"Saracen" perceptions in Medieval England (XI-XVth centuries)

The interaction between the eastern and western civilizations dates back to ancient times. One of the most important factors that play a role in this interaction is the Crusades. The members of these two civilizations who came across during the Crusades developed relations in social, cultural and economic fields. The term 'Saracen' emerged as a result of these relations during the Crusades. Although there are different opinions about the origin of the term and whom exactly it is used for, we can say that for the most part it refers to Arabs, Turks and followers of Islam. It's been thought to be derived from the term sarakenoi/sarakeonoi that means 'Oriental' in Greek. Originally it was used for an Arab tribe living in Sinai peninsula, but afterwards it started to indicate all Arab tribes and the institution of the Caliphate. The Saracen term, even though it's not being used commonly, continued its existence until modern times. The term was often used to express Muslims in the Crusade chronicles. However, as we mentioned before, there are different opinions about the term's starting point is based on geographical grounds rather than religious grounds. Some scholars also believes that the term was used to humiliate almost all Arabic-speaking tribes in the Middle Ages. In most of the literary Works, Saracens are portrayed as traitors, cowards and greedy people. As for some of the resources, the terms 'Turk' and 'Saracen' are used separately. Especially in the primary resources related to the Crusades, the Turks and Saracens are mentioned as two independent groups. As it is seen, the term 'Saracen' is problematic in many aspects. There are many different views on the starting point of the term, whom it is used for and what exactly it means. In this study, we will emphasize the significance of the Saracen term in the Middle Ages to understand the relations between East-West and in particular the relations between Britain-East during the Crusades.