Odo Arpin of Bourges
Encyclopedia
Odo Arpin of Bourges (c. 1060-c. 1130) was a medieval viscount
, crusader and monk.
He inherited the lordship of Dun
and became viscount of Bourges
between 1092 and 1095 after marrying Matilda of Sully, whose sister Alice was the daughter-in-law of Stephen II, Count of Blois
. He may have shared the viscountcy with Matilda's father Gilo. At some point between 1097 and 1101, Odo sold his possessions in Bourges and Dun to King Philip I of France
for sixty thousand shillings. This may or may not have been done to finance his crusade. He participated in the Crusade of 1101
, probably with Stephen of Blois, and travelled through Constantinople
, where he swore a loyalty oath to Byzantine emperor Alexius I Comnenus. Odo was in Jaffa
in 1101, Jerusalem in 1102, and fought in the Second Battle of Ramla
, where he was captured. He was not executed because of his connection to Emperor Alexius, but was instead imprisoned in Ascalon
and later Cairo
. Alexius arranged for him to be released. On his way home, Odo visited Pope Paschal II
in Rome, and at the Pope's suggestion he became a monk at Cluny
, which may have been necessary because had sold all his property before the crusade. He became prior
of La Charité-sur-Loire
around 1107, and added the revenues of numerous other properties to the monastery, including one in Anatolia donated by Emperor Alexius.
Odo's capture was incorporated into the Crusade cycle
of epic poetry, in the section known as Les Chétifs ("the captives"). He is the only historical figure in Les Chétifs but he also appears in other parts of the cycle with historical crusaders such as Godfrey of Bouillon
.
Viscount
A viscount or viscountess is a member of the European nobility whose comital title ranks usually, as in the British peerage, above a baron, below an earl or a count .-Etymology:...
, crusader and monk.
He inherited the lordship of Dun
Dun-le-Poëlier
Dun-le-Poëlier is a commune in the Indre department in central France.-References:*...
and became viscount of Bourges
Bourges
Bourges is a city in central France on the Yèvre river. It is the capital of the department of Cher and also was the capital of the former province of Berry.-History:...
between 1092 and 1095 after marrying Matilda of Sully, whose sister Alice was the daughter-in-law of Stephen II, Count of Blois
Stephen II, Count of Blois
Stephen II Henry , Count of Blois and Count of Chartres, was the son of Theobald III, count of Blois, and Garsinde du Maine. He married Adela of Normandy, a daughter of William the Conqueror around 1080 in Chartres...
. He may have shared the viscountcy with Matilda's father Gilo. At some point between 1097 and 1101, Odo sold his possessions in Bourges and Dun to King Philip I of France
Philip I of France
Philip I , called the Amorous, was King of France from 1060 to his death. His reign, like that of most of the early Direct Capetians, was extraordinarily long for the time...
for sixty thousand shillings. This may or may not have been done to finance his crusade. He participated in the Crusade of 1101
Crusade of 1101
The Crusade of 1101 was a minor crusade of three separate movements, organized in 1100 and 1101 in the successful aftermath of the First Crusade. It is also called the Crusade of the Faint-Hearted due to the number of participants who joined this crusade after having turned back from the First...
, probably with Stephen of Blois, and travelled through Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
, where he swore a loyalty oath to Byzantine emperor Alexius I Comnenus. Odo was in Jaffa
Jaffa
Jaffa is an ancient port city believed to be one of the oldest in the world. Jaffa was incorporated with Tel Aviv creating the city of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel. Jaffa is famous for its association with the biblical story of the prophet Jonah.-Etymology:...
in 1101, Jerusalem in 1102, and fought in the Second Battle of Ramla
Battle of Ramla (1102)
The second Battle of Ramla took place on 17 May 1102 between the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Fatimids of Egypt.-Background:...
, where he was captured. He was not executed because of his connection to Emperor Alexius, but was instead imprisoned in Ascalon
Ashkelon
Ashkelon is a coastal city in the South District of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv, and north of the border with the Gaza Strip. The ancient seaport of Ashkelon dates back to the Neolithic Age...
and later Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
. Alexius arranged for him to be released. On his way home, Odo visited Pope Paschal II
Pope Paschal II
Pope Paschal II , born Ranierius, was Pope from August 13, 1099, until his death. A monk of the Cluniac order, he was created cardinal priest of the Titulus S...
in Rome, and at the Pope's suggestion he became a monk at Cluny
Cluny
Cluny or Clungy is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne in eastern France. It is 20 km northwest of Mâcon.The town grew up around the Benedictine Cluny Abbey, founded by Duke William I of Aquitaine in 910...
, which may have been necessary because had sold all his property before the crusade. He became prior
Prior
Prior is an ecclesiastical title, derived from the Latin adjective for 'earlier, first', with several notable uses.-Monastic superiors:A Prior is a monastic superior, usually lower in rank than an Abbot. In the Rule of St...
of La Charité-sur-Loire
La Charité-sur-Loire
La Charité-sur-Loire is a commune in the Nièvre department in central France.-History:The town began as the first of the Cluniac priories on an island site in the Loire....
around 1107, and added the revenues of numerous other properties to the monastery, including one in Anatolia donated by Emperor Alexius.
Odo's capture was incorporated into the Crusade cycle
Crusade cycle
The Crusade cycle is an Old French cycle of chansons de geste concerning the First Crusade and its aftermath.-History:The cycle contains a number of initially unrelated texts, collated into interconnected narratives by later redactors...
of epic poetry, in the section known as Les Chétifs ("the captives"). He is the only historical figure in Les Chétifs but he also appears in other parts of the cycle with historical crusaders such as Godfrey of Bouillon
Godfrey of Bouillon
Godfrey of Bouillon was a medieval Frankish knight who was one of the leaders of the First Crusade from 1096 until his death. He was the Lord of Bouillon, from which he took his byname, from 1076 and the Duke of Lower Lorraine from 1087...
.
Sources
- Giles Constable, "The three lives of Odo Arpinus: Viscount of Bourges, crusader, monk of Cluny", in Crusaders and Crusading in the Twelfth Century (Ashgate, 2008).
- Jonathan Shepherd, "The 'muddy road' of Odo Arpin from Bourges to La Charité-sur-Loire", in The Experience of Crusading, vol. 2 (Cambridge, 2003).