What is Blood Libel and why is it important to our story?
DiscussieMistress of the Art of Death ~ Early Summer 2009 Reading Group
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Blood Libel is the accusation that Jews performed ritualistic murders for religious purposes.
This accusation of Blood Libel, which is a first-hand account from Ephraim ben Jacob, was written the exact same year as our novel, in 1171. I have extracted the first part of the Historical Information, and the full excerpt can be found here, with sources.
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Medieval Sourcebook:
Ephraim ben Jacob:
The Ritual Murder Accusation at Blois, May, 1171
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The Ritual Murder Accusation at Blois, May, 1171
Marcus Introduction In 1171 the Jews of Blois, France, were accused of having crucified a Christian child during the Passover holydays and of having thrown the corpse into the Loire. This is the first time that the accusation of ritual murder was made in continental Europe. It is difficult to account for its occurrence just at this time unless it is a reverberation of the William of Norwich tale of a generation before. The accusation that Jews require Christian blood for their Passover ritual has been made against the Jews from that time on down to the present day in practically all lands and has cost the lives of hundreds of innocent Jewish men, women, and children.
The following account of the burning of over thirty men and women at Blois is taken from A Book of Historical Records, a Hebrew historical work of Ephraim ben Jacob (1132-about 1200), a German Jewish Talmudist and poet of note.
What shall we say before God? What shall we speak? How can we justify ourselves? God must have found out our iniquity.
In the year 4931 1171, evil appeared in France, too, and great destruction in the city of Blois, in which at that time there lived about forty Jews. It happened on that evil day, Thursday, toward evening, that the terror came upon us. A Jew Isaac bar Eleazar rode up to water his horse; a common soldier-may he be blotted out of the book of life-was also there watering the horse of his master. The Jew bore on his chest an untanned hide, but one of the corners had become loose and was sticking out of his coat. When, in the gloom, the soldier's horse saw the white side of the hide, it was frightened and sprang back, and it could not be brought to water.
The Christian servant hastened back to his master and said "Hear, my lord, what a certain Jew did. As I rode behind him toward the river in order to give your horses a drink, I saw him throw a little Christian child, whom the Jews have killed, into the water. When I saw this, I was horrified and hastened back quickly for fear he might kill me too. Even the horse under me was so frightened by the splash of the water when he threw the child in that it would not drink." The soldier knew that his master would rejoice at the fall of the Jews, because he hated a certain Jewess influential in the city. He as much as put the following words into his master's mouth: "Now I can wreak my vengeance on that person, on that woman Pulcelina."
(cont here)
This accusation of Blood Libel, which is a first-hand account from Ephraim ben Jacob, was written the exact same year as our novel, in 1171. I have extracted the first part of the Historical Information, and the full excerpt can be found here, with sources.
***********************
Medieval Sourcebook:
Ephraim ben Jacob:
The Ritual Murder Accusation at Blois, May, 1171
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Ritual Murder Accusation at Blois, May, 1171
Marcus Introduction In 1171 the Jews of Blois, France, were accused of having crucified a Christian child during the Passover holydays and of having thrown the corpse into the Loire. This is the first time that the accusation of ritual murder was made in continental Europe. It is difficult to account for its occurrence just at this time unless it is a reverberation of the William of Norwich tale of a generation before. The accusation that Jews require Christian blood for their Passover ritual has been made against the Jews from that time on down to the present day in practically all lands and has cost the lives of hundreds of innocent Jewish men, women, and children.
The following account of the burning of over thirty men and women at Blois is taken from A Book of Historical Records, a Hebrew historical work of Ephraim ben Jacob (1132-about 1200), a German Jewish Talmudist and poet of note.
What shall we say before God? What shall we speak? How can we justify ourselves? God must have found out our iniquity.
In the year 4931 1171, evil appeared in France, too, and great destruction in the city of Blois, in which at that time there lived about forty Jews. It happened on that evil day, Thursday, toward evening, that the terror came upon us. A Jew Isaac bar Eleazar rode up to water his horse; a common soldier-may he be blotted out of the book of life-was also there watering the horse of his master. The Jew bore on his chest an untanned hide, but one of the corners had become loose and was sticking out of his coat. When, in the gloom, the soldier's horse saw the white side of the hide, it was frightened and sprang back, and it could not be brought to water.
The Christian servant hastened back to his master and said "Hear, my lord, what a certain Jew did. As I rode behind him toward the river in order to give your horses a drink, I saw him throw a little Christian child, whom the Jews have killed, into the water. When I saw this, I was horrified and hastened back quickly for fear he might kill me too. Even the horse under me was so frightened by the splash of the water when he threw the child in that it would not drink." The soldier knew that his master would rejoice at the fall of the Jews, because he hated a certain Jewess influential in the city. He as much as put the following words into his master's mouth: "Now I can wreak my vengeance on that person, on that woman Pulcelina."
(cont here)
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