My Lady D’Abanville

I heard once that the song by Cat Stevens of the above title is based on a story from the second Crusade.

A French knight and his wife were taken prisoner on their journey to the Holy Land by a Saracen Knight. This Saracen held them in decent accommodation, but held them for ransom, as was the custom of the day when you had prisoners from the nobility.

Unfortunately, the Saracen Knight managed to fall in love with his French prisoner’s wife. He did, however keep this very much to himself and so prisoners and captor managed to get along fairly amicably for some months.

Enter the bad guy of the tale. An English Knight heard of the prisoners and the ransom and fancied his chances of taking the prisoners from the Saracen and taking the eventual ransom for himself (yes I know the English and French were supposed to allies. Supposed to be is the operative phrase in the case of this crusade) so he took his Men at Arms and attacked the Saracen stronghold.

He managed to breach the defenses, but, outnumbered by the defenders, he was eventually beaten off, but not before he had managed to get his hands on the French Knight’s wife who he carried off with him.

The Saracen Knight, honour bound to protect his prisoners is now in a quandary. Should he pursue the English Knight and try to get the lady back or not?

His decision was to ask the French Knight what he wished to be done. The French Knight, of course, demands that his wife be returned to him, but insists on going along on the expedition.

The Saracen knight thinks this over for a short while, then agrees, on the condition that he receive the French Knight’s promise that he will not attempt escape. The knight agrees, but with the proviso that, should the Saracen die in the rescue attempt, both he and his wife will be free. The Saracen agrees.

The French Knight then asks why the Saracen can be trusted to risk his life for the wife of an infidel, to which he replies “Do you love your wife, my lord?” on receiving an affirmative answer the Saracen replies “As do I, my lord. I would die to keep that lady safe even though I must return her to you untouched”.

These days that would probably set all the warning bells ringing in any husband’s head, but in those days this sort of thing was, apparently, understood and acceptable.

The Hunt sets out and eventually they catch up with the evil Englishman. After a pitched battle he and his forces are overcome, but not before he has had the lady killed rather than give her up.

The French and Saracen Knights, the Saracen gravely wounded, come across the body of the lady and the Saracen looks down at her, pulls a beautiful rose carved from the finest ivory from his pack and lays it on her breast with the words “I loved you my lady. Take this rose. This rose will never die”.

A short time later the Saracen Knight died from his wounds and, in accordance with their agreement, the French Knight is freed.

But the story does not end there. It ends with a mystery, because the French Knight is said to have had his lady and the Saracen Knight buried side by side. And had the ivory rose fixed to the top of the tomb. It is also said that he had these words carved into the tomb:-

“You will be safe in the care of this gentle knight until I can join you in Paradise”