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Animals were an essential component of medieval life and pervaded contemporary art and literature, but specific reasons for their presence in historical narratives are not often investigated. Livestock and beasts of burden had an important logistical role in the crusades, but animals also appeared in a symbolic context, especially those deemed to be "wild." Preachers of the crusade and authors of historical narratives used these creatures to communicate with their audiences, to enshrine crusading as part of God's divine plan and to differentiate crusaders from their enemies. Encounters with wild animals also featured as part of the penitential aspects of crusading. Case studies involving Wicher the Swabian and Godfrey of Bouillon demonstrate how crusade authors blended fact and fiction, and adjusted elements of certain micro-narratives in order to elevate the reputations of individual crusaders. Animals and the natural world provided a symbolic code which enabled authors to demonstrate their learning and to communicate crusading ideas and events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]