This cartoon is from 1233. It is a detailed cartoon and it is a real mystery. It was found on an Exchequer Roll. A roll is not a sandwich but a government document recording various payments. This roll listed tax payments made by Jewish people. They were called rolls because that is how they were stored - rolled up.

1. Study the cartoon and find:

• a castle
• pitch forks
• scales
• a woman
• a crown
• devils

2. So far, what do you think the cartoon is all about?

3a. Now read the Background

3b. Do you have an idea what the message of the cartoon is?

View 1a

i. What is the man holding?

ii. What do you think the man is weighing?

iii. Why has this man been included in the cartoon?

1a

View 1b

i. Who are the people shown here?

ii. How has the cartoonist shown that the man and women are Jewish?

iii. Can you work out the name of the demon? Hint: Look at the letters on either side of him.

1b

View 1c

i. Who is the main character supposed to be?

ii. Can you explain why he is shown with three faces?

iii. Why is he wearing a crown on his head?

iv. Do you think he is standing in his own castle or is he in hell being tormented by demons? Give reasons for your answer.

1c

View 1d

i. What do you think these characters are supposed to be?

ii. List what each of them is carrying

iii. What do you think their role is within the cartoon?

1d

Have you unraveled the mystery behind the cartoon?

5. What is your final conclusion on what the cartoon's message is?

6. Draw your own cartoon to comment on a current issue

Unravel the Medieval Cartoon Mystery

Persecution of the Jews

The persecution (being picked on) of the Jews that the world witnessed during the Second World War (6 million were murdered) was not a new event. Although nothing had been seen on this scale before, the Jews have been persecuted throughout history - ever since Roman times. Their religion and their success in business has attracted hatred and jealousy at different times. Laws were sometimes passed against them, such as the 1215 ruling by the Catholic Church that Jewish men had to wear spiked hats to identify them. At other times they have been made to wear stars on their clothing and change their names. Britain in its past victimised the Jews to the point of expelling them from the country in 1290 and not letting them back in until 1655.

The cartoon is an example of the feelings some people had towards the Jews in the Middle Ages. The cartoon is about real people and their situation within medieval society. This is their story:

Isaac fil Jurnet

Isaac fil Jurnet was one of the richest Jews in England and certainly the richest Jew in Norwich where he lived. Isaac was much richer than many Christians living at the same time. Like many Jews, Isaac was a money-lender. Jews were allowed to lend money at interest and so make a profit, which Christians were forbidden from doing by law.

Isaac was the chief money-lender to the Abbot and monks of Westminster. He took them to court to get interest on the money they had borrowed. As a result of this he became the target of opposition from Pandulf, the Bishop of Norwich, who wanted to see all Jews thrown out of the country to ‘beyond the seas’. Isaac was also a merchant and owned a dock in Norwich. The Abbot and monks were not the only ones in debt - whole districts of the city owed him money.

Mosse Mokke

Mosse Mokke worked for Isaac, collecting the money owed to him. Money in medieval England was made from precious metals, and was worth as much as it weighed. This caused problems because people would ‘clip’ pieces off the edge of coins and use these pieces to make another coin. The coins that had been clipped were hard to detect and were used to pay for goods despite being worth less than they appeared. Many people were tempted to clip coins but it was a crime - punishable by death. However, Mosse Mokke was a rather shady character. He had been charged for beating someone up in 1230 and in 1242 he was caught clipping coins and was executed.

Abigail

Another character in medieval Norwich was Abigail, or Avegay, who some said was the wife of Mosse Mokke. She was known for usury - the collecting of very high interest on a loan. Unlike Christian women, Jewish women were much more frequently successful in business and could become quite rich.

The Jews in England were to suffer increasingly as the 13th Century continued. They were subjected to heavy taxes, had property confiscated, were attacked and finally were expelled in 1290. This anti-Semitic (anti-Jewish) behaviour was mostly the result of jealousy of Jewish wealth and a misunderstanding of their religious practices.

There are many books that look at anti-Semitism. A famous modern one is The Diary of Anne Frank, a diary of a Jewish child during the Second World War.

Web links:

Anne Frank web-site

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

If you enjoyed working with the cartoon, you can also visit our section called Focus On ... Cartoons for some more.