Crusades-Encyclopedia Return to Table of Contents St. James the Moor Slayer also known as Santiago Matamoros
Little else can better demonstrate the divide between pre and post enlightenment Christian understandings of the compatability of violence with the Christian ethos than the image of Santiago Matamoros, or St. James the Moor Slayer. According to Spanish legend, Saint James the Apostle appeared as a ferocious sword wielding warrior on horseback to help Christian armies in battles against the Moors during the Reconquista. By virtue of his sainthood, battles in which Saint James the Moor-slayer took part always resulted in Christian victories against their Muslim foes. His presence was not limited to only the Reconquista. In the Americas Saint James was also called upon by the Spaniards in their conquest of native peoples. [Continued...] Saints and the Crusades- Crusades-Encyclopedia Reconquista- Crusades-Encyclopedia Primary Sources of the Reconquista- Crusades-Encyclopedia BBC Church to remove Moor-slayer saint May 3, 2004 U.K. Telegraph Public Outcry forces church to keep Moor Slayer's statue by Isambard Wilkinson July 22, 2004 (c) Andrew Holt, November 2005- Permission is granted for electronic copying and distribution in print for educational or personal use. No permission is granted for commercial use.