ABSTRACT
The epic poem about the capture of Jerusalem in 1099, the Chanson de Jérusalem, recounts an episode when Peter the Hermit was captured and maltreated by enemy guards. He was brought into the sultan’s presence and asked to account for himself:
As Peter finished speaking, he fainted away in the middle of the tent. Seeing him in this state, the emir summoned Lucion, the most learned doctor anyone had ever seen. ‘Make up a potion straight away,’ said the Sultan. ‘Cure this Frank for me and be quick about it!’ Unlocking a chest, [Lucion] pulled out some marabiton, a most holy herb prepared by the skill of the Simeon who rescued the seven sages when they were put in prison. Forcing the medicine past Peter’s jaws, he treated the wound which was gaping so wide that the lung was visible. Peter immediately bounced up in better shape than a sparrowhawk or a falcon.2
