Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb (Arabic: صلاح الدين يوسف بن أيوب‎), was a 12th century Kurd who became Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and a major Muslim political and military leader. At the height of his power, the Ayyubid dynasty, which he founded, ruled over Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Hejaz, and Yemen.  Saladin as he is better known in the Western World  was born in the castle of Tikrit, Iraq in 532 AH (AD 1137-1138) and died just after dawn on 27 Safar 589 AH (4 March 1193 AD) in Damascus.[1] He is best-known for uniting and also leading the Muslim armies during the Crusades and recapturing Jerusalem.

On July 4, 1187, he faced at the Battle of Hattin the combined forces Guy of Lusignan, King Consort of Jerusalem and Raymond III of Tripoli. In this battle alone the Crusader army was largely annihilated by the motivated army of Saladin in what was a major disaster for the Crusaders and a turning point in the history of the Crusades. Saladin captured Raynald de Chatillon and was personally responsible for his execution in retaliation for previously attacking Muslim pilgrim caravans. Guy of Lusignan was also captured but his life was spared. That night, "with uncharacteristic coldbloodedness", Saladin ordered the execution of the "hundred or so" Templar and Hospitaller knights among the prisoners.  Because of their religious "devotion and rigorous training", they were the "most feared" of the Christian soldiers. D

Despite his fierce struggle against the crusades, Saladin achieved a great reputation in Europe as a chivalrous knight, so much so that there existed by the fourteenth century an epic poem about his exploits, and Dante included him among the virtuous pagan souls in Limbo. Notwithstanding the differences in beliefs, the Muslim Saladin was respected by Christian lords, Richard the Lion Heart especially. Richard once praised Saladin as a great prince, saying that he was without doubt the greatest and most powerful leader in the Islamic world. Saladin in turn stated that there was not a more honorable Christian lord than Richard. After the treaty, Saladin and Richard sent each other many gifts as tokens of respect, but never met face to face.

Saladin died on March 4, 1193, at Damascus, not long after Richard's departure. When they opened Saladin's treasury they found there was not enough money to pay for his funeral. He had given most of his money away in charity. Saladin is buried in a mausoleum in the garden outside the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, Syria. Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany donated a new marble sarcophagus to the mausoleum. Saladin was, however, not placed in it. Instead the mausoleum, which is open to visitors, now has two sarcophagi: one empty in marble and one in wood containing the body of Saladin.

The image I have placed here is of Saladin portrayed by Ghassan Massoud, a most respected Actor of Syria. I was most impressed by his presentation of the great Muslim Knight which was done with great Dignity and Passion. Even though Saladin's beliefs may be different from yours or mine his life exemplifies the way in which a Knight should conduct their life. He like us all was human and made mistakes and acted in ways that may be thought unchivalrous, yet have not we all? Naytheless he never ceased to be the best Knight he could and served his people to the end of his days. We all should wish for as much.

I am at your service, Sir Blackwolf

Also known as Jeanne d'Arc, Joan the Maid, the Maid of Orléans and the Maid of Lorraine, Joan was a simple peasant girl who claimed to hear the voices of saints telling her she must help the Dauphin gain the throne of France. This she did, though whether it was through her leadership or through her use by others as a pawn is still debated. Nevertheless her dedication to her Ideals and her Faith set an excellent example of Chivalry.

At the battle of Orleans in May 1429, Joan of Arc led the troops to victory over the English. Joan continued fighting the enemy in other locations along the Loire. Fear of troops under her leadership was so formidable that when she approached Lord Talbot's army at Patay, most of the English troops and Commander Sir John Fastolfe fled the battlefield. Fastolfe was later stripped of his Order of the Garter for this act of cowardice. Although Lord Talbot stood his ground, he lost the battle and was captured along with a hundred English noblemen and lost 1800 of his soldiers.

In 1430 Joan of Arc was captured by the Burgundians while defending Compiegne near Paris and was sold to the English. The English, in turn, handed her over to the ecclesiastical court at Rouen led by Pierre Cauchon, a pro-English Bishop of Beauvais, to be tried for witchcraft and heresy. Much was made of her insistence on wearing male clothing. Joan was told that for a woman to wear men's clothing was a crime against God. Her determination to continue wearing it (because her voices hadn't yet told her to change, as well as for protection from sexual abuse by her jailors) was seen as defiance and finally sealed her fate. Joan was convicted after a fourteen-month interrogation and on May 30, 1431 Joan was burned at the stake in the Rouen marketplace. She was nineteen years old. Charles VII made no attempt to come to her rescue.