Language:
English
Year of publication:
1996
Titel der Quelle:
Identitate/alteritate în spaţiul cultural românesc
Angaben zur Quelle:
(1996) 266-292
Keywords:
Antisemitism
;
Folklore
Abstract:
Analyzes the image of the Jew in Romanian folklore and in popular religious texts and iconography, from the late Middle Ages to the early 20th century. The Jew was seen as alien (along with Turks, Tatars, and Arabs), and condemned to burn in Hell for the crime of deicide. He was described as clever and as a swindler (e.g. the moneylender "leech"), but especially as a renegade (e.g. deicide "dog"). The Jew was cursed for having killed Christ and not believing in his return. The Jew was also viewed as having a bad smell (foetor Judaicus), being ridden with lice, marked with red freckles (i.e. blood drops), unclean, not baptized and therefore an easy prey for Satan. Demonization was frequent; the popular name for Satan in Romanian, Scaraoţchi, allegedly derives from Judas Iscariot. The accusation of ritual murder was widespread, although there is only one documented blood libel, which occurred in 1726 in Oniţcani, Bessarabia.
Note:
Appeared in Romanian as "'Evreul imaginar' versus 'evreul real', in folclorul şi mitologia română" in "Contribuţia evreilor din România la cultură şi civilizaţie" (1996) 329-341.
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