on the subject of "blood libel"

[rm]

Someone else on my friends list did a poll, and I realized that I was also curious and have enough people here to get a large sample even if it's not a scientific one.

Since my big discovery of today was that lots of people didn't realize that the "blood libel" thing was a totally anti-semitic thing to say and I was surprised by that, the question becomes is this one of those things _every_ Jewish person knows but non-Jews may not have encountered?

ETA: Comments filled with fascinating anecdata. Have fun.

For those of you who still haven't caught up with this, Boing Boing explains.

Poll below.

[Poll #1667388]

Comments

[rm.livejournal.com]

I'm starting to feel like I should have pulled the medievalists out of the poll somehow too. Because if I take you all out of it (there are a few) the level of awareness of the term amongst non-Jews answering this is really not particularly high. This makes me feel much more patient with the coworkers I had to explain this stuff to today.

[dorei.livejournal.com]

I equate it to the use of the rather horrible phrase "tar baby". You'd be amazed how many people didn't know what THAT was, either.

I think Palin used it because some other pro-GOP dimwits used it.

[miep.livejournal.com]

*feeling stupid* wasn't there an anansi story with a fairy made of tar that he gets mad at and hits, and he sticks?

[dorei.livejournal.com]

Yes, but it's also a racial slur.

[interactiveleaf.livejournal.com]

There's an Anansi story that got turned into a Bre'r Rabbit/Uncle Remus story in the US. That led to "tar baby" being used for blacks.

[wordweaverlynn.livejournal.com]

I'm another (amateur) medievalist.

[estoile.livejournal.com]

Have to admit ... another medievalist for the collection.