Kerak
Trip Start
Mar 16, 2011
1
12
26
Trip End
Ongoing
Karak, Karak, Jordan
Thursday, April 14, 2011
This castle, propelling fellow crusader castle Mont Real into irrelevancy, became infamous in 1176 when general bad boy - Raynald de Chatillon - turned the castle into a mixture of a pleasure palace of lustful pursuits along with and perhaps more importantly a raiding post that would threaten the heart of Islam herself.
From raiding Bedouin camel trains, to building a fleet to attack Mecca and, as we heard on the grape vine (or perhaps more aptly as a little racing pigeon told me [Hugo Campbell, I hope you admire our knowledge of postal pigeons during the Crusader era]) tried to have his way with Salah Ed Din's sister. And we all know that sister's are forbidden territory (don't we George Rolls). He got beheaded for it.
We are currently debating Raynald's part in the demise of Outremer as, although easily shunned due to the epic fail of Hattin, he also can boast defeating Salah Ed Din in open battle with a classic Frankish cavalry charge. Something even the mighty Richard the Lion Heart struggles to boast.
Kerak finally fell in 1189 to Saladin's sword.
