Blood Libel - The Murder Accusation against the Jews of Norwich (1144): Meaning, Memory & Legacy

In this Parkes Lecture, Professor Miri Rubin (Queen Mary University, London) discusses the origins and longevity of the Blood Libel in England, and contextualises this in the broader scope of Jewish history in England, including the medieval period, and the wider history of the blood libel accusation. Here she speaks of the death of a child, anti-Semitism, and medieval motifs of innocence, faith, predator and prey combined to terrible, and lasting effect.
As Professor Rubin notes, the cult of St. William of Norwich is as much a product of popular culture as it is of religiosity and fear of the other. Powerful emotions and fears did of course play a role, but so too did early Christianity's focus on martyrdom. Ultimately, the cult of 'our boy William' reveals far more about Christianity at the time than its adherents might have realised.
As an aside, the lecture also details the role played by ghost story author and medieval scholar M R James in rediscovering the original source material, and how the narrative endured even after the expulsion of England's Jews in 1290. For example, the Prioress's Tale, written by Chaucer in the late 14th Century.
Professor Rubin's lecture was given at the University of Southampton on 23 January 2018, and was organised by the Parkes Institute, one of the world’s leading centres for the study of Jewish/non-Jewish relations. The Parkes Lecture takes place every year, and is part of a series of events organised by the Institute.

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Very interesting