Халық крест жорылының жетекшісі Питер Шәртеуіл

French leader of the People's Crusade

Peter the Hermit ( 1050 – 8 July 1115 or 1131), also known as Little Peter, Peter of Amiens (fr. Pierre d'Amiens) or Peter of Achères (fr. Pierre d'Achères), was a Roman Catholic priest of Amiens and a key figure during the military expedition from France to Jerusalem, known as the People's Crusade. He is by some called Blessed Peter the Hermit,

He is called Pierre l'Ermite in French. The structure of this name in French unlike in English has led some francophone scholars to treat l'Ermite as a surname rather than a title. According to some authors, he was born around 1050 and was the son of Renauld L'Ermite of Auvergne, and his wife Alide Montaigu, de Picardie. Others claim he was a member of the L'Hermite family of Auvergne in the Netherlands. These claims are disputed by other authors, who argue that nothing can confirm that "the Hermit" was an actual surname and that surnames had not developed until after his day.

According to Anna Komnene's Alexiad (1148), Peter attempted a pilgrimage to Jerusalem before 1096, but was prevented by the Seljuk Turks from reaching his goal and was reportedly mistreated. This experience caused him to preach inflammatory statements about the Turks to upset Christians. However, doubts remain whether he ever made such a journey. Sources differ as to whether he was present at Pope Urban II's Council of Clermont in 1095, where the Pope made his military strategy public. It is certain that he was one of the preachers of the armed pilgrimage in France afterwards, and his own experience may have helped to give fire to the Roman Catholic cause. Tradition in Huy holds that he was there when the call for war was announced and he began his preaching at once. He soon leapt into fame as an emotional revivalist, and the vast majority of sources and historians agree that thousands of serfs and peasants eagerly took the cross at his bidding, partly because of promises he did make. (A list of known participants in Peter's army can be found at The Digital Humanities Institute.)

The leader of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Urban II, commissioned Peter to command an armed pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Before Peter went on his military expedition he received permission from Patriarch Simeon II of Jerusalem. Peter was able to recruit from England, Lorraine, France, and Flanders.