The Murder of William of Norwich: The Origins of the Blood Libel in Medieval EuropeIn 1144, the mutilated body of William of Norwich, a young apprentice leatherworker, was found abandoned outside the city's walls. The boy bore disturbing signs of torture, and a story spread that it was a ritual murder, performed by Jews in imitation of the Crucifixion as a mockery of Christianity. The outline of William's tale eventually gained currency far beyond Norwich, and the idea that Jews engaged in ritual murder became firmly rooted in the European imagination. E.M. Rose's engaging book delves into the story of William's murder and the notorious trial that followed to uncover the origin of the ritual murder accusation - known as the "blood libel" - in western Europe in the Middle Ages. Focusing on the specific historical context - 12th-century ecclesiastical politics, the position of Jews in England, the Second Crusade, and the cult of saints - and suspensefully unraveling the facts of the case, Rose makes a powerful argument for why the Norwich Jews (and particularly one Jewish banker) were accused of killing the youth, and how the malevolent blood libel accusation managed to take hold. She also considers four "copycat" cases, in which Jews were similarly blamed for the death of young Christians, and traces the adaptations of the story over time. In the centuries after its appearance, the ritual murder accusation provoked instances of torture, death and expulsion of thousands of Jews and the extermination of hundreds of communities. Although no charge of ritual murder has withstood historical scrutiny, the concept of the blood libel is so emotionally charged and deeply rooted in cultural memory that it endures even today. Rose's groundbreaking work, driven by fascinating characters, a gripping narrative, and impressive scholarship, provides clear answers as to why the blood libel emerged when it did and how it was able to gain such widespread acceptance, laying the foundations for enduring antisemitic myths that continue to the present. |
Contents
The Discovery of a Dead Body | |
The Second Crusade | |
The Earl the Count the Abbot and the King | |
Acknowledgments | |
Bibliography | |
Photo Credits | |
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abbey abbot accusation of ritual Aelward Alix alleged AngloNorman AngloSaxon appears bishop of Norwich Blois blood libel Bristol Brother Thomas burnings Bury St Champagne charter Christian Chronicle church contemporary count of Blois cult death Deulesalt documents earl East Anglia ecclesiastical Edmund England English Ephraim of Bonn expulsion feast France French Gloucester HarperBill Henry History Holy Innocents Jessopp and James Jewish Jewish community Jews John de Chesney killed king king’s knight land later London Losinga Louis M. R. James martyr martyrdom Medieval mention Middle Ages miracles monastery monastic moneyers monks Nicholas Norfolk Norman Norwich Cathedral Oxford Paris Peter’s Philip relics religious Richard Rigord ritual murder ritual murder accusation Rolls Series royal saint SaintLomer scholars Second Crusade shrine Simon de Novers Society Stephen story Suffolk suggests Thibaut thirteenth century Thomas of Monmouth Thomas’s translation trial Turbe twelfth century University Press veneration victims Vita Warenne William of Norwich young