The Case of the Baptized Heathen: Religion and Romani Identity in the Holy Roman Empire, 1417-1497

Monday 9 September 2024, 6.00PM

Speaker(s): Lane Baker (Stanford University)

Ideology, Society and Medieval Religion seminar

In the early fifteenth century, writers across continental western Europe reported the unexpected appearance of “heathen" in and around their local communities. We now recognize these immigrants as some of western Europe’s first Romani communities. Local lords, urban governors, and scholars had many questions about these newcomers from the east—their religious identity chief among them. The religious affiliation of the Roma would remain a contested question for western European Christians throughout the fifteenth century. In this talk, I will introduce the “baptized heathen” of fifteenth-century sources, examine the question of religious identity from multiple angles, and consider how the long-ignored history of the Roma can enrich our histories of late medieval religion.

Please note: the seminar will take place over Zoom, and a link will be sent to you upon registration. You can register for this event here.

Location: Online

Email: cms-office@york.ac.uk