Balian of Ibelin - Balian in Fiction and Game

Balian in Fiction and Game

Balian appears in Ronald Welch's children's novel Knight Crusader (1954) as a fat, middle-aged baron. He is a sympathetic major character in British author Graham Shelby's two novels of Outremer, The Knights of Dark Renown (1969) and its sequel The Kings of Vain Intent (1970). However, the first is based on now-outdated research. In the sequel, Balian and Maria are depicted as manipulated by Conrad, whom Shelby (without any historical evidence) portrays as an evil sadist, and they become his enemies. Shelby even depicts Balian telling Conrad he wishes he could kill him, although all the historical evidence indicates they were close friends and allies. Balian is also portrayed in Alan Gordon's fourth work in the Fool's Guild Mysteries, The Widow of Jerusalem (2003), as the wise adviser of Conrad and Isabella. In Catherine Jinks' book, Pagan's Crusade, Balian is portrayed a 'growing older' yet is admired as an efficient military commander and a sensible man.

A highly fictionalised version of Balian is the main character of the 2005 film Kingdom of Heaven, played by Orlando Bloom as a young man with a questioning sensibility regarding religion and social attitudes. In the film, Balian's father, a fictional character named Godfrey (played by Liam Neeson), returns to Europe to find his long-lost illegitimate son, a blacksmith in France, and encourages him to come to the Holy Land as his heir. There is no direct counterpart to the character of Godfrey in actual history, but he is remniscent of the crusader Godfrey de Bouillon. The film does not include any of Balian's brothers, although the Director's Cut version identifies the priest Balian murders as his half-brother, and the Balian character may be a composite of Balian and Baldwin of Ibelin. Balian is portrayed as having a love affair with Sibylla, possibly derived from the Old French Continuation of William of Tyre's claims about her and Baldwin. The film's Godfrey, however, is closer to the historical Balian in age and in his friendship with Raymond III of Tripoli, although not in his friendship with the King, Baldwin IV. King Baldwin was wary of the Ibelins' ambitions. The film depicts Balian as the sole commander of the defence of Jerusalem and instead of working in close alliance with Patriarch Eraclius, Balian is depicted as his rival. In the film's coda, Balian returns to France (with Sibylla) where he meets Richard I of England, who rides up to Balian and says to him that he is looking for Balian, the defender of Jerusalem, to which Balian replies that he is a blacksmith. In reality, the two had a long and acrimonious involvement in the ongoing struggle in the Holy Land. Balian and Sibylla are seen to be riding in the opposite direction as Richard and his followers.

Balian also appears in Jan Guillou's book The Knight Templar, the second book in the Arn Trilogy.

Balian is also a general of the Kingdom of Jerusalem at the Medieval: II Total War, Crusade Campaign.