ABSTRACT
The Lyon Eracles describes the coronation of Guy and Sibylla at paragraph 18. Two western writers, Roger of Howden and Guy of Bazoches, both of whom were in the East during the Third Crusade and so were well placed to pick up stories of what had happened, give a rather different version of events. Roger (document 2a)' claims that Sibylla's accession was made conditional on her divorcing Guy - there was a recent precedent in that Amaury had been obliged to divorce his wife, Agnes, in 1163 before he could be crowned-and that Sibylla outsmarted Guy's opponents in the manner described. Guy of Bazoches (document 2b)2 also indicates that a divorce was suggested but that Sibylla firmly rejected it. It may seem strange that the Lyon Eracles and the related texts, all of which are closely in parallel at this point, make no mention of a possible divorce. On the other hand, the westerners' accounts might explain why the Eracles texts have the patriarch inviting Sibylla to nominate her consort instead of automatically proceeding to crown Guy. As Professor Kedar has suggested, they would seem to have omitted an important element in their story of what happened. 3
2a In the same year there died King Baldwin M of Jerusalem who was the son of the count of Jaffa and who had succeeded his uncle King Baldwin (IV) the Leper on the throne. After his death the Templars and Hospitallers, the counts and barons, and the clergy and people chose the countess of Jaffa, the sister of the aforesaid Baldwin (IV),4 as queen. This was on condition that she would agree to a divorce between herself and Guy her husband. For they were saying that although Guy was seen to be honourable in arms, he was nevertheless not her equal in the nobility of his birth; and they were saying that it was not right that she, who was the daughter of King Amaury, s should have a husband who was not born of the noblest stock of the kingdom. On hearing this, the countess realized that there was no way she could achieve the highest position in the kingdom unless she bowed to popular demand, and so she replied that she would grant them her consent: she would agree to a divorce between herself and Guy on condition that she should be allowed to chose whoever
she wished as her husband. Once all this was agreed and had been confirmed under oath, she was taken to the Temple where the royal diadem was placed on her head and she was consecrated queen by the patriarch Eraclius and his suffragans. After that everyone prostrated themselves in prayer and called upon the Lord that He, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, would provide for Himself a man who could rule His people and defend them from the enemies of the cross of Christ. When this prayer was over, the queen, invoking the grace of the Holy Spirit, spoke in a loud voice, saying, 'I, Sibylla, chose for myself as king and as my husband Guy of Lusignan, the man who has been my husband. For I know that be is a worthy man and in every way of upright character: with the help of God he will rule his people well. I know that while he lives that I cannot, before God, have anyone else, for as the Scriprure says, •Whom God has joined, let not man put asunder. • '6 On hearing this many of the leading men of the kingdom were outraged. But the Templars and the Hospitallers and the others who were bound by the oath saw that she could in no way be diverted from her intention and granted their consent to her wishes. 'Then, in accordance with God's will, they anointed Guy as king, and the people showed their assent by their subsequent acclamation. . . . Meanwhile, Raymond, 7 count of Tripoli, unhappy and saddened because Queen Sibylla of Jerusalem would not have him as her husband, plotted as much evil as he could against the kingdom of Jerusalem and other Christians. He sent envoys to Saladin, the king of Babylon, 8 and told him that he was prepared to act entirely at his command and aid him against the Christian land and people. When he heard this, Saladin was moved to invade the land of Jerusalem with a huge multitude of armed men and to conquer and destroy it, as will be recounted later.
