Nompar II, Seigneur de Caumont (1391-1446, esp. 1417-1418)

by Zhao Luyang 赵鲁阳 (See Chinese translation)

Born in 1391, the French knight and pilgrim Seigneur Nompar II de Caumont (see alternative names) was an aristocrat from Caumont-sur-Garronne in Aquitaine (south-western France). He made two pilgrimages: to Santiago de Compostela, Spain, in 1417 and to the Holy Land in 1418. In Jerusalem, he was knighted, and then founded a knightly order.

In 1443, he was exiled by Charles VII, King of France for being an English ally. He was also dispossessed of his lands in favour of his brother. He then moved to England, where he died in 1446.

Nompar wrote two books. One, about the education of children, is called Dits et enseignements. It was written before his two pilgrimages, to Santiago de Compostela in Spain and to the Holy Land. It expresses a chivalrous code of honour.

The other book is about his pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela and the Holy Land. It is called Le voyatge d'oultremer en Jherusalem de Nompar, seigneur de Caumont. It consists of two parts, one about his journey to Santiago de Compostela, and the other about his travel to the Holy Land. Before he embarked on his journeys, he drew up a will and testament, which suggests that he may have seriously considered that he would not return.

Nompar left Caumont for Santiago de Compostela on 8 July 1417 and returned on 3 September 1417. His account of this journey is significantly shorter than the one about the Holy Land, where he travelled in 1418. It is merely a short schedule of places he visited and the distances among his travel destinations. He described some places in more detail than others, such as the region of La Rioja, concerning which he narrated the story of Peter of Castile who won the Battle of Nájera in 1367 against Henry II of Castile.

Nompar’s account of his voyage to the Holy Land is much longer. The chapter consists of a description of his pilgrimage and a list of holy places. While it creates a vivid impression, his list of holy places does not coincide with his own pilgrimage account. He may have copied that list from another written source.

He travelled to Venice via Barcelona and the Italian island of Sardinia. Originally, he planned to embark at Venice, but his uncle urged him to change his route to avoid the troubles on the Franco-Italian frontier resulting from Charles VIII of France’s incursion into northern Italy. Going to Barcelona gave him the chance to explore the Italian islands of Sardinia and Sicily. He then reached Venice in Italy and caught up with other travellers. Together, they travelled via the Mediterranean sea and passed the Ionian Islands in Greece on the way to the Holy Land.

In the Holy Land, Nompar described his visit to Mount Quarentyne, near Jericho in today’s West Bank, and the river Jordan. He remembered the heat and thirst there, and the deaths of other pilgrims. He also described the Arabs whom he apparently despised for their faith.

Nompar recounted how he was knighted in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. He attended a mass in honour of St George, joined a communion and then received his knighthood in the presence of a Franciscan Friar who celebrated the mass. Nompar was then given a sword by the knight who first slapped him six times as part of the ritual. The first five slaps were done in honour of the five wounds of Jesus Christ, the last was to honour St George. Then, Nompar made the promise that all knights made at the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem: to respect fidelity in marriage, to refuse to engage in treasonous activities, and to protect widows, orphans and the Holy Church. Nompar also promised to aid with all his might in the reconquest of the Holy Land.

On his way back, Nompar’s ship was destroyed by storms and lightning, which delayed his return to France. Therefore, he had to spend the winter on the Italian island of Sicily, before returning to Caumont via Barcelona.

The account of his voyage to the Holy Land ends with a list of souvenirs he bought as presents to his wife and the liege lords and ladies of his estate. During his stay in Jerusalem, he bought an ampulla decorated with palm branches and filled it with water from the Jordan river.