Anglo-Saxon Perceptions of the Islamic World

by Katharine Scarfe Beckett

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521829403
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	10/16/2003
Series:	Cambridge Studies in Anglo-Saxon England , #33
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	6.42(w) x 9.29(h) x 0.91(d)

About the Author

Katharine Scarfe Beckett is a researcher in the offices of Prince El-Hassan bin Talal, Amman, Jordan.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements; List of abbreviations; 1. Introduction; 2. Islam during the Anglo-Saxon period; 3. Anglo-Saxon contacts with Islam; 4. Arabs and Arabia in Latin; 5. Ismaelites and Saracens in Latin; 6. Arabs, Ismaelites and Saracens in early Anglo-Latin; 7. Pseudo-Methodius and the sons of Ismael; 8. Arabs, Ismaelites and Saracens in Old English; 9. Persisting theories about Saracens in post-Conquest England; 10. Conclusions; Bibliography; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"a comprehensive repertory of references" Journal of Religion Charles Burnett, University of London

"Katharine Scarfe Beckett has written a detailed, scholarly survey of all the extant sources for understanding what the 'Islamic world' signified in Anglo-Saxon England." - Andrew Scheil, Boston University

"Although the title may startle at first (did the Anglo-Saxons know anything about Islam?), the premise underlying Katharine Scarfe Beckett's book is intriguing and compelling." - Karen Louise Jolly, University of Hawaii Manoa

From the Publisher