Aspects of Jewish Culture in the Middle Ages

TWO PARALLEL MEDIEVAL COMMONPLACES: ANTIFEMINISM AND ANTISEMITISM IN THE HISPANIC LITERARY TRADITION

TWO PARALLEL MEDIEVAL COMMONPLACES: ANTIFEMINISM AND ANTISEMITISM IN THE HISPANIC LITERARY TRADITION Harriet Goldberg Before undertaking the task of pointing out the similarities between the phenomena of antifeminism and antisemitism in the Hispanic medievalliterary tradition, 1must make a few disclaimers. It is not my intention to make any value judgments, nor do 1intend to suggest that the examples adduced in this study are evidence from which sociological or historical conclusions might be drawn. Different sources would have to be used to establish the quality of life in Spain for either ]ews or women. As a measure of the heat and emotion which both topics engender, we might consider the fact that Isidore Epstein quotes Graetz to the effect that outside of Spain: ... t11ere was often to be found nothing more than a chaotic welter of all the dark forces of medieval barbarism and monarchal fanaticism let loose 86 I Antifeminism and Antisemitism against the unfortunate children of Israel; in Spain they enjoyed much personal respect and basked in the sun of tolerance.1 On the other hand Arthur Lukyn Williams writes: "For Spain stands out above all countries for the suffering of the ]ews, inflicted, alas, by those who called themselves Christians." 2 Some Hispanists indulge in the exculpatory tactic of observing that, since the laws for ]ews and Moors were nearly equal, there was little or no Spanish antisemitism. Kenneth R. Scholberg asserts in response to this notion: "Even though Islam was a greater threat to Christianity than was ]udaism, hatred was more pronounced against the Israelites than against the Saracens." He sees special significance that "accusations of ritual murder or of sacrilegious parodies were leveled against one group and not the other."3 Fernando Rubio Alvarez suggests that eastern literature was the source of any antifeminist sentiment in Hispanic letters and that only in Scripture and in Christian literature is the woman treated fairly, an observation that even the most casual reader might find questionable.4 Much of the literature 1intend to examine falls into the didactic category whose declared purpose was to instruct and delig11t the reader. For the most part these works were intended to reinforce already established positions rather than to introduce new ones. It is hardly necessary to establish the existence of the two attitudes in medieval Spain-Barbara Matulka, Marla Pilar del Oiiate, and ]acob Ornstein have dealt with the profeminismjantifeminism controversy in Spain. An additional commentary is to be found in my study of the fifteenth-century profeminist work, Fray Martln de C6rdoba's !ardin de nobles donzellas.5 Fernando Rubio Alvarez includes the cancioneros with their 87 I Harriet Go1dberg abundance of doctrina1 matter in his study.6 Hispanic antisemitism is described by Ado1fo de Castro, ]ose Amador de 10s Rlos, Solomon Katz, Arthur Lukyn Wi11iams , Yitzhak Baer, Abraham Neuman, 1srae1 Epstein, Bernard Bachrach, an.d ]ames Parkes.7 As a starting point out of the mass of genera1ities about prejudice, we might posit for the sake of convenience the fo110wing definition: "We invent a justifiab1e and respectab1e reason for our true motives and fee1ings and equa11y a disreputab1e and discreditab1e reason for the actlvities of the minority."8 The activities referred to in the definition wi11 be considered as they are described in the Hispanic tradition either in connection with women or with ]ews. The three principa1 areas are: 1asciviousness, treachery, and invo1vement with the devi1. First, both groups were thought to be sexua11y insatiab1e, practicing the anci11ary sins of intemperance, gluttony, and drunkenness. They were thought to be treacherous, dis10ya1, and frequent1y deceitfu1 in their dea1ings with others, which often 1ed to their being stingy, avaricious, envious, and covetous. Both groups were said to be arms of the devi1, and in consequence sacri1egious; they were practicers of witchcraft and capab1e of remarkab1e depravities. 1n connection with this 1ast category both women and ]ews suffered from JUperbia , that arrogant pride which so dismayed their neighbors. Neither group was ever accused of stupidity; their error was wi11fu1 intractabi1ity, or obstinacy. Other simi1arities wi11 emerge, but the centra1 one is that both groups represented peri1s that threatened to weaken, damage, or even destroy the faith of a good Christian man. 1s it necessary to estab1ish to any reader of patristic or exemp1ary 1iterature that the Church had two enemies or adversaries besides Satan-women and ]ews? 1n the exemp1ary tradition woman appears as the 88 I Antifeminism and Antisemitism , temptress...