Mauri et Saraceni: the ethnonyms used for the Muslims of al-Andalus by Carolingian authors

Abstract

The terms Saraceni, Ismaelitae and Agareni were used over a wide period of time by Latin sources to describe first the Arabs, and then all Muslim groups. Early Carolingian Frankish texts followed this tradition when writing about al-Andalus, denoting all Islamic forces through these generic terms, without any overt reference to the Berber population, who had played an important role in the Muslim conquest. However, this changed over time, as North African contingents began to find specific mention, and as Carolingian sources started to provide more information about the Mauri. This study examines these sources through a terminological analysis, suggesting that changes in terminology reflected Carolingian authors' increasing knowledge of the Muslims of al-Andalus.