Turcs et Mores: monarques musulmans dans les Histoires Tragiques de Boaistuau et Belleforest

Abstract

This article examines the representations of Muslim rulers in Histoires tragiques , an influential multi-volume collection of short stories authored by Pierre Boaistuau and (mainly) François de Belleforest in the second half of the sixteenth century. It shows that the Turkish emperors are portrayed very differently from North African kings: the former are depicted as phenomenons of cruelty, while the latter are pictured in more nuanced ways. These contrasting representations reflect the fact that, while the powerful Ottoman Empire inspires dread and terror, North Africa is not seen as a major threat, and can be made into a fictional site of reflection on French and European politics.