The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

WHY JEWS HAVE HORNS

MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT JEWISH PEOPLE ARE BORN WITH
ANIMAL HORNS ON THEIR HEAD. IN FACT, THE INFORMANT
TOLD ME OF A FRIEND OF HIS WHO WAS PLAYING GOLF AT A
COUNTRY CLUB WITH SOME SOUTHERNERS AND JUST HAPPENED TO
MENTION HIS RELIGION. HIS COMPANIONS LOOKED HIM OVER
AND SAID, "IF YOU'RE JEWISH, THEN WHERE ARE YOUR HORNS?"
IN THE ORIGINAL BIBLE, WHICH WAS HEBREW, MOSES WAS
SUPPOSEDLY DESCRIBED AS HAVING "WOOLY HAIR," BUT IN THE
GREEK TRANSLATION, "HAIR" WAS CHANGED TO "HORN," AND
PEOPLE HAVE JUST ASSOCIATED MOSES (AND JEWS) WITH HORNS
SINCE THEN.

Submitter comment:

THIS COULD ALSO BE USED AS A DEMORALIZING TECHNIQUE
ASSOCIATING JEWS, BLACKS, ETC. WITH ANIMALS, SAYING
FOR INSTANCE THAT ALL NEGROES HAVE TAILS, ETC.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Date learned: 11-28-1971