ABSTRACT
The Holy Land was a relic and a source of wonderment. It goes without saying that the Holy Land had a special place in the hearts of thirteenth-century French men and women. In a popular reaction to his capture, the Crusade of the Shepherds erupted in northern France and Flanders in the spring of 1251. The reaction of the French government, as described by Guy of Basainville for the benefit of his subordinate commanders, was astonishing. Guy reported that the crusading cause was to be preached throughout France. For a quarter of a century crusading in France had depended very largely on Louis. In 1238 the Emperor Baldwin of Constantinople, badly in need of money and military support, seems to have proposed to Louis that he transfer to France one of the best-known relics in Constantinople, the Crown of Thorns, which was believed to have been worn by Christ at the time of his crucifixion.
