Anglo-Saxon Perceptions of the Islamic World (Cambridge Studies in Anglo-Saxon England, Series Number 33)

"In this book, Katharine Scarfe Beckett is concerned with representations of the Islamic world prevalent in Anglo-Saxon England. Using a wide variety of literary, historical and archaeological evidence, she argues that the first perceptions of Arabs, Ismaelites and Saracens which derived from Christian exegesis preconditioned western expressions of hostility and superiority towards peoples of the Islamic world, and that these received ideas prevailed even as material contacts increased between England and Muslim territory. Medieval texts invariably represented Muslim Arabs as Saracens and Ismaelites (or Hagarenes), described by Jerome as biblical enemies of the Christian world three centuries before Muhammad's lifetime. Two early ideas in particular - that Saracens worshipped Venus and dissembled their own identity - continued into the early modern period. This finding has interesting implications for earlier theses by Edward Said and Norman Daniel concerning the history of English perceptions of Islam."--Jacket Half-title......Page 3 Series-title......Page 4 Title......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Contents......Page 7 Acknowledgements......Page 8 Abbreviations......Page 9 1 Introduction......Page 11 ORIENTALISM IN ANGLO-SAXON ENGLAND......Page 20 2 Islam during the Anglo-Saxon period......Page 37 MUHAMMAD AND EARLY ISLAM......Page 40 THE FIRST CENTURY OF ISLAMIC EXPANSION......Page 41 THE 'ABBASID CALIPHATE, AD 750–1100......Page 44 THE TERRITORY OF AL-ANDALUS, AD 750–1100......Page 46 THE ISLANDS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN, AD 750–1100......Page 47 CHRISTIANS UNDER MUSLIM RULE......Page 48 3 Anglo-Saxon contacts with Islam......Page 54 KUFIC COINS IN ANGLO-SAXON ENGLAND......Page 64 IMPORTED ISLAMIC GOODS IN ANGLO-SAXON ENGLAND......Page 70 4 Arabs and Arabia in Latin......Page 79 THE BIBLE AND JEROME......Page 81 THE ARABS AND ARABIA IN THE VULGATE......Page 85 JEROME AND OTHER COMMENTATORS ON ARABIA AND THE ARABS......Page 88 5 Ismaelites and Saracens in Latin......Page 100 THE ORIGINS OF THE SARACENS......Page 103 IDOLATRY AND THE SARACEN CULT OF LUCIFER......Page 114 THE VITA MALCHI AND THE SARACENS......Page 119 6 Arabs, Ismaelites and Saracens in early Anglo-Latin......Page 126 THE CANTERBURY COMMENTARIES AND THE SARACENS......Page 127 BEDE AND THE SARACENS......Page 133 BEDE AND OLD TESTAMENT ARABIA......Page 135 7 Pseudo-Methodius and the sons of Ismael......Page 150 THE LATIN REUELATIONES......Page 154 THE ISMAELITE CONNECTION......Page 157 SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE ‘SONS OF ISMAEL’ AND THE SARACENS......Page 161 THE LATE OLD ENGLISH NOTES ON GENESIS......Page 168 8 Arabs, Ismaelites and Saracens in Old English......Page 175 OLD ENGLISH POETRY......Page 178 OLD ENGLISH GLOSSES......Page 182 THE OLD ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF THE HISTORIAE ADVERSUM PAGANOS......Page 185 THE OLD ENGLISH VERSION OF THE VITA MALCHI......Page 187 INCIDENTAL NOTICES......Page 190 THE WORKS OF ÆLFRIC......Page 192 9 Persisting theories about Saracens in post-Conquest England......Page 200 ADAPTATION AND SURVIVAL......Page 208 Theory 1: the Saracens named themselves so, obscuring their descent from Hagar......Page 210 De Sarracenis......Page 211 Theory 2: the Saracens are devoted to Venus and/or stone-worship......Page 222 THE TRANSMISSION OF IDEAS......Page 227 10 Conclusions......Page 233 ‘ORIENTALISM’, ‘IMPERIALISM’ AND THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD......Page 241 PRIMARY SOURCES......Page 254 SECONDARY SOURCES......Page 262 Index......Page 283

Katherine Scarfe Beckett is concerned with representations of the Islamic world in Anglo-Saxon England. Using a variety of literary, historical and archaeological evidence, Beckett argues that the first perceptions of Arabs, Ismaelites and Saracens were derived from Christian exegesis. These perceptions preconditioned Western expressions of hostility and superiority towards peoples of the Islamic world, and these received ideas prevailed over actual experience.

Scarfe Beckett is concerned with western representations of the Islamic world in the Anglo-Saxon period. Using a wide variety of literary, historical and archaeological evidence, she argues that the perception of Arabs, Ismaelites and Saracens derived from Christian exegesis preconditioned a hostility towards Islamic peoples which prevailed over actual experience In AD 786, Bishop Georgius of Ostia, papal legate to England, wrote a letter to Pope Hadrian recording the decrees of two synods he had just attended in Mercia and Northumbria.

in This Book, Scarfe Beckett Is Concerned With Representations Of The Islamic World Prevalent In Anglo-saxon England.