The more MOORS the better victory (the more gain)

Insights

Value of Overcoming Great Odds

The proverb serves as a metaphor for the idea that the value of any achievement is directly proportional to the magnitude of the challenge overcome. A greater struggle yields a more profound sense of accomplishment or reward.

Profit from Adversity

It symbolizes a cynical worldview where increased conflict, risk, or opposition is seen as an opportunity for greater material or social reward. The 'Moors' represent any obstacle that, when conquered, yields a significant return.

Dehumanization for Justification

The saying illustrates the process of objectifying an opponent to justify exploitation. By reducing the 'Moors' to a mere number, their humanity is erased, turning their subjugation into a simple measure of success.

Historical Conflict and Dehumanization

Rooted in the historical context of the Reconquista and European conflicts with North African states, the proverb reflects a period where 'Moors' were the archetypal adversary. The phrase encapsulates the crusading mentality where victory was measured not just by territory, but by the number of enemies defeated or enslaved.

Economic Underpinnings of War

The crucial parenthetical '(the more gain)' exposes the economic incentives intertwined with military and religious conflict. It reframes 'victory' in starkly material terms, suggesting that war was not only for glory but also a profitable enterprise based on enslavement and plunder.

Psychology of 'Othering'

The proverb is a stark example of historical racism and the psychology of 'othering'. By quantifying the enemy ('the more Moors'), it strips them of humanity, making their defeat or enslavement seem like a laudable achievement or a simple economic calculation, a common justification in colonial and wartime ideologies.

Rhetorical Devices

Comparative Correlative

The proverb uses a comparative correlative structure ('The more X, the better Y'), creating a powerful and memorable link between the number of opponents and the value of the outcome.

Symbolism

'Moors' function as a powerful historical symbol, representing not just a specific enemy but the archetypal 'other' or a formidable obstacle, the overcoming of which proves one's strength.

Juxtaposition

The juxtaposition of 'victory' (a concept of honor and military success) with 'gain' (a material, economic benefit) creates a jarring effect that reveals the often-unspoken economic motivations behind conflict.