Return of the Black Knight: Reflections on Africa and the Construction of Medieval European Identity

Return of the Black Knight presents an intersectional inquiry into the global medieval. This innovative historiography boldly reimagines medieval European identity through the critical lenses of race, gender, and class to reveal complex intercultural dynamics that continue to influence socio-political debates across the globe today.

Keita weaves together methodological understandings of medieval Europe with alternative readings of primary sources to uncover African presences - frequently female and spanning diverse social classes - embedded within the epoch’s myths, folklore, literature, and visual arts. This careful excavation of overlooked historical figures and influences posits a medieval Europe far richer and more diverse than conventional scholarship has acknowledged. The ＂othered＂ are quite more than simply ＂present＂ in the Age - in fact, they are significant actors and agents who helped create and shape it.

This book is a valuable resource for students and scholars interested in global history, medieval Europe, historiography, African history, race and gender studies, and art history.

Maghan Keita is Professor of History and Global Interdisciplinary Studies at Villanova University. He is the author of numerous scholarly publications including the award-winning Race and the Writing of History: Riddling the Sphinx (2000), and The Political Economy of Healthcare in Senegal (2007).