RAOB Bath & District Provincial Grand Lodge

The story behind the myth!

He was born at Amiens around 1050 and died at the monastery of Neufmoutier (Liège) in 1115. His life has been embellished by legend, and he has been wrongly credited with initiating the movement which resulted in the First Crusade. Sadly, historians reckon the story was more of a myth than the truth.

The fact of the pilgrimage of Peter is very doubtful and it is impossible to assign to him the role of the “promoter of the Crusade” as the merit of this belongs solely to Pope Urban II. This is not to say that Peter the Hermit was not a true and noble knight who thought the crusade was a good thing! Just how wrong was he then? This is probably why we are not allowed to discuss religion in the Lodge Room!