As today marks the anniversary of the Battle of Montgisard, I have waited to upload the little legend of this character some people know I am obsessed about. Those who have read up to a certain point of HCW may recognize the name;
Gismond d’Arcy
I read his story in a Spanish history magazine in 2023. Tho I am sure I heard about it earlier, when in my high school era, while I researched both the Templars and Hospitalier-Lazarites, for some stories I tried to write back then. But when I research so much, I tend to then forget much too and have to re-research lmao
I will translate the cut-out (no pun intended) I made so you can read it too.
“WHO WERE THE KNIGHTS OF SAINT LAZARUS?
They were an order of warrior monks who participated in the Crusades and whose members had an unusual characteristic: they could be lepers. Leprosy was a contagious disease widespread in medieval times, and its spread was favored by the unhealthy environment that characterized the military campaigns aimed at conquering the Holy Land for Christendom. Establishing a group that included knights suffering from this disease allowed them to continue fulfilling their vocation. However, the sick warriors always had to wear the so-called Saint Lazarus tablets—their patron saint—whose sound warned the rest of the population of their approach.
The Lazarists/Lazarites, as these men would come to be known, were chosen as escorts by King Baldwin IV. He himself was afflicted with the disease, which earned him the nickname the Leper King. They quickly distinguished themselves by fighting fiercely, without fear of death, for they knew that would be their fate sooner rather than later. It is said that one of their knights, Gismond d'Arcy, tore off his arm in the heat of battle and threw it at the Muslims to frighten them and protect his lord Baldwin, who had fallen and was surrounded by the enemy. The Lazarists particularly shone for their participation in the Battle of the Horns of Hattin (1187), where they protected the relics of the True Cross.”
I call this a legend, because there are barely any sources and none that you can call exactly official. Besides, Gismond could absolutely have been real, but the arm/cutting part can be a little far-fetched. Although you can try to make sense of it, like I have done for my stories where he appears.
We know that Baldwin was also rescued by a bodyguard/knight in Marj Ayyun, so part of me thought that someone mixed stories and then added some spice, said that Baldwin had St. Lazarus knights in his service (even though the religious-military orders only answer to the Pope, they could also work for the Kingdom) and created this. But it is nonetheless plausible he could have been in need of help when being surrounded at one point. He was still mobile at this time, but if surrounded he may have had trouble getting to his horse again anyway.
In any case, the arm thing is why I began making this Monty Python medieval style meme/reference when I had read the story xD bc I headcanon that he survived LOL. / It may look like Baldwin is the one to cut it bc of the scene in the Holy Grail, that’s why I needed to add a little text for context. I tried making Gismond’s helm reminiscent of an enclosed helm, but without changing anything too much so that it looks recognizable as the black knight lol. // The thing about the green Saracen flag (star and crescent is a later symbol, but I added it for recognition) I took from basically the only other source I found about the story, in a St. Lazarus website, where it also said of being thrown off the horse.
Again, take all this with a grain of salt.
“Call an ambulance! BUT NOT FOR ME!!!” ⚔️ type shii
Another old unfinished art that features Gismond. Here it’s the other arm so that it is clearly visible in the art 😅
I shall like to draw the battle itself when I have the skills to draw such a complicated setting and w so many ppl lol
