ABSTRACT
Middle English romances, for instance, often depict Muslim figures who are villainous in their chaotic personalities, love of luxury, and incorrect worldview. King Horn may be the oldest Middle English romance and the earliest representation of Muslims in this genre. With its repetition and folktale-like plot, the basic story may come from oral tradition: as a boy, Horn is displaced when Saracens invade England and kill his father. Scholars note that the word Sarazin was used in Middle English as a general name for heathens of any sort, and more specific use of the term Saracen to mean Muslim may be observed late in Middle English. The most compelling argument Speed makes about the Saracens as Muslim invaders involves the religious animosity between the Christians and the Saracens. The description of the Saracen forces illustrates the international quality of the war.
