Re:Knights and Jews in the Middle Ages

["Stephanie M. Thorson" <smt2@st-andrews.ac.uk>]

Poster: "Stephanie M. Thorson" <smt2@st-andrews.ac.uk>

On Fri, 13 Feb 1998, Steinfeld wrote:

> period left a great deal to be desired.  It was after all a Papal Legate
> who uttered the importal word "kill them all, God will know his own" from
> the hills overlooking Jerrusalem.  

Erm, perhaps I am mistaken, but I think the city in question was instead
Antioch.  At any rate, it was on a crusade (the first, I think) and the
Christians were after the forces of Islam, not specifically after Jews. 
There were Christians massacred in that city as well ... the Crusaders
being no more able to identify them than anyone else.  Atrocities were
certainly committed - probably on both sides, with the Jews caught in the
middle most of the time.  On the other hand, they were probably no worse
than what happened after the seige of a city in Europe (Edward III of
England's seige of Berwick - then a part of Scotland - springs to mind).

> I view the general treatment of the jews during the middle ages a little
> like the Society views the plague, we accept that it happened, but try to
> remember that we are trying to work towards the IDEALS of chivalry, if not
> the actual reality that it manifested itself as.  

Hear, hear.

Alianora
*****************************************************************************
Stephanie M. Thorson			|  SCA: Lady Alianora Munro
Dept. of Scottish History		|  Clan White Wing
University of St Andrews		|  Tarkhan, Khanate Red Lion


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