The Old French William of Tyre

William of Tyre's history of the Kingdom of Jerusalem has long been viewed as one of the most useful sources for the Crusades and the Latin East from the beginnings of the First Crusade to William's death shortly before Saladin's conquest of Jerusalem. However, this text was most popular during the medieval period in an Old French translation.
In The Old French of William of Tyre Philip Handyside identifies the differences between the Latin and French texts and analyses the translator motives for producing the translation and highlights significant changes that may provide a better understanding of the period in question. Handyside also argues for a complex manuscript tradition that developed across the medieval Mediterranean.

Philip Handyside, Ph.D. (2013), Cardiff University, is teaching at Stetson University. He writes on the Crusades and the Latin East, the Military Orders and Old French Historiography. His publications include 'Differing Views of Renaud de Châtillon: William of Tyre' and L’Estoire d’Eracles (2014).