Symbolic Investiture and Identity-Making in Monastic Accounts of the First Crusade

This article examines the investiture of the crusader cross at the Council of Clermont in 1095. It argues that the presentation of this moment in monastic chronicles of the First Crusade represents a literary policy of social identity-making based upon the monastic experience. Monks were invested at their profession with their habit, which represented both a literal and a metaphorical cross which tied them to their monastic identity. The article goes on to explore the references to military arms in these monastic accounts of the crusader cross, and draws comparisons to contemporary depictions of depositions of arms as a cornerstone of knightly identity. It concludes that the investiture of the cross in 1095 should be considered within broader conversations about early ‘knighting’ practices, and that, despite the monastic influences on their presentation of crusaders, they were depicted deliberately as a distinct social group.