28. Middle Ages Europe Was Not Entirely Christian and White
Most Europeans in the Middle Ages were Christian and white, but not all. Various parts of Europe had significant populations of Jews, Muslims, and even Pagans. Their numbers varied from region to region, depending on its history and culture. Throughout most of the era, Jews could be found in all parts of Europe. Muslims were common – at times even a majority – in the Iberian Peninsula, had a significant presence in Sicily, and could be found in many ports and trade centers. Up north, in Prussia, Scandinavia, and the Baltics, Pagans predominated.
The greatest dividing line in Europe was religion, not race. Indeed, race back then was not defined the way it is now, so “white” or “black” mattered less in the Middle Ages than did one’s religion. For example, a swarthy or dark-skinned bishop from Egypt, North Africa, or Nubia, was deemed to be more civilized, and possessed of a higher rank, than a white slave from the Pagan parts of Europe. Discrimination was more likely to be based on religion than skin color, so white Jews or Cathars and other European heretics were likely to have a worse time than non-white Christians.
