Multitudes enrolled. Bernard could write to His Holiness that castles and villages stood deserted while seven women looked hard to find one man for company.
Thus, high-born Nivelo announced by charter that to expiate wrongdoing he would go on pilgrimage.
Whoever earns pardon through the grace of heavenly atonement, who would free himself from the onerous burden of misdeeds, whose weight bears upon his soul and prevents its flying up to heaven, must look to the end of malfeasance. Therefore, I, Nivelo, born to a nobility that often engenders ignobility of mind, do renounce oppression of the poor, a custom bequeathed me from my father. In a manner that was usual I did tread and trample upon Emprainville by seizing the goods of inhabitants. I, taking with me a troop of knights, would descend upon foresaid village to make over their goods. Therefore, in hope of divine acquittal, I go to Jerusalem. Toward expenses the monks have given me ten pounds in denarii and gave three pounds to my sister Comitissa in return for her consent. Forty solidi did they give my brother Hamelin, this being acceptable to my son Urso and other relatives. If, in the course of events, any shall be tempted to break the strength of this concession, may he be transfixed by the thunderbolt of anathema. May he drop into hell with Dathan and Abiram to suffer egregious torment forever. In confirmation of this I make the sign of the cross with my own hand. I pass the document to my son called Urso, and other relatives and witnesses, for all to endorse by making their signs.
Monarchs enrolled. Conrad, emperor of Germany, took the cross, which was splendid and wonderful because the Turks did not live close by. More dangerous were Jews all around. Würzburg annals relate how the body of a man chopped in bits was discovered, two pieces of him fished from the river Main, another close to Thunegersheim, yet another found among the mills toward Bleicha, other pieces in a ditch opposite Katzinwichus tower. Hence the citizens of Würzburg as well as pilgrims who gathered in the city were seized with frenzy and rushed through the streets impetuously killing Israelites, children, women, old and young. Also, signs had been observed at the grave where the victim’s parts were buried. The mute could speak, the lame could walk, the blind could see, and other miraculous things. Accordingly the pilgrims began to venerate the slaughtered man and carried leavings of him and thought he should be canonized. Bishop Siegried, however, resisted this importunity, which aroused such indignation that he hid himself in a turret to avoid being stoned. And the canons lived in such dread that on the most holy night of Maundy Thursday they would not ascend to the choir to sing matins. Also, in Norwich it was rumored that Israelites had murdered a Christian child. Also, in France many complaints sounded that Israelites contributed nothing toward the relief of the Holy Land. Our Lord was delivered to death on behalf of these people, to frightful death, that of the Cross, where in those days thieves were hung as now we hang them on gallows. How should pilgrims march great distances to behold their sanctuary and wreak vengeance on Muslims if all around live Jews whose forefathers slew our Lord and crucified Him for no cause? We would attack God’s enemies in the East, said they, yet here are God’s worst enemies, Jews, before our eyes. So we are doing the work backward.
Be that as it may, with kindly spring rain warming the earth Emperor Conrad boarded ship at Regensburg to lead his troops along the Danube. So mighty an army accompanied him that the river seemed not broad enough nor fields wide enough for those on foot. This according to Otto of Freisingen. Through Hungary and Bulgaria they went without offense. But when they came to Greece, home of double-faced knaves, petty disputes and turbulence hobbled their progress.
At Constantinople these Germans broke into the wondrous pleasure garden of Emperor Manuel Comnenus where captive animals wandered peaceably through woods and drank from streams as if enjoying their natural surrounding. The Germans butchered these creatures or turned them loose while Manuel Comnenus watched from a palace window. Whether Germans proceed to sin through love of evil is a matter of dispute and futile exercise.
Emperor Manuel wished to expel these barbaric travelers. Because they had not kept faith and violated their oath he thought to play the role of scorpion whose face looks benign but whose tail stings viciously. He offered guides to lead them past the Golden Horn to the wild desolate land of Cappadocia where they would find little water and less to eat, where they would be destroyed by Seljuk Turks. Some say he instructed these false guides to sicken the Germans by mixing chalk into their bread. Whatever the truth, at Dorylaeum here came Turks on light fast horses and the weary Germans encumbered with armor floundering through swamps and hollows. Of all who served under Count Bernhard, not one escaped. Before the sun went down at least eighty thousand Germans lay dead and Conrad himself, wounded twice, riding as fast as he could toward Nicaea. Michael the Syrian declares that overnight the price of silver in Cappadocia sank to the price of lead, so much booty did these Turks harvest.
King Louis advanced on Constantinople ignorant of what happened to Conrad, ignorant of Byzantine malice. A deputy from the scorpion Manuel greeted him at Ratisbon to deliver letters overflowing with such flattery that while listening to them read aloud he blushed. Manuel expressed the hope that King Louis would march through Greek land in a seemly and peaceable manner.
These Franks entered a world they could not understand. Odo from Deuil relates that in
