Louis IX in Medieval Arabic Sources: The Saint, the King, and the Sicilian Connection

El-Merheb, Mohamad

Abstract

This article examines the portrayal of Louis IX in medieval Arabic historiography to show the importance of cross-cultural Mediterranean interaction. It argues that the image of Louis was influenced by information originating from the Sicilian Hohenstaufen court and reports that Frederick II sent to Egypt. Arab historians connected to the courts of Frederick and Manfred disseminated a “Sicilian narrative” that shaped Louis's portrayal in Arabic historiography. This argument on the importance of cross-cultural transfer in understanding Arabic historiography is buttressed by reports about the King, the Pope, and the Emperor that are traced back to the entourage of prominent Muslims closely linked to Sicily. Moreover, it is argued that Arab authors were aware of Louis's proto-sanctity and pious reputation. This led to the infusion of medieval Arabic historiography with Western ideas about sacrosanctity. Finally, this research assesses how the portrayal of King Louis during his captivity was used in internal Muslim rivalries.

Citation

El-Merheb, M. (2016). Louis IX in Medieval Arabic Sources: The Saint, the King, and the Sicilian Connection. Al-Masāq: Journal of the Medieval Mediterranean, 28(3), 282-301. https://doi.org/10.1080/09503110.2016.1243780

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 1, 2016
• Publication Date: Nov 25, 2016
• Deposit Date: Jan 13, 2025
• Journal: Al-Masaq: Journal of the Medieval Mediterranean
• Print ISSN: 0950-3110
• Electronic ISSN: 1473-348X
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 28
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 282-301
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09503110.2016.1243780
• Keywords: Historiography/Hagiography, General Louis IX, king of France, Arabs, people – historiography, Crusades – Louis IX to Egypt, Sicily (kingdom) – historiography, Egypt – historiography, Ibn Wāṣil, historian, Ibn al- Khazrajī, historian, Saʿd al-Dīn ibn Ḥamawiya, author, Friedrich II, Holy Roman emperor
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09503110.2016.1243780