Thomas of Monmouth facts for kids

Thomas of Monmouth was a Benedictine monk who lived in Norwich, England, in the middle of the 1100s. He is known for writing a book called The Life and Miracles of St William of Norwich. This book is important because it is the first known example of a very harmful false accusation called the "ritual murder libel."

About Thomas's Book

Thomas of Monmouth's only known book is called Vita et Passione Sancti Willelmi Martyris Norwicensis. In English, this means The Life and Passion of Saint William the Martyr of Norwich. In this book, Thomas of Monmouth made a false claim. He wrote that a boy named William, who was found dead in a forest, had been murdered by Jewish people. He claimed this was done to copy the crucifixion of Jesus. Thomas then said that William was a saint.

The False Accusation

This book by Thomas of Monmouth is the earliest written record of a "ritual murder" accusation against Jewish people. This was a very serious and false claim. Some historians, like Gavin Langmuir, believe that Thomas of Monmouth completely made up the story himself. Other historians think that Thomas might have heard rumors and then made them much bigger in his book.

Another idea is that the accusation was created to cover up a real murder. A knight named Simon of Novers owed money to a Jewish man named Eleazar. Some think Simon might have killed Eleazar and then used the false story about William to hide his crime. No matter how it started, Thomas's book had a very long and damaging effect on Jewish communities.

The only copy of Thomas's book was found by M. R. James. He published it in 1896 with historical writings by himself and Augustus Jessopp.