What does this tell us about the Crusades?
Even though this seal is relatively small and would only be used on documents, it is still important in the context of the crusades. It is one of the ways of creating and spreading an image of crusader authority in the eastern Mediterranean. Throughout the previous Byzantine empire and the newly founded Latin empire, the emperor was an authority in the eyes of God. And so, when Emperor Henry of Flanders participated in the crusades, his motives and actions were validated through his religious connections.
The imagery on the reverse side of the seal connects to the emperor’s military skill, which would be entirely necessary in the crusades. This side of the seal also connects visually to one of the Chertsey tiles, which shows Richard the Lionheart with the surrounding text. In both cases, we see an armed ruler mounted on horseback, carrying a shield, heading into battle.
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This kind of imagery was prevalent on seals, and it may be that Richard’s tile drew on a similar image of Richard himself mounted and armed on his own seal. Another similarity is that both Henry’s seal and Richard’s tile are surrounded with Latin text stating their title “by the grace of God.”
The connections between crusader heroes and legends, like Richard the Lionheart, and Emperor Henry’s own imagery on his seal allow the Emperor to describe himself, by means of his seal, as a divinely-approved ruler and successful military hero, which would be quite attractive qualities for a leader during the crusades.
