Ad Terram Prusie…Quasi Vinea de Egipto Translata: The Role of the Natural World in the Written and Visual Culture of the Prussian Crusades, 1230–1390

Aleksander Pluskowski’s 2019 edited collection of studies demonstrated the environmental impact of holy war on nature in the medieval Baltic region. Elements of “nature” also played a multifaceted, symbolic role in how the Prussian crusades were described, experienced, and seen. Papal bulls proclaiming crusades in the thirteenth century framed the worship of nature by the non-Christian Prussians as diametrically opposed to Christianity. Many elements of “nature,” conversely, symbolized crusading. The vine spreading from Egypt into the wilderness from Psalm 79:9 exemplified the spread of Christianity to the north. Castles and churches used by brothers in the Teutonic Order, crusaders, and local Christians abounded in images of the natural world. The Golden Gate at Marienburg (Malbork, Poland) embodies this dichotomy perfectly: lush leaves of oak trees (sacred to the Prussians) intertwined with natural and mythical animals, and Christian saints venerated in the Order. This chapter contributes to the present volume by moving beyond the traditional (i.e., translated) chronicles used by most Anglophone scholars of the Prussian crusades. Using extensive collections of chronicles, unedited sources, and visual evidence, it will demonstrate the ways “nature” was fundamental in how crusading, conversion, and religious life manifested themselves on this frontier of Christendom.