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Arkadiusz MICHALAK
territory of the Kingdom of Hungary. This can lead to a conclusion that the sword
from the Hungarian National Museum is of local origin 76 .
The Neapolitan Angevins, who ruled Hungary since 1308, were strongly
connected with the crusades movement. Charles Robert’s actions in that field
(including the foundation of St. George’s Order) 77 , were greatly seeming; however,
Louis I was vividly interested in these matters 78 . Suffice is to say that at the age of 17
he participated with John the Blind in the crusade against pagan Balts in 1345 79 . We
should remember that the ancestry of Louis I from the younger branch of the Anjou
dynasty ruled Jerusalem in the period between 1131 and 1205 80 . In 1269 Marie
d’Antioche, the daughter of Amalric I King of Jerusalem, ceded her rights to the
Kingdom of Jerusalem to Charles I (1226-1285) King of Naples. The pope confirmed
it in 1277 81 . Hence Louis of Hungary also used the title of the King of Jerusalem in
his royal titulary 82 . This title and the symbol were also used by relatives of the
Hungarian Angevins – the rulers of the Kingdom of Naples 83 . Both branches of the
family went to a conflict after the murder of Louis’ younger brother Andrew, Duke of
Calabria, probably by his wife Joan I of Naples. Louis embarked on an expedition
against Naples in revenge. It is possible that this sword was connected with claims of
Louis I for the crown of the Kingdom of Naples, which he later captured for several
times (1348–1352) 84 .
Besides political reasons, the origin of the Budapest sword could be connected
with ideological reasons. The idea of fighting against the infidels was very lively
among the knighthood until the end of the 16 th cent. 85 . The cross from the blade could
have symbolically sacrificed the weapon targeted against infidels. During the reign of
Louis of Hungary the crusades organised against the Turkish danger in the Balkans
took place. We should consider swords connection with the campaigns of Louis I
against the Turks at Nicopolis in 1366 and later in 1374 in Wallachia 86 . Worth
76 Obviously, we need to take into consideration the fact that the sword was made in the style and with
the hilt of the popular type in Hungary especially for Peter’s journey. It seems, however, to be less
probable. Examples of swords which were gifts were rather made in local traditions (Aleksić 2007, cat.
57, 127).
77 Bulton 1990.
78 Housley 1984.
79 Conrad 1972; Paravicini 1989-1995.
80 Runciman 1952; Bertényi 1987.
81 Housley 1984a; Grierson, Travaini 1998, p. 210.
82 See: Housley 1984. Joan I (1328-1382), the Queen of the Kingdom of Naples was often depicted with
a Jerusalem cross on her clothes, e.g. Boccace. De mulieribus claris. Cognac. 15 th -16 th cent.
Bibliothèque Nationale de France, cote François 599. 93v. From the reign of Charles I, such crosses
also appeared on the coins of rulers of Naples, but always on the field divided into two or four parts,
with another coat of arms of hereditary lands (Grierson, Travaini 1998, pp. 207-254).
83 Léonard 1954.
84 Bellér 1986.
85 A convenient example of a weapon decorated in such a manner is an armet type helmet from the
collection of the Musee de l’Armee. It bears a Jerusalem cross sign and it can be dated to c. 1580
(Reverseau 1982, p. 163, Fig. 11).
86 Housley 1984; Vardy, Grosschmid, Domokos 1986; Czamańska 1996.