Editing Emicho (section)

=== The legend of Emicho ===
Count Emicho was said to be influenced into action by a divine vision. In the vision an apostle is giving Emicho a crown in "Italian Greece" and promising him "victory over his foes". This vision is a grave reference to the "Last Roman Emperor",<ref name="Gabriele2007"/> which is the legend of a man surrendering his "earthly power to God" and being given the power to destroy the enemies of Christians, mercilessly. In the legend the purpose of the "Last Roman Emperor" is to restore God's power in the Holy Land. To restore God's power the chosen one, the one granted the vision, is expected to kill or convert those who oppose Christianity.<ref>Alexander, Paul J. “The Medieval Legend of the Last Roman Emperor and Its Messianic Origin.” ''Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes'', vol. 41, 1978, p. 1.</ref> By having such a divine vision, those who knew of Count Emicho and believed in his vision interpreted him as the main leader of the Rhineland Massacres.

Chroniclers, such as Ekkehard, saw Count Emicho's vision as his rebirth. Ekkehard was a monk of Aura who later joined a Crusading army in 1100.<ref>Peters, Edward, editor. “Ekkehard of Aura.” ''The First Crusades: the Chronicle of Fulcher of Chartres and Other Source Materials'' , University of Pennsylvania Press, 1971, p. 112.</ref> Ekkehard, in his account, noted Count Emicho as a person who was once tyrannical, but was "called by a divine revelation, like another [[Saul]]".<ref>"The March to Constantinople: Ekkehards Account.” ''The First Crusade: the Accounts of Eye-Witnesses and Participants'', by August C. Krey, Forgotten Books, 2016.</ref> Nevertheless, in medieval political thought, Saul was a complex character that was often employed in discussions of the nature of lay authority, and its derivation from the Church.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Funkenstein |first=Josef |date=2007 |title=Samuel and Saul in Medieval Political Thought |url=https://hpstudies.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/78229ce5-74b4-4c88-9a2a-eb9e449e251f.pdf |journal=Hebraic Political Studies |volume=2 |issue=2 |pages=149–163}}</ref> In short, medieval churchmen often evoked Saul's contest with [[Samuel]] – and used Samuel to support their position that lay authority was dependant on legitimacy granted by the Church, rather than the other way around.<ref name=":0" /> Considering Ekkehard's support for the [[Gregorian Reform|reform movement]], and his position regarding the [[Investiture Controversy]], a comparison to Saul may not be an entirely positive one.<ref name=":0" />

The account of Albert of Aachen places Count Emicho as the main leader of the Rhineland Massacre by using diction such as "Emicho and the rest of his band".<ref>Peters, Edward, editor. “Albert of Aachen.” ''The First Crusades: the Chronicle of Fulcher of Chartres and Other Source Materials'', University of Pennsylvania Press, 1971, p. 112.</ref> Emicho's vision played an important role to his ability to be a leader during the Rhineland Massacre. He was qualified to lead the crusading army because his vision was interpreted as God placing him in the role of power. Even after his death, there were accounts stating the myth that Emicho's soul was guarding the gate of Rhineland.<ref>Stow, Kenneth. “Conversion, Apostasy, and Apprehensiveness: Emicho of Floheim and the Fear of Jews in the Twelfth Century.” ''Speculum'', vol. 76, no. 4, 2001, pp. 911–933.</ref>

Count Emicho has been viewed as both a person who took part in the Rhineland Massacres as a soldier as well as the person who is directly responsible for the actions committed in the Rhineland. His documented involvement in the massacres could be attributed to the legend of the Last Roman Emperor.