Guillaume de Sonnac facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Guillaume de Sonnac
|
|
|---|---|
Coat of arms of Guillaume de Sonnac
|
|
| 18th Grand Master of the Knights Templar | |
| In office 1247–1250 |
|
| Preceded by | Richard de Bures |
| Succeeded by | Renaud de Vichiers |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Unknown Rouergue, France |
| Died | 6 April 1250 Faraskur, Egypt |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Knights Templar |
| Battles/wars |
|
Guillaume de Sonnac (died 6 April 1250) was an important leader of the Knights Templar. He served as their Grand Master from 1247 until his death in 1250.
Contents
Early Life and Templar Role
Guillaume de Sonnac was born into a noble family in Rouergue, a region in France. We don't know his exact birth date. People at the time described him as a wise and careful person. He was also known for being very skilled in warfare.
Before becoming the Grand Master, de Sonnac was already a respected member of the Templar order. He was in charge of the Templars in Aquitaine, a region in France. He arrived in the Holy Land in late 1247. At this time, the Christian lands there, known as the Kingdom of Jerusalem, were in trouble. The previous Grand Master had been captured in a battle. After talks to free him failed, Guillaume de Sonnac was chosen to take his place. He became the new leader of the Knights Templar less than a year after arriving in the East.
Leading the Knights Templar
Guillaume de Sonnac's time as Grand Master was very challenging and involved many battles. By 1247, Christian forces had lost control of several key cities and castles, including Tiberias and Ashkelon. This led to a new military campaign, called the Seventh Crusade.
The Seventh Crusade Begins
King Louis IX of France led this new crusade. He arrived in Limassol, Cyprus, in September 1248. De Sonnac sailed from Acre to meet the King and help plan the attack.
Soon after, the Sultan of Egypt sent a messenger to de Sonnac. The Sultan offered a peace deal to the crusaders. De Sonnac told King Louis about this offer. However, the King ordered him to stop all talks without his permission. This decision meant the crusade would continue with fighting, not with a peace agreement.
Capturing Damietta
On June 5, 1249, the French crusader army, along with de Sonnac and his Templar knights, tried to land in Egypt. Their target was the city of Damietta, just like in an earlier crusade. The fighting on the Egyptian beaches was very tough. King Louis himself fought in the water alongside his soldiers.
After a long battle, the Muslim defenders had to retreat. This left the city of Damietta almost unprotected. The next day, de Sonnac wrote a letter saying that Damietta had been captured with only one crusader soldier lost.
In late November, de Sonnac and King Louis started their march towards Cairo. They planned to go through a city called Mansurah.
The Battle of Mansurah
De Sonnac's next major fight was the Battle of Mansurah. This city held the main Egyptian army, which was the last obstacle to central Egypt. The Egyptians were protected by the Nile River, which was flooded. But on February 8, 1250, a local guide showed the crusaders a place where they could cross the river.
De Sonnac, along with Robert of Artois (the King's brother) and William II Longespee (leader of the English troops), launched an attack on the Muslim forces. They attacked without waiting for the main French army. The Egyptians were surprised and quickly retreated into the city. However, Robert of Artois foolishly chased them into Mansurah. He was outnumbered and had no backup from the main French forces.
Some accounts say that the Templars, including de Sonnac, felt they would be dishonored if they didn't follow the Count. Other stories suggest that Robert of Artois forced de Sonnac to attack. He reportedly yelled and blamed the Templars for the problems in the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Despite this, de Sonnac returned to his men and prepared to fight the larger enemy force.
Whatever the exact reason, the three commanders charged into Mansurah with tired men and no reinforcements. They were quickly surrounded by heavy fighting. De Sonnac and his Templars were completely cut off, "like an island in the sea." De Sonnac refused to give up, and his Templars fought bravely until the end. Earl Longespee was killed in the battle, and Robert of Artois also died.
De Sonnac's escape from the city made him famous as a warrior. He was badly wounded, having lost one eye, and only two of his original 280 knights remained. He fought his way through the Egyptian army and out of the city, where he found the main French army. He refused to rest and, after getting medical help, returned to help fight off another Muslim attack.
The Battle of Fariskur and Death
The Christian forces camped outside Mansurah were constantly under attack. On April 6, 1250, the Muslims launched a major assault. De Sonnac joined the French charge to meet the enemy. He fought along the riverbank until he was finally overwhelmed by the attackers. He received a second head injury, which completely blinded him. He was then killed by Muslim soldiers.
A writer at the time described the battle:
Next to the troops of Walter of Châtillon was brother Sonnac, Master of the Templars, with those few brothers that had survived Tuesday's battle. He had built a defence in front of him with the Saracen engines which we had captured. When the Saracens came to attack him, they threw Greek fire onto the barrier he had made; and the fire caught easily, for the Templars had put a large quantity of deal planks there. And you should know that the Turks did not wait for the fire to burn itself out, but rushed upon the Templars among the scorching flames. And in this battle, Brother William (Guillaume), Master of the Templars, lost an eye; and he had lost the other on the previous Shrove Tuesday; and that Lord died as a consequence, may God absolve him! And you should know that there was at least an acre of land behind the Templars, which was so covered with arrows fired by the Saracens, that none of the ground could be seen
Guillaume de Sonnac's death, along with the capture of Louis IX, marked the end of the Seventh Crusade. He was followed as Grand Master by Renaud de Vichiers.
Templar Records
Guillaume de Sonnac was the first Grand Master to officially write down the detailed rules and organization of the Templar order. He added this information to existing records, organized them, and stored them safely. This helped the Templars have accurate records for the future. It's interesting that even though he was responsible for creating such detailed records, we don't know his own birth date.
Images for kids
-
Coat of arms of Guillaume de Sonnac
-
Cross of the Knights Templar
