The King's Two Lives: The Tunisian Legend of Saint Louis

In 1270, Louis IX of France—Saint Louis—died on the coast of Tunisia during a failed crusade. In the nineteenth century, Europeans who had traveled in Tunisia told of a most curious legend. It maintained that Saint Louis had in fact converted to Islam, changed his name to Sidi Bou Saïd, and was now the patron saint of an eponymous village. While the basic outlines of the legend remained the same, the narrative changed and grew more elaborate during Tunisia's pre- to post-colonial period. This article examines the political and cultural forces that shaped the legend in this particular Tunisian town. Focusing on Tunisia's colonial history and the history of the village of Sidi Bou Saïd, it interprets the legend as it evolved from the early nineteenth century to the present.