In 1212 hundreds of children hoped to march from Germany to Jerusalem in the name of Christ. Most of them were sold into slavery or perished. By what two-word name do we call this historical event?

This name refers to a series of events in 1212, born from the religious fervor of the era. The traditional story describes two distinct movements, one led by a French shepherd boy named Stephen of Cloyes, and another by a German boy named Nicholas of Cologne. They preached that their youthful innocence and piety would succeed where the powerful armies of adult crusaders had failed. They believed the Mediterranean Sea would part for them, allowing them to walk to the Holy Land and peacefully convert Muslims to Christianity.

Thousands of followers, many of them adolescents and the rural poor, were inspired to join these unauthorized marches. The journey, however, was a disaster. Lacking supplies and organization, many perished from starvation and exhaustion while crossing the Alps. According to popular accounts, those who reached the port of Marseille were tricked by merchants who offered free passage, only to sell them into slavery in North Africa. Others who reached Pisa were turned back by the local bishop.

While modern historians question some of the more dramatic details and debate whether the participants were exclusively children, the events capture a moment of intense, grassroots religious zeal. The tragic outcome of this movement, a blend of historical pilgrimage and folklore, has cemented its legacy as a heartbreaking chapter of the medieval period.