Helvis of Ibelin
| Helvis of Ibelin | |
|---|---|
| Lady of Sidon | |
| Tenure | 1195-1216 |
| Spouse | Reginald of Sidon Guy de Montfort, Lord of Sidon |
| Issue | Agnes of Sidon Euphemia, Lady of Raoul Balain, Count of Sidon Philip of Montfort, Lord of Tyre Pernelle of Montfort |
| House | House of Ibelin |
| Father | Balian of Ibelin |
| Mother | Maria Komnene |
Helvis of Ibelin (1182- before 1 June 1216) was a daughter of Balian of Ibelin and his wife, Maria Komnene, who was the dowager Queen of Jerusalem. Helvis was a member of the House of Ibelin. She was Lady of Sidon by her first and second marriage.
Life
Helvis' mother was the widow of Amalric I of Jerusalem, which made Helvis a half-sister of Queen Isabella I of Jerusalem. Helvis was one of four siblings, though their order of birth is disputed. Helvis was either the second, third or fourth. Her maternal grandparents were John Komnenos and his wife Maria Taronitissa. Her paternal grandparents were Barisan of Ibelin and his wife Helvis of Ramla.
Helvis' siblings were John of Ibelin, the Old Lord of Beirut, Margaret of Ibelin, and Philip of Ibelin, Regent of Cyprus.
Helvis spent her early life in Jerusalem, though during Saladin's siege of the city in 1187, Helvis, her mother and siblings were escorted to live in Tripoli. Her father Balian remained in Jerusalem and negotiated its surrender to Saladin, but joined his family in Tripoli afterward.
First Marriage
In 1195 Helvis firstly married Reginald of Sidon, a man who was over forty years her senior. Reginald had been imprisoned by Saladin and married Helvis soon after his release.
The couple had the following children:
- Agnes, married Raoul (Ralph) de Saint-Omer of Tiberias, seneschal of Jerusalem (stepson of Raymond III of Tripoli).
- Fenie (Euphemia), married Eudes (Odo) de Saint-Omer of Tiberias, Constable of Tripoli, Lord of Gogulat (stepson of Raymond III of Tripoli, brother of Raoul).
- Balian, who married Margaret of Brienne, and succeeded Reginald in Sidon in 1202.
Reginald died in 1202, leaving Helvis a widow.
Second Marriage
When Guy de Monfort arrived at Jaffa, he took part in King Amalric II of Jerusalem's expedition into Galilee. Amalric rewarded Guy's service by arranging his marriage to Helvis. They married in 1204[1].
The couple had the following children:
- Philip, who stayed in the Holy Land and became Lord of Tyre.
- Pernelle, who became a nun at the abbey of Saint-Antoine des Champs in Paris.
The couple were married four twelve years before Helvis' death in 1214. She had five children in total.
Ancestors
References
Sources
- Marie-Adélaïde Nielen (ed.), Lignages d'Outremer, Académie des inscriptions et belles-lettres, 1993.
- William of Tyre, A History of Deeds Done Beyond the Sea. E. A. Babcock and A. C. Krey, trans. Columbia University Press, 1943.