cruiser tank of World War II * Crusaders (guerrilla), a C ...

. Florine was the daughter of Duke

Odo I of Burgundy Odo I (d. 1101/2 Tarsus), also known as Eudes, surnamed Borel and called ''the Red'', was duke of Burgundy between 1079 and 1102. Odo was the second son of Henry of Burgundy and grandson of Robert I. He became the duke following the abdication ...

and

Sybilla of Burgundy Sybilla of Burgundy (c. 1060–1103), was a French noble, Duchess consort of Burgundy by marriage to Eudes I, Duke of Burgundy. She was a daughter of William I, Count of Burgundy and Stephanie. She was married to Eudes I, Duke of Burgundy in 1080. ...

. Supposedly, she married

Sweyn the Crusader Sweyn the Crusader (); 1050 – 1097 at Philomelium (modern-day Akşehir, Turkey) was a Danish crusader. Biography Sweyn was born in Denmark, a son of King Sweyn II of Denmark, and husband of Florine of Burgundy. He is famous for his partici ...

Legend

According to legend, Florine and her husband Sweyn led an army of 1500 Danish knights on to a crusade, as the couple had planned to get married in

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

. However, they were ambushed by the Turks in Cappadocia, Anatolia, and were severely outnumbered. According to one tradition, the couple fought valiantly until Florine was pierced by either 6 or 7 arrows. Another rendition is that Florine was captured by the Turks, before getting beheaded in front of the Sultan.

Authenticity

Historians are sceptical of Florine's existence, as only one chronicle mentions her name, which was written by

Albert of Aix Albert of Aix(-la-Chapelle) or Albert of Aachen; ; ''fl.'' c. 1100) was a historian of the First Crusade and the early Kingdom of Jerusalem. He was born during the later part of the 11th century, and afterwards became canon (priest) and ''custos'' ( ...

William of Tyre William of Tyre (; 29 September 1186) was a Middle Ages, medieval prelate and chronicler. As Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tyre, archbishop of Tyre, he is sometimes known as William II to distinguish him from his predecessor, William I of Tyr ...

, one of the chroniclers of the crusades, mentions her husband Sweyn, but not her. Christopoulos, Athanassios Nick. “Sybel von c L H - the History & Literature of the Crusades - 1861.” Www.academia.edu, no. Volume 1, 1861, www.academia.edu/26879319/Sybel_von_C_L_H_The_History_and_Literature_of_the_Crusades_1861. Accessed 10 Aug. 2023. ‌

Fiction

Florine's life was dramatized by William Bernard McCabe in the novel
Florine, Princess of Burgundy
A Tale of the First Crusaders'', published in 1855.

References

*Edgington, Susan; Sarah Lambert (2002). Gendering the Crusades. Columbia University Press. pp. 53–54. . {{DEFAULTSORT:Florine of Burgundy 1083 births 1097 deaths Christians of the First Crusade Women in medieval European warfare Women in 11th-century warfare Women in war in West Asia Daughters of dukes