Florine of Burgundy explained

Florine of Burgundy
Birth Date:1083
Death Date:1097
Death Place:Philomelium (modern-day Akşehir, Turkey)
Spouse:Sweyn the Crusader
House:House of Burgundy
Father:Odo I, Duke of Burgundy
Mother:Sibylla of Burgundy

Florine of Burgundy (1083–1097 at Philomelium, modern-day Akşehir, Turkey) was a French crusader.

Florine was the daughter of Duke Odo I of Burgundy and Sybilla of Burgundy. Supposedly, she married Sweyn the Crusader.

Legend

According to legend, Florine and her husband Sweyn led an army of 1500 Danish knights on to a crusade, as the couple had planned to get married in Jerusalem. However, they were ambushed by the Turks in Cappadocia, Anatolia, and were severely outnumbered. According to one tradition, the couple fought valiantly until Florine was pierced by either 6 or 7 arrows. Another rendition is that Florine was captured by the Turks, before getting beheaded in front of the Sultan.

Authenticity

Historians are sceptical of Florine's existence, as only one chronicle mentions her name, which was written by Albert of Aix. William of Tyre, one of the chroniclers of the crusades, mentions her husband Sweyn, but not her. [1]

Fiction

Florine's life was dramatized by William Bernard McCabe in the novel Florine, Princess of Burgundy: A Tale of the First Crusaders, published in 1855.

References

Notes and References

  1. Christopoulos, Athanassios Nick. “Sybel von c L H - the History & Literature of the Crusades - 1861.” Www.academia.edu, no. Volume 1, 1861, www.academia.edu/26879319/Sybel_von_C_L_H_The_History_and_Literature_of_the_Crusades_1861. Accessed 10 Aug. 2023.‌