If you tell a lie enough times, some people will believe you
I write historical fiction to tell the story of past in an accessible way. There are many lessons that can be learned from our past to help navigate today’s waters more smoothly.
William of Norwich, Artists Interpretatiuon
Although the Back in Time is primary about the challenges of surviving in the past despite having modern knowledge, it portrays the difficulties European Jews faced as a small minority religion. The challenges of the past can both help us recognize and potentially address problems we are facing today. For example, Back in Time shows how absurd, slanderous accusations can be given credence is if they are repeated enough times. This tactic has recently reemerged and is having great success in spreading disinformation.. Back in Time includes the original Blood Libel story. Since the 1200s, Jews have been periodically harassed and even killed as a result of these fabricated stories (blood libels).
The origins of the Blood Libel(s) are a bit murky but historians generally agree that they can be traced back to the 12th century and one particular accusation made by the monk, Thomas of Monmouth. In 1144, a 12 year old boy, named William, was apparently violently murdered on Easter Sunday in Norwich, England, without explanation. The town’s people were concerned by the lack of a motive or suspects. Rumors began to emerge ragarding Willliam’s death. The source of the rumors was Thomas of Monmouth, a monk who lived in the Norwich’s Cathedral Priory. Thomas of Monmouth, began to spread the claim that William had been tortured and killed by the town’s Jewish population as part of a sacrifice ritual. few years after William’s death, Thomas had no new evidence reagrding the case amd it is unclear why he wait several years before bringing forth his story.
As a monk, Thomas was literate and had access to resources. He wrote his story of Jews conducting ritualistic murders of English children in The Life and Miracles of William of Norwich. He wrote the book in stages between 1150 and 1173, ultimately producing 7- volumes, The book contends that that as regular practice Jews kidnapped Christian children and murdered them as some weird mocking of Christ’s crucifixion. They then used their blood in religious rituals and the backing of Passover matzo. Mammoth’s book also attributes several miracles to William and the priory enshrined his relics within the cathedral but he was never formally canonized.
There are numerous variations of this accusation and, over the past 82L years, a story of Jews conducting ritualistic murders of children periodically reemerges. Stories of Blood Libels have continued throughout history, often starting just before periods of significant persecution and violence.