Language:
English
Year of publication:
2016
Titel der Quelle:
Revue des Etudes Juives
Angaben zur Quelle:
175,1-2 (2016) 107-133
Keywords:
Alphonso,
;
Animals Symbolic aspects
;
Blood accusation Early works to 1800 History
;
Christianity and other religions Judaism 1500-1800
;
History
;
Legends
;
Swine Folklore
;
Jews Folklore
;
Popular works
;
Antisemitism History To 1500
;
Antisemitism History 16th century
Abstract:
Discusses a legend which gained popularity in southern Europe (mainly Spain) in the 15th-16th centuries. The legend relates that Jews asked a Christian to sell them the heart of another Christian, plotting to use it together with the sacramental host to exterminate the Christians by magic. The Christian cunningly gave the Jews the heart of a pig. The pigs of the region died, and the plot was discovered. The earliest extant version of this libel is found in Alfonso de Espina's "Fortalitium fidei" (ca. 1458-64). De Espina located the pig libel in France in order to explain why the Jews had been expelled from that country, and advised that Spain follow the lead of the French and expel its Jews as well. Discusses various versions of this legend, including versions related by Jewish authors, and reflects on the question of why the legend gained such popularity. Maintains that the core of its popularity lies in the blurring of frontiers between humans and animals, between good and bad magic, and between Christians and Jews. Pp. 128-133 present English translations of the principal versions of the pig libel dating from the 15th-16th centuries, and one from 1989 by a Jew from Thessalonike, Moshe Moshe, who presents a kabbalistic version.
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