Early Crusader Knights

Three more early Crusaders. Black Tree Design. Below is shown a bit of the inspiration for one of the above shields: an ivory bookcover from the Meuse-Region, Europe, 2nd half 8th century showing Christus Victor. As it looks very timeless byzantine it's just right for my Antiochian Crusader army.

Somewhere I heard the bellicose franks prefered warrior saints like St. Martin or St. George. In a similar way medieval frankish crusader knights fought as "milites christi" and worshiped Christ as their invincible hercules. And somewhere on my harddisk there is a picture of a 13th century illumination showing Christ on a charger leading a bunch of heavly armoured knights in his raised right hand an open book and between his lips the blade of a long dagger, a symbolic gesture emphasizing the superiority of the spoken word over ... hm...sometimes I'm not sure over what...over violence? Hm...but anyway, makes for a good banner-emblem for a lead army.

Christ bares his cross over his right shoulder like an axe.

1148-1149 Nur-ed-Din kicks some Crusader Booty

A Map for a Nur-ed-Din 1148/49 Campaign based on Steven Runciman's book on the crusades. Antiochia is in big distress after Raimund died with his boots on. Factions would be:
Christians: Armenia Low&High, Antiochia, Byzantium, Kingdom of Jerusalem
Muslim: Seldjuks of Konya, Nur-ed-Din Zhengids, the Assassins and maybe the Kalif of Baghdad.
The Map isn't finished. There's still some research to do on the trading routes (e.g. "Seidenstrasse") and I have to add the mountains and passes (Cilician Gate is missing). The Assassins can figure as allies of Antiochia. The Map to the left shows Syria, Armenia, Cilicia, Edessa, Antiochia. Konya is not on the Map. The placenames appear in three versions: modern (black), byzantine (red), arabic (red). (Map: Wolfgang Felix, Byzanz und die islamische Welt im früheren 11. Jahrhundert, Verlag österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften).

Fantastical, Historical and Fictious Banners

The Assassins ~1140

Some Assassins as DBA-auxilia-troops, fighting together with the christian army of Antiochia against Nur-ed-Din and the Sultan of Konya (Artizan miniatures).