You Say Dead Sheep, I Say Mutton.

While translating this last passage I had some difficulty with a word multones. I could not find it in all the Latin dictionaries that I own. The two versions of Gesta, that I have bookmarked to verify my own translations, translated this word as 'sheep' which struck me as odd. So I searched for more information. I found one article online, which I should have bookmarked because I am unable to find it now, which suggested that the word was derived from coins minted by the Franks called 'multones' which had the Agnus Dei or Lamb of God on one side and may be where we get the word 'mutton' from.
The entry for mutton in the Oxford English Dictionary says that in post-classical latin multo began to mean a male sheep, and then:"The Latin word and subsequently the Anglo-Norman and Old French words came to denote both 'sheep' and 'ram',replacing both classical Latin ovis ewe, sheep; and the classical Latin vervex wether."
I wonder how multo, which means 'much', changed to mean male sheep. Or a gold coin. Chasing this down involves knowing more about money and coinage. It is surprising, when you see how much museum space is given to coins, that, when you really want to know something about a particular coin, it is incredibly hard to find. This is so especially on the Net. I am unable to find an image of a multones or who began to coin them. There also seems to be a lack of images or samples in museums of Merovingian, Carolingian and Capetian coins. It seems few have survived the ravages of time.
It is also amusing that when it comes to many food items like 'cow' or 'sheep', we kept the Anglo Saxon word but when those animals become meat, the names for them switch to the Norman 'beef' or 'mutton'.

Deeds of the Franks, Book 4, Chapter 10

Afterwards, the Turks, enemies of God and sacred Christianity, were completely trounced, fleeing four days and nights here and there; it happened that Soliman, their leader, son of Soliman the Elder, was fleeing from Nicea. He found ten thousand Arabs, who said to him: "O unhappy and more unlucky of all people, why do you flee trembling?" To which Soliman answered weeping, "Because once when I would have defeated all the Franks and I reckoned to place them bound into captivity, then with a few at a time I would tie them together taking turns, but then looking back, I saw so many men without number of these people, that if you or any other came upon them, it would be reckoned that all the mountains, hills and valleys and all flat places were filled with their multitudes. Therefore, understanding this, we immediately began to take a sudden road, fearing so amazingly, that scarcely we had evaded falling into their hands, from whence we came here in very great fear. And if you will believe my words and me, take yourself hence from here, since if they are able barely to learn of you, scarcely will even one of you escape, living any further." But they, hearing such a story, turned themselves back around and spread themselves out over Romania. Then, we came following those wicked Turks, who were fleeing daily before us. But when they came to any forts or cities, they influenced and fooled the inhabitants of those lands saying "We had defeated the Christians and overcame those, in such a way that none of them ever would now dare to set their troops up before us, therefore let us pass to come inside." Entering in, they then looted churches, homes and all other places, and were taking horses, asses and mules with them as well as gold and silver and anything else that they were able to seize. As well they were taking sons of Christians with them and were burning and destroying everything that was convenient or useful, fleeing and trembling with fear before our face. And as we were pursuing them through the desert, a dry and uninhabitable land, from which we barely escaped or returned alive, hunger and thirst were constraining us on all sides, and there was nothing in that place for eating for us unless plucking and chafing chance grain with our own hands, such food we were living on very wretchedly. There was much death among our horses as those who had been knights became foot soldiers, and through the want of horses, oxen were ridden as packhorses in that place and for no small necessity our goats, sheep and dogs were taking their places as beasts of burden.

cont.......

Deeds of the Franks, Book III, Chapter ix, cont.

Right from the first, these were our appointed battle lines. On the left part was that wise man, Bohemond, Robert of Normandy and the skillful Tancred, Robert de Ansa, Richard of the Principality. The Bishop of Le Puy came across the other mountain and encircled the amazed Turks on all sides. On the left, also rode the bravest of soldiers Raymond, the Count of St. Giles. On the right part was Duke Godfrey, sternest soldier in Flanders the Count, Hugo the Great and many other whose names I do not know.

