The Jewish Image Desecrator in the Cantigas de Santa Maria

Abstract

Abstract:In this article I examine the Cantigas de Santa Maria, an illuminated manuscript produced for a royal patron at the court of the Learned King Alfonso X between 1260 and 1284 in an attempt to assess how the compilers and artists addressed stories of Jewish violence against Christian images. The questions I ask are: What messages did the creators of the Cantigas intend to portray regarding Jews, Christian images, and the medieval allegation of Jewish image desecration? How and why did the messages in the visual depictions differ from those in the narratives of the tales? Finally, what religious concerns about Jews were being articulated in these tales?