HEAVY METAL CELLO · IRON CELLO
Montgisard 1177:
The Leper King
Song in English & Latin
Story available in all five languages
The song follows the prayer before battle, the charge and the silence after it. Soldiers cheer their king while blood is washed from a hand he cannot feel. This private scene is imagined. The victory cannot stop the illness.
Baldwin IV
Baldwin IV became king of Jerusalem at thirteen. At sixteen, already living with leprosy, he led the army that defeated Saladin at Montgisard on 25 November 1177.
The victory is only part of this story. William of Tyre, Baldwin’s tutor, recalled a child who felt no pain when other boys pinched his right arm. He also remembered a gifted horseman. The illness and the ability existed together, long before the king became a legend.
FROM THE RECORD
The young king, his illness and the victory at Montgisard belong to history. William of Tyre’s account describes Baldwin’s childhood loss of sensation and his skill with horses.
IN THE SONG & ART
The private scenes and the king’s words are imagined. The silver mask draws on Kingdom of Heaven (2005); it is a cinematic interpretation, not a documented medieval object.
Explore the illustrated story
Enter the story ↗BEHIND IRON CELLO
I’m Uraw. Iron Cello is my historical music project: cello-led metal, stories in their own languages, and art shaped around them. I research, write, direct and select the work, with AI assisting music and visuals.