mould

This 13th-century mould shows the Massacre of the Innocents. Three figures – two soldiers and King Herod – are depicted killing baby boys. Carved in stone, moulds such as this would have been used to cast decorative plaques in gold and silver. This particular example was found in London Street, Norwich.

The Massacre of the Innocents is a violent part of the Nativity narrative. Following the birth of Jesus Christ, King Herod gave orders to kill all boys aged two or under in Bethlehem and the surrounding areas (Matthew 2:16). The Catholic Church regards the murdered babies as the first Christian Martyrs (someone killed for their beliefs).

On the 28th December, a feast day known as the Feast of the Holy Innocents is held to commemorate the massacre. In the medieval period this feast sometimes coincided with the Feast of Fools, which was characterised by a series of role reversals. Children were granted authority over their parents, and in some cases boy bishops led church services. By the 15th century these customs were banned by the Council of Basel as they were seen as mocking religion. Unfortunately, the tradition of whipping children in bed to remind them of the massacre continued in England up until the 17th century.

Links have been made between Herod’s infanticide (killing of children) and accusations of ritual child murder made against the Jewish population of England. In 1144, a twelve-year-old apprentice named William was tortured and killed in Norwich. His body was left in the woods and his murderers were never found. The death of William was blamed on the Jewish community in the city. An unfounded rumour, known now as ‘the blood libel’, spread of a written prophecy stating that Jewish people would regain control over Israel by sacrificing a Christian child each year. William was canonised (made a saint) shortly after his murder. Saint William of Norwich’s death became the first recorded medieval accusation of ritual murder against the Jewish population.

Saint William’s ‘martyrdom’ led to increased tensions between the Christian and Jewish populations of Norwich. Many unsolved child murders were attributed to Jewish plots. These events may have contributed to an increased interest in the Massacre of the Innocents during this period. We do not know for certain why this mould was created or what it was used to create. Decorative plaques cast with this image might have been used on books, as altarpieces, or on shrines.

Eventually, tensions led to the persecution of Jewish communities throughout England. In 1190, all the Jewish people of Norwich who had not managed to find shelter at the castle were murdered. In 1290, Jewish people were expelled from all of England. They were not officially allowed to return for nearly four hundred years.