Elinand of Tiberias

Elinand, also known as Elinard, was prince of Galilee from 1143 or 1144 to around 1149. His parentage is unknown. He succeeded William I of Bures who either had died, or been forced into exile. Elinand was one of the main supporters of Queen Melisende of Jerusalem. Mu'in ad-Din Unur, the ruler of Damascus, bribed him during the siege of Damascus in 1148, according to gossips spreading in the crusaders' camp.

Origins

According to a widespread scholarly theory, Elinand was related to William I of Bures, who received the Principality of Galilee from Baldwin II of Jerusalem in 1119 or 1120.^[1] Historian Martin Rheinheimer associates Elinand with Elias, who was William I's nephew.^[2] William I referred to Elias and his brother, William, as his heirs in 1126.^[2] Rheinheimer also says, the brothers were the sons of William I's brother, Godfrey.^[3] Godfrey was killed during a plundering raid in the spring of 1119.^[4] Hans Eberhard Mayer refutes the association of Elinand with William I's nephew, emphasizing that the Biblical name, Elias, cannot be identical with the Germanic Elinand.^[5] Historian Malcolm Barber identifies Elinand as William I's second son.^[6]

Mayer underlines that nothing proves that Elinand was William I's kinsman.^[7] Mayer also notes, Elinand's otherwise rare name is well-documented in the region of Saint-Omer and Fauquembergues in the 12th century.^[8] He concludes that Elinand was most probably a member of the Saint-Omer family, and thus he was related to the second prince of Galilee, Hugh of Fauquembergues.^[9] He tentatively identifies Elinand's father with Hosto of Fauquembergues, who was castellan of Saint-Omer in the late 1120s, although no document evidences that Hosto fathered children.^[8]

Prince of Galilee

The circumstances of Elinand's emergence to power are unknown.^[10] Rheinheimer says that Elinand inherited the principality of Galilee (also known as the lordship of Tiberias) from William I in 1144.^[2] Mayer argues that Elinand seized Galilee with the support of Queen Melisende of Jerusalem, who had forced William I into exile after the death of her husband, King Fulk.^[2] Elinand became one of Melisende's main supporters.^[6]

Imad ad-Din Zengi laid siege to Edessa in late November 1144.^[11][12] Along with Manasses of Hierges and Philip of Milly, Eliland was appointed by Melisende to lead a relieve army to the town.^[11][12] They did not reach Edessa, because its defenders surrendered before the end of the year.^[11][12] Barber proposes that they most probably went to Antioch and participated in Raymond of Antioch's unsuccessful counter-offensive in early 1145.^[12]

Eliland attended the assembly of the commanders of the Second Crusade at Acre on 24 June 1148.^[13] The commanders decided to attack Damascus.^[14] The siege of Damascus began on 23 July, but four days later the crusaders abandoned the siege and returned to the kingdom.^[14] According to gossips which had started to spread among the crusaders during the siege, Mu'in ad-Din Unur, the ruler of Damascus, bribed Elinand.^[15] Shortly thereafter, Elinand either died,^[12] or forfeited Galilee.^[13]

Family

A royal charter referred to Ermengarde, a sister of Hugh of Ibelin, as the lady of Tiberias in 1155.^[16] Rheinheimer, Sylvia Schein and other historians write that Ermengarde was Elinand's wife.^[16][17] They also say that Elinand's successor, William II, and William's heir, Eschiva, were their children.^[16][17] On the other hand, Mayer and Peter W. Edbury propose that Ermengarde of Ibelin was the wife of William I of Bures.^[16][18] Mayer also says that Elinand was succeeded by William I's nephew, Simon of Bures.^[19]