However, immediately upon the arrival of our soldiers, the Turks, Arabs, Saracens and Agulani, all barbarian nations, gave flight swiftly through shortcuts on the mountains and across the flat plains. There were however numbers of Turks, Persians, Publicans, Saracens, Agulani, and other pagans 360,000 over and above the Arabs, whose number is known to no one except God alone. They fled much too quickly to their own tents, and there it was not permitted them to remain for a little while. For a second time, they took flight, and we had followed them killing them all in one day. And we received the many spoils, gold, silver, horses and asses, camels, sheep, and oxen and so much else that I cannot know. And unless the Lord was been with us in war and had quickly set up another battle line for us we would not have escaped, this battle lasted from the third hour to the ninth. But the all-powerful God, devout and compassionate, who would not permit his own soldiers to perish, nor to fall into the hands of his enemies, sent aide quickly to us. There were among the dead, two of our noble soliders, that is Godfrey of Mount Scabioso, William, son of the Marquis and the brother of Tancred, and other knights and foot soldiers whose names I do not know.

Was there ever anyone so wise and learned that he would dare to describe the military skill and might of the Turks, who was reckoning to frighten the people of the Franks with their arrows just as they terrified the Arabs, Saracens, Armenians, Syrians and Greeks? But if it is pleasing to God they would never prevail as much as our people did. They say truly themselves to be of the race of the Franks and as such no man is more naturally given to be warriors than the Franks and them. I speak the truth that no one will dare to forbid. Certainly if they would always have been steadfast in Christian faith and with Christian sanctity, and they would chose to acknowledge one god in the trinity - of God and his Son born of a virgin mother, that he suffered and had been resurrected from death and to have ascended into heaven with his disciples looking on and to have sent full comfort by the Holy Ghost and, with right minds and faith, if they had believed in him, reigning in heaven and on earth then nothing would be able to destroy these Turks not power, or greater strength, or wars, or greatest of minds. And however through the grace of God, the victory was ours. This war had been fought on the first of July.

Deeds of the Franks, Book III, Chapter ix

Meanwhile, with the city having been returned and the Turks taken to Constantinople, the emperor more and more joyful because the city had been returned to his dominion, he ordered a great distribution of alms to our poor. Then on the first day, on which we withdrew from the city, we came to a certain bridge, where we remained for two days. On the third day, however, before the sun began to rise, our men rose, and since it was night, they could not see to hold one road but were divided into two paths and they came to be divided over two days. On one path was Bohemond and Robert of Normandy, and the wise Tancred, and many others. On the other path was the Count of St. Giles, Duke Godfrey, the Bishop of Le Puy, Hugo the Great, the Count of Flanders and many others.

On the third day, the Turks attacked with a vengeance Bohemond more than anyone and those who were with him. Immediately the Turks began to hiss, babble and shout with a high voice making a devilish sound I do not know how in their own language. Sensible Bohemond, seeing innumerable Turks nearby, hissing and calling with a demonic voice, on the spot he ordered all soldiers to dismount and quickly set up the tents. Before the tents could be set up, he again said to all soldiers: " Nobles and most brave soldiers of Christ, behold now the close quarters for war that is all around us. Therefore, let all knights be in opposition to them like men and rather let the foot soldiers skillfully set up the tents."

After this had been done, the Turks now surrounded us on all sides, struggling and shooting and pointing spears and shooting arrows wonderfully far and wide. Although we were unable to thus resist them, nor were we to be buried under the mass of so great an enemy, however we endured the close quarters unanimously. Also our women on that day, who were for us as the greatest refuge, brought water for drinking to the combatants and always bravely strengthened those, fighting and defending. Thus wise Bohemond on the spot gave orders to others, just as to the Count of St. Giles,Duke Godfrey, Hugo the Great and the Bishop of Le Puy and to all other soldiers of Christ that they hurry and come to war sooner saying: "And if today they wish to grapple with the enemy, they should come as men." Therefore, the Duke Godfrey, brave and daring, and Hugo the Great came at the same time with their armies; also the Bishop of Le Puy had followed these, as one with his own army, and the Count of St. Giles next to those with a very large following.

Therefore our men were greatly astonished when such a great multitude of Turks had appeared with Arabs and Saracens and others whom I do not know how to count, since on all sides the hills and valleys and all flat places inside and out were nearly covered with this exommunicate race. Thus there was secret talk among us, praising and advising and saying: "Be unanimous in faith to Christ and the victory of the Sacred Cross, since today, if it pleases God, you will be raised up to all riches."

cont...........

Interestingly Raymond, Canon of Le Puy, wrote that Bohemond was rashly separated from the rest of the army. Anonymous was not the only person chronicling the progress of the Crusaders.