An
Author’s Inspiration
Crusader’s
Path
By
Mary Ann Bernal
In
my ongoing interest in the human psyche and why people behave the way they do,
I discovered most individuals react in the same way when coming in contact with
a person who may or may not have a communicable disease.
When
I had a bout of shingles a while back, I was fortunate – only one hand and
wrist were affected, a few manageable lesions that did not spread, just five or
six clusters lining one finger, easily covered with Band-Aids.
 |
| Shingles. |
While
speaking to several coworkers, I noticed their peculiar behavior the minute I
said the word shingles. They stepped away – distancing themselves a few feet from
where I stood as if my covered finger would contaminate them.
Of
course, I was not contagious, but the fear emanating after hearing the word
shingles seemed to set protective gears in motion, leaving as quickly as one
could without appearing rude.
What
immediately came to mind was how people with infectious diseases had been
treated throughout the centuries. The
recent remake of Ben Hur in 2016 reminded me of Charleston Heston’s
portrayal of Judah and how he interacted with his mother and sister, who had contracted
the disease while in prison.
Ben-Hur (6/10) Movie CLIP - The Valley of the Lepers (1959)
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| Lewis Wallace - Ben-Hur: Wikimedia. |
Throughout
the years, a plethora of movies were made about the Crusades and leper
warriors, such as King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem. The Order of Saint Lazarus of
Jerusalem, a military order was established to care for the hospitalized lepers
around 1119 AD.
Baldwin IV - The Leper King of Jerusalem - IT'S HISTORY
Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem.
Remember
Richard the Lionheart joining the Third Crusade to fight his nemesis, the
notable Saladin? And don’t forget the Robin Hood movies which reference the
famous outlaw’s experiences fighting the Infidel. Recognizable names and places
because of Hollywood, all filmed with creative license meant to entertain and are
not necessarily historically accurate.
However,
in recent years, the atrocities of warfare have been articulated with documentaries
and dramatic television series where the brutality of the age is showcased and
not swept into the background. In Knightfall, we see a leper knight
whose face is covered by a mask. Yes, there were warriors affected with the
disease who fought valiantly during every campaign over the years.
But
I wanted to go back to the beginning, to the First Crusade, to understand what
drove the warriors of Christ to leave their homes, enduring untold hardships
for a holy cause. It took years to reach the Holy Land, a feat not everyone
accomplished, dying en route from disease, starvation, and in battle.
Creating
a narrative set during the First Crusade satisfied a two-fold desire to discern
the truth about life in such a turbulent era.
Lepers were shunned and, to this day, still bear the stigma for having the disease. Delving into the minds of human beings is fascinating because of the different perceptions. Where one sees a victim struck down by God, another sees an unfortunate soul, suffering from an infliction through no fault of their own.
|
And
what of the reasoning behind the Crusades, and what mitigating factors drove
the men and women to travel to an unknown land. The peasant class had no clue
as to what the undertaking meant, never having ventured out of their village.
I
wonder if Urban II would have started his quest to free the Holy Land from the
Infidel if he knew his mission would set off a series of events that has
transcended the centuries. In our modern era, there is still a holy war being
fought in the Middle East. With the advances in warfare, all that has changed are
the weapons. Battles are still being fought in the name of God, religious wars,
man-made, making the assumption God wills it. In reality, the quest for power
and wealth drives a primeval need to dominate the weak, worldwide dominion,
reminiscent of the saying, only the strong will survive.
It
took three years for the Princes’ Army to reach Jerusalem, where the remnants
of a once-massive military force did what no one expected. The Christian flag
flew above the tower of the Lord’s city, a hard-fought victory never to be
repeated over the ensuing years.
As
in Romeo and Juliet and the Outlander series, Crusader’s Path
has more than one main character. The story takes an in-depth look at how
leprosy and religious warfare affected the individual. Avielle, a commoner, conforms
to the laws of the land, but her compassion for the afflicted grows because of her
personal experience. Yet she must behave according to the mores of the time,
and many of her decisions stem from having to live within those rules.
Etienne,
on the other hand, defies accepted values, his status giving him license to do
as he pleases. He casts everything aside as he follows his ducal lord, Robert, but
he is not judged as Avielle would have been for the same infraction.
Whether
or not you agree with their decisions reverts back to your perception of what
is acceptable and what is not. Were the conditions and rules harsh in the Eleventh
Century? Yes, they were. What would you have done in a similar situation? Can
you feel empathy for Avielle and Etienne and even the ducal lord, Robert, whose
selfishness fits his entitled persona? If you judge them according to the
principles imposed in their century and not ours, would you be surprised by
your verdict?
Crusader’s Path
By Mary Ann Bernal
From the sweeping hills of Argences to the port city
of Cologne overlooking the River Rhine, Etienne and Avielle find themselves
drawn by the need for redemption against the backdrop of the First Crusade.
Heeding the call of His Holiness, Urban II, to free
the Holy Land from the infidel, Etienne follows Duke Robert of Normandy across the
treacherous miles, braving sweltering heat and snow-covered mountain passes
while en route to the Byzantine Empire.
Moved by Peter of Amiens’ charismatic rhetoric in the
streets of the Holy Roman Empire, Avielle joins the humble army of pilgrims.
Upon arrival in Mentz, the peasant Crusaders do the unthinkable, destroying the
Jewish Community. Consumed with guilt, Avielle is determined to die fighting
for Christ, assuring her place in Heaven.
Etienne and Avielle cross paths in Constantinople,
where they commiserate over past misdeeds. A spark becomes a flame, but when
Avielle contracts leprosy, Etienne makes a promise to God, offering to take the
priest cowl in exchange for ridding Avielle of her affliction.
Will Etienne be true to his word if Avielle is
cleansed of the contagion, or will he risk eternal damnation to be with the
woman he loves?
Pick up your copy of
Crusader’s Path
Amazon
Mary Ann Bernal
Mary Ann
Bernal attended Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry, NY, where she received a degree in
Business Administration. Her literary aspirations were ultimately
realized when the first book of The Briton and the Dane novels was
published in 2009. In addition to writing historical fiction, Mary Ann
has also authored a collection of contemporary short stories in the Scribbler
Tales series. Her latest endeavor is a science fiction/fantasy novel entitled
Planetary Wars Rise of an Empire. Originally hailing from New York,
Mary Ann now resides in Elkhorn, Nebraska.
Connect with Mary Ann: Website • Whispering
Legends Press • Twitter.
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Thanks for hosting me. I enjoyed writing this post.
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