Medieval literature
By the 12th century, Medieval Europeans used the term "Saracen" as both an ethnic and religious marker. In some Medieval literature, Saracens were equated with Muslims in general and described as dark-skinned, while Christians lighter-skinned. An example is in "The King of Tars", a medieval romance. "The Song of Roland", an Old French 11th-century heroic poem, refers to the black skin of Saracens as their only exotic feature.