The Art of the Nickname: Naming Opponents in the Medieval Mediterranean

Modern political opponents strive to provide the first soundbite, to generate the viral meme, and to coin the memorable catchphrase. Being able to shape and to disseminate an enemy’s image provides a distinct advantage in pursuits of achieving and sustaining power. One method which has found increased popularity in recent years is the use of a nickname; a caricature of an individual is easier to craft a message against rather than the more nuanced person. However, the use of the nickname to construct and propagate an enemy’s image is not a recent phenomenon. This paper will examine the process of naming the enemy in the medieval Mediterranean, in particular focusing on instances of intercultural encounters between Christians and Muslims in Spain and North Africa. It will argue that the complex geopolitical situation resulted in a flexible spectrum of rhetorical possibilities for how to craft and exploit a nickname of an opponent. Through the use of Arabic-Islamic and Christian chronicles and other documentary evidence, it will trace the ways in which a nickname was used as a tool of state. Interestingly, it also will show that in contrast to perceived tropes of Christian-Muslim dialogue, depending on the circumstances, positive nicknames for opponents existed and were deployed against co-religionists, truly making (at times) “the enemy of my enemy, my friend.”