Scribd
Upload
497 views20 pages

Christian Local Religion Sixteenth Century Spain

"The Vow", Excerpt from Chapter 2 By William A. Christian, Jr.

Uploaded by

amrodrgz
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF or read online on Scribd
497 views20 pages

Christian Local Religion Sixteenth Century Spain

"The Vow", Excerpt from Chapter 2 By William A. Christian, Jr.

Uploaded by

amrodrgz
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 20
Local Religion in Sixteenth-Century Spain William A. Chistian, Je Princeton, Now ley 30 cunvres = commosi them Simi, he clo hers were rl ty commuals to conjure Ini-haig stem ews aay, of ke he al dv orn he clr writes ws ‘por mat conel he ngs w some ne elfctie and sted what power they posed © ct ih the der Ia see phos he wards would Hold Ethos with te ho lgy to me nin cul bs dal srt he oud “The clergy bad ir own “leg” prayers and exorcist cae the clouds After probing ‘encanto, forte. tlle bevitehes migotinn nd pers the Syd Consoas of Talad of 568 contin "ead fr Hse son we do st prohb, but onthe coneary we onder ed hore elegy of tha choc ae reyponable fern ht dn nd wit na fo a as inh frm tht in nth anon they employ the et Gm approved by the Charen? "PY vet leit i ou gon coadenmed bythe logins, were or ety enacrpbl: One twa el tlhe asso the Hleronymte moar of Seta Maria de Pzacey eat Segovia The wits fr she peeton ‘were the puzon sin uf« suber of wllge andthe souls inpraory of one vile al oped by wiley te pronectan, spoken by far wore tae ier Sie {Gregores (so bow) nd the judge who pronovaced the ‘scommniction onthe gosippess ws Out Lay Sane Nagin a fn pry ow ae sh and nee speaking throug hee beteans the pior Sf the money Har stence ter conslation wil ar ‘vse Sai Jerome, Saint Erne, Sune Lawrence ad Sun hele Arcana, wa that the mess won ‘cata fll er xconmunisstn f they tl nen the terroty. The ial wat fel only after aoe ree hes over espace af ewo yeas hd ale inching err. cla the spinling of pela water som Never roc Song aovetuy, th een the efor of pale Sane ts ination forthe ta whic Re dwar realy just vows ” severe form of exoreion, the prior cited similar exoomsm ‘ications of locust in Avila att Valladolid, of eats in Osa, fin! of swallows the diiod shrine on the oust of ‘Cindoba Hat of these less orthodox etvces the reports tell ws lite, aside from te dscripcon of ewo competing hecromacet, a friar ad pie, in Vso de Mseas, 2 ¥ lage berween Maid and Toledo.” ‘Tr Vow Inthe reports we read of tore othodox practices the e- tubs flonan cote (vow) between the ges fi thes Accoating to arn de Aspe ("Doctor evan), 2 Spanish eaten whive Alona de convey 2 pomteney ws asa reference wot For pro it thet af ofthe ceairy, "A vow rm dle promise mnde (alee in oncs ming} to Cod for sme grestr good shot en nay he ly ng. a vow to Gol fof 4 good purpose, Wher o ‘Tomy take ardor wo got shine anon wht ever, tm be ful wade pay of align mor “The importance of vows in he diy fe of the Ctolc ay has been isfy appre, prkap peciely tease most pesona vows were ade and failed wi fur hse mervencon. Vows Tagely bale and lmos ‘Simply mintnet mon snr eh andl ea ‘The Churhrand the Span sate mae a Rowing Bas fs owathe ommton ofvom, SO ae i of Spin toviy, ny pesos ake wows fr the most minor lem so vitaly daly tas Only when «vo Ex nt be fulld was the pear called ge interven, titer to comme te vw or pardon the penitent or aon. faltinene Teorey only hope outcome oval etn own hoe of pliages to Rome, Jeu Sic, snd Compost that of chatty and membersip in 2 reli order wee reve forthe pope net com » cousreen 2 res But inthe steetheeniry one col ily purchase Tul of the Grae speci papa ndigencer egal intended to sxe money forthe Reconguest whieh gave the buyer the right to have mos vows costed by any pres “The vow and sna payee: the nts were forms af ineee engagement heeworn the Chistian and the dite ‘wth no ing or coy ileum. Surely cis univer ‘al and conan practice must nother count ave peo ‘ied some of ce romndwork fo the ppl ppreiaton Df the more instttionallyanmnedisted Fors ut Chstinity proposed in the Reformation Reformed chutes femoys the lmages of suns and largely liinatl thee uly, but Jn proce ths ay simply fe meso aig the ne peso devoian formerly ieted to th sts snd Mary {o Chub. Ty fee the ue proces wa to certain extent happening inthe Grote Refortacin or othe lst years ofthe steentheentry thoughout Cathie Europe there ‘eas jr sit eoward Cheer devotion, ‘Vows ofa penonel devotional