Toward Messina

Or, my travel catches up with the blog

My journey into the world of Richard really started when I read Sharon Kay Penman’s Lionheart. As I mentioned in Episode 1, I am traveling (in fact am traveling now) on a cruise around the Mediterranean with wife and friends, and we are stopping in Messina, on our way to Pompeii and Rome.

(The above songs were written by Giraut de Bornelh. His Reis Glorios is sometimes thought to have been written in Sicily¹)

Tomorrow, we land in Messina, where my Richard journey started. Today, we are sailing the Mediterranean from Crete (where Richard stopped briefly, headed the opposite direction) to Messina. It took us a little less than 36 hours in flat seas, sunny skies and a nice breeze.

[at sea in the Mediterranean]

In constrast, here’s Richard of Devizes’ account of the Lionheart’s sail from Messina to Crete to Rhodes.

Ch. XXVII. — Of the winds that were at one time calm, at another agitating the sea, and the dangers which King Richard sustained as far as Crete, and from Crete to Rhodes. The wind all at once began to fall gradually, so that the fleet was compelled to remain motionless at anchor between Calabria and Mount Gibello; but on the morrow, i. e. the day of the Lord’s Supper, He who withdraws and sends forth the winds from his treasuries, sent us a wind which continued the whole day, not too strong, but impelling the fleet at a moderate speed; but after that it abated altogether on the following night. But on Holy Friday, a contrary wind arising, drove it back to the left, and the sea being very much agitated thereby, boiled up from the very depths, while the waves beat together, and the storm increased; the roar of the dashing waves, and the ships creaking with the violence of the wind, struck all with no small terror, and from the excessive fury of the latter, all management of the ships was at an end; for no pilot could steer them while tossing to and fro in such a manner. They were borne hither and thither; their line was broken, and they went different ways. The crews committed themselves to the guidance of the Lord, despairing of earthly aid; but as far as human weakness permitted, we determined to bear all things with patience, under the eye of our Saviour, who on that day had suffered so undeserved a death for our sakes. And as the ships were tossed to and fro, and dispersed divers ways, men’s stomachs began to feel a qualm, and were affected by a violent nausea; and this feeling of sickness made them almost insensible to the dangers around; but towards evening, it grew by degrees calm, and the fury of the winds and waves abated. A favourable wrind now springing up, according to our wishes, and the sailors having recovered their strength and confidence, we strove to keep a direct course for our voyage. King Richard, unmoved amid this state of confusion, never ceased to animate those who were dispirited, and bid them take courage, and hope for better fortune; moreover he had as usual a very large wax-light in a lantern, hoisted aloft in his ship to give light to the rest of the fleet and direct them in their way. He had on board most experienced sailors, who did every thing which human art could do to oppose the fury of the winds. All, therefore, as far as they could, followed the light burning in the king’s ship. The king remained stationary some time to collect his fleet, which congregated together by seeing the light, so that the king resembled a hen gathering together her chickens.

After that, we started with a favourable wind, and sailed along, without obstacle or injury, on the Saturday of the Passover, as well as on the day of the festival, and until the following Wednesday. That day we came in sight of Crete, where the king put in to repose and collect his fleet. When the ships had come together, twenty-five were found missing, at which the king was much grieved. Among the steep mountains of this island of Crete, is one raised above the others, like a lofty summit, which is called the Camel, which sailors acquainted with those seas say is exactly midway between Messina in Sicily, and Acre in Palestine. On the morrow, being Thursday, the king and all his army entered their ships; when the wind began to rise stronger, and though favourable, was very vehement in impelling us forward, for we moved rapidly along, with sails swelled out and mast slightly bent, not unlike the flight of birds. The wind, which slackened not all night, at dawn of day drove our fleet violently upon the island of Rhodes: there was no port, and the surf stretched along the shore; however, we enjoyed there our rest the better for having wished for it so earnestly, from that day until the following Monday, when we put in at Rhodes. Rhodes was anciently a very large city, not unlike Rome; though its extent can scarcely be estimated, there are so many ruins of houses and portions of fallen towers still standing…²

All in all, probably 10-14 days to sail from Messina to Crete, with a storm to boot!

Richard’s fleet when he left Messina was, according to Roger of Hoveden, “100 large ships and 53 galleys, well-armed”. John Gillingham’s biography sets it at over 200 ships. Figuring 50-100 men per ship (maybe high), that sets Richard’s force at 10,000-20,000 men, horses, water, wine and supplies. As far as I am aware, Richard was the first crusader to lead an expedition to the Holy Land by sail, all previous crusades having been done overland. An amazing logistical feat for which he is perhaps not given the credit he deserves. He’s usually portrayed as impulsive and violent (and he did have that side). but he was also a meticulous planner and tactician. The planning and execution of this crusade just to get to the Holy Land is probably worth its own blog post.

A word on names. The Holy Land was usually called “Outremer” by the French. It is a contraction of Outre - Mer, “beyond the sea”, or “the land beyond the sea”, which is very poetic. Much as we might today say soldiers are going “overseas” (I grew up in a military family and that is how foreign posting are often described). But interesting, as before Richard, people did not go “over-the-sea”. :)

By the way. If you have not been at sea in the dark, well, it’s DARK. Hard to imagine the terror of sailing a boat across the open ocean in the dark, frightened horses, frightened men, and trying to stay together. Richard’s large wax lamp beacon must have felt very comforting to all the other boats.

Meanwhile back in the 21st century, as we sail I have been using the Marine Tracker app to identify the occasional ship we see. In the “weird coincidence” department, the first ship I look up turns out to be the Melusine, flagged to Belgium, headed for Turkey. As you may recall, Melusine is also the legendary water nymph, half woman, half fish, from whom Richard claims ancestry.

I think they call that an omen.

1. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/290948541_A_Sicilian_testimony_of_Reis_glorios_and_a_reflection_on_the_extravagant_tradition

2. Chronicles of the Crusades, being contemporary narratives of the crusade of Richard Coeur de Lion, Richard, of Devizes