Otherness in Feudal Society, volume 1

In light of our discussion last week on Prescott's creation of both Aztec and Spanish Catholic "others," I found Bloch's treatment of "the other" in Feudal Society interesting.  Although the book’s title is “Feudal Society,” suggesting a broad brush of topics, it is mostly about feudal social and economic history as it relates to France, and in comparison, some of the “rest” of Western Europe.  In treating this topic, Bloch seems to create several others.  For example, he creates an Arab through his word choice and his treatment of historical silences.  On page 7, Bloch uses the word “lair” to describe the Arabs’ homeland—a word typically used (in both French and English) to describe the home of a wild animal.  He also ignores the reasons as to why the Arabs conducted raids or what their history was, putting them at odds with the West.  These value-laden terms occur throughout Bloch’s treatment of the Arabs.  Additionally, Bloch creates a sense of otherness when discussing the “pagans of the North.”  In particular, his description of their use of violence puts them in opposition to a Western reader. He uses words such as “madness” and “orgy” to describe their violence, and reverts to the passive voice when describing them, as to give them no agency.  For example, on page 22, Bloch describes Scandinavian violence saying, “…the Archbishop of Canterbury was pelted to death with the bones of the animals eaten at the banquet…”  In describing this Scandinavian raid with an English victim as the subject of the sentence, Bloch accentuates the otherness of the Northmen.

Bloch’s early treatment of the Scandinavian and Arab raiders is in stark contrast to his later treatment of the Western European (especially pre-French, English, and Italian) feudal societies.  In tracing social, economic, and linguistic history of this time in great detail, Bloch attempts to identify “what was it in the actions and the hearts of men that constituted the real strength of vassalage as a social cement” (pp. 241).  This critical examination of the motives of men living during his period of interest seems to be utterly missing in his treatment of Arab and Scandinavian raiders, who played a large part in shaping the society in which Bloch is interested.