In 1217, a certain monk named Thietmar set off on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Departing from the Levantine port of Acre, he walked to Nazareth, and thence to Mount Tabor, the scene of the Transfiguration of Christ. He eventually arrived at a singular spot west of the Sea of Galilee, remarking:

Crusades historians will instantly recognize Thietmar's reference to none other than the Horns of Hattin, the site of Saladin's massive victory over the army of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, on 4 July 1187. That this military disaster sparked what has become known as the Third Crusade is well known, as is that crusade itself, at least in general terms. The war has long been famous for its royal personalities and place in medieval history, legends, and fictional treatments such as the myriad Robin Hood tales, Sir Walter Scott's novel, Ivanhoe, and Ridley Scott's movie, Kingdom of Heaven.

Certainly, these features help build interest and excitement in an endeavor that seems world-historical in its proportions. A host of soldiers flowed from over a dozen European polities, traveling on their own or alongside three powerful monarchs with striking nicknames: Richard I ‘the Lionheart’, Philip II ‘Augustus’, and Frederick I ‘Barbarossa’. In the East, they joined diverse contingents of local ‘Franks’ hailing from the so-called crusader states, themselves led by the king of Jerusalem and his rival, the marquis of Montferrat. Their impulse