Language:
French
Year of publication:
2009
Titel der Quelle:
Croisades?
Angaben zur Quelle:
(2009) 105-117
Keywords:
Crusades First, 1096-1099
;
Crusades in literature
;
Christianity and antisemitism History To 1500
;
French poetry History and criticism 12th century
;
Antisemitism in literature
Abstract:
Discusses the confusion between Jews and Muslims ("Saracens") in 12th-century chronicles recounting the first Crusade, focusing on a collection of 12th-13th-century epic poems, "Premier Cycle de la Croisade". The Jews, the first inheritors of the Bible, are viewed with greater ambiguity than the Muslims, but Judaism is presented in a demeaning manner whenever biblical passages describing religious wars resembling the Crusades are mentioned. The "Premier Cycle de la Croisade" recapitulates the theme of Jesus as the redeemer of the prophets of the Old Testament. Its poems emphasize the deicide accusation and view both the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans and the Crusades as revenge for this crime. The death of Christ, ascribed to the Jews in antiquity, was to be avenged on the Muslims. Argues that the constant repetition of the deicide accusation explains why the Jews were also attacked during the "Holy War" against the Muslims. The oriental origin of Judaism and Islam facilitate the confusion between Jews and Arabs, as does the similarity between Jewish and Muslim names. The epic texts often call mosques synagogues; the Jews are said to have built Mohammed's tomb; and Islam, presented in the form of a dragon, is said to have appeared from a mosque belonging to Herod's brother. Concludes that the texts induce a voluntary assimilation of Judaism and Islam in order to allow each one to reflect negatively on the other.
URL:
Locate this publication in Israeli libraries
Permalink