Talk:William of Norwich
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Have removed the text "during the English Civil War ". This is generally accepted as being the war between the Royalists and Parliamentarians in the mid Seventeenth century... -- Graham :) | Talk 16:15, 27 Mar 2004 (UTC)
Anonymous user, please explain your objection to including the fact that William's "murder" was a manifestation of post-Conquest urban anti-Semitism in the intro. Everyking 17:10, 27 Mar 2004 (UTC)
[edit] Watch this page, folks
Somebody should watch this page more closely--an assertion that the "blood libel" story is true stood unchallenged here for more than 24 hours. I've put it on my watchlist and I hope some others will do the same... --Dvyost 03:21, 28 November 2005 (UTC)
- Agreed. I changed the first sentence to make it clear that the Jewish community of Norwich did not, in point of fact, murder William--the opening sentence had read "...boy who was supposedly murdered by the Jews." Given the all-too-prevelant use of blood libel even today, it should be explicitly clear from the get-go that no Jew had anything to do with Wm's death... Makrina 02:55, 3 January 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Distinguishing fact from propoganda
I agree with above, there's a strong slant occurring upon this page without even mentioning the source of the events written in 1173 some 40 years after events! Namely the tract written by the norwich monk Thomas of Monmouth the main culprit for the anti-semitic accussations. Have added source link of his writings. This article's original author also has a slant in antithesis to Monmouth, both are culpable.Norwikian 12:49, 24 December 2005 (UTC)
[edit] Repercussions
I read recently that the William of Norwich "blood libel" had a major imapct on Anti-Semetism across Europe at the time and the eventual expulsion of Jews in the UK and elsewhere. And centuries later, the same myth was dredged up by the Nazis in anti-Jewish propaganda. The article from the Independent newspaper is reproduced here: http://www.politicsforum.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=891600
(please note that the section relating to the "anti-semetic" Labour Party posters was not in the original article)
The relevant paragraphs:
"Clerics and Popes routinely stirred up ill-feeling against the Jews as the "killers of Christ". Ill will was fed by the Crusades, in which the Jews were as much a target of the righteous sword-wielders as were the infidel Saracens. One of the most popular - and heinous - myths was that known by Jews as "the blood libel", which appears to have originated in England in an accusation against one William of Norwich in 1144.
"It suggested that he and other Jews killed a young Christian boy to use his blood in the ritual preparation of unleavened bread for the Passover ritual - a claim which spread from England to France and Spain and throughout Europe in medieval times and which resurfaced in Nazi propaganda in the 20th century."
I realise that the story seems to be confused somewhat, or perhaps a lazy composite by the author, but certainly the Nazi reference might be relevant to establishing the longevity of the myth... 69.140.65.251 01:55, 20 June 2006 (UTC)
