Next Event:
Book Celebration, Asa Simon Mittman: Cartographies of Exclusion
Friday, May 2nd, 12:00 PM, Collaborative Space, ARTS 227
From the battles over Jerusalem to the Edict of Expulsion, geography has long been a component of Christian-Jewish relations. Attending to world maps drawn by medieval Christian mapmakers, Cartographies of Exclusion brings us to the literal drawing board of “Christendom”—and shows the creation, in real time, of a mythic state intended to dehumanize thenon-Christian people it ultimately sought to displace.
In his close analyses of English maps from the twelfth through fifteenth centuries, Asa Simon Mittman makes a valuable contribution to conversations about medieval Christian perceptions of Jews and Judaism. Grounding his arguments in the history of anti-Jewish sentiment and actions rampant in twelfth- and thirteenth-century England, Mittman shows how English world maps of the period successfully Othered Jewish people by means of four primary strategies: conflating Jews with other groups; spreading libels about Jewish bodies, beliefs, and practices; associating Jews with Satan; and, most importantly, cartographically “mislocating” Jews in time and space. On maps, Jews were banished to locations and historical moments with no actual connection to Jewish populations or histories.
Medieval Christian anti-Semitism is the foundation upon which modern anti-Semitism rests, and the medieval mapping of Jews was crucial to that foundation. Mittman’s thinking offers essential insights for any scholar interested in the interface of cartography, politics, and religion in premodern Europe.
Asa Simon Mittman is Professor of Art and Art History at California State University, Chico. He is the author of Maps and Monsters in Medieval England and coauthor of Medieval Monsters: Terrors, Aliens, Wonders and of Inconceivable Beasts: The “Wonders of the East” in the “Beowulf” Manuscript.
Light snacks and refreshments will be served. This event is open to the public.
HFA Ice Cream Social
Tuesday, May 6th, 1:00 - 2:30 PM, PAC Courtyard
Calling all HFA Students! Stop by the PAC Courtyard on Tuesday, May 6th, from 1:00 - 2:30 for a free paleta (ice cream popsicle) from La Flor de Michoacan. Relax and cool off with a refreshing treat. Available while supplies last.
This event is sponsored by HFA Connections AND the Humanities Center.
