Editing Raynald of Châtillon (section)

== Historiography and perceptions ==

[[File:BOHADINUS, Yusuf ibn Raffi ibn Shaddad, known as (1145-1234). Vita et res gestae Sultani, almalichi alnasiri, Saladini. Edited and translated by Albert Schultens. Leiden; Samuel Luchtmans, 1732.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.3|alt=Two pages from an old book with parallel Arabic and English text|[[Baha ad-Din ibn Shaddad]]'s biography of Saladin with parallel Arabic and Latin text, published in 1732. Baha ad-Din's work contains several (mainly negative) references to Raynald.]]

Most information on Raynald's life was recorded by Muslim authors, who were hostile to him.{{sfn|Hamilton|1978|p=97}} Baha ad-Din ibn Shaddad described him as a "monstrous infidel and terrible oppressor"<ref>''The Rare and Excellent History of Saladin'', p. 37.</ref> in his biography of Saladin.{{sfn|Barber|2012|pp=306, 423, 435}} Saladin compared Raynald with the [[King of Aksum|king of Ethiopia]] who [[Year of the Elephant|had tried to destroy Mecca in 570]] and was called the "Elephant" in the [[Al-Fil|Surah Fil]] of the [[Quran]].{{sfn|Hamilton|1978|p=97 (note 1)}} Ibn al-Athir described him as "one of the most devilish of the Franks, and one of the most demonic", adding that Raynald "had the strongest hostility to the Muslims".{{sfn|Mallett|2008|p=141}} [[Islamic extremism|Islamic extremists]] still regard Raynald as a symbol of their enemies: one of the two [[mail bomb]]s hidden in a [[cargo aircraft]] in 2010 was addressed to "Reynald Krak" in clear reference to him.{{sfn|Cotts|2021|p=43}} 

Most Christian authors who wrote of Raynald in the 12th and 13th centuries were influenced by Raynald's political opponent, William of Tyre.{{sfn|Hamilton|1978|p=97}} The author of the {{lang|fr|Estoire d'Eracles}} stated that Raynald's attack against a caravan at the turn of 1186 and 1187 was the "reason of the loss of the Kingdom of Jerusalem".{{sfn|Hamilton|2000|p=225}} Modern historians have usually also treated Raynald as a "maverick who did more harm to the Christian than to the [Muslim] cause".{{sfn|Hamilton|1978|p=97}} Runciman describes him as a marauder who could not resist the temptation presented by the rich caravans passing through Oultrejordain.{{sfn|Runciman|1989|p=431}} He argues that Raynald attacked a caravan during the 1180 truce because he "could not understand a policy that ran counter to his wishes".{{sfn|Runciman|1989|p=431}} Cobb introduces Raynald as the {{nobreak|"[r]elentless}} nemesis of Saladin", adding that Raynald's provocative actions inevitably led to Saladin's fatal invasion against the Kingdom of Jerusalem.{{sfn|Cobb|2016|pp=xx, 185}} Along with Guy of Lusignan and the Knights Templar, Raynald is one of the negative characters in the ''[[Kingdom of Heaven (film)|Kingdom of Heaven]]'', an [[Epic film|epic]] action movie directed by [[Ridley Scott]] and released in 2005. Portrayed by [[Brendan Gleeson]],{{sfn|Gabriele|2018|p=613}} Raynald is presented in the film as an aggressive Christian fanatic who deliberately provokes a conflict with the Muslims to achieve their total destruction.{{sfn|Liu|2017|p=89}}

Some Christian authors regarded Raynald as a martyr for the faith.{{sfn|Hamilton|1978|p=107}} After learning of Raynald's death from King Guy's brother [[Geoffrey of Lusignan]], [[Peter of Blois]] dedicated a book (entitled ''Passion of Prince Raynald of Antioch'') to him shortly after his death. The ''Passion'' underlines that Raynald defended the [[True Cross]] at Hattin.{{sfn|Hamilton|1978|p=107}} Among modern historians, Hamilton portrays Raynald as "an experienced and responsible crusader leader" who made several attempts to prevent Saladin from uniting the Muslim realms along the borders of the crusader states.{{sfn|Hamilton|1978|pp=102, 104–106}} His comments are described by Cobb as "attempts to dispel" Raynald's "bad press".{{sfn|Cobb|2016|p=306 (note 31)}} The historian Alex Mallett refers to Raynald's naval expedition as "one of the most extraordinary episodes in the history of the Crusades, and yet one of the most overlooked".{{sfn|Mallett|2008|p=141}} In 2017, the journalist Jeffrey Lee published a biography about Raynald, entitled ''God's Wolf'',{{refn|group=note|{{cite book|last=Lee|first=Jeffrey|year=2016|title=God's Wolf: The Life of the Most Notorious of All Crusaders: Reynald de Chatillon|url=https://atlantic-books.co.uk/book/gods-wolf/|publisher=[[Atlantic Books]]|isbn=978-1-7823-9927-8|ref=none}}}} presenting him, according to the historian John Cotts,{{sfn|Cotts|2021|p=52}} in a nearly hagiographic style as a loyal, valiant, and talented warrior. Lee's book was praised by [[James Delingpole]]—a blogger associated with [[Breitbart]]—who attributed Raynald's bad reputation in the [[Western world]] to "cultural self-hatred",{{sfn|Delingpole|2018}} but historians such as Matthew Gabriele sharply criticised Lee's approach. Gabriele concludes that Lee's book "does violence to the study of the past" due to his uncritical use of primary sources and his obvious attempt to make a connection between medieval history and 21st-century politics.{{sfn|Gabriele|2018|p=612}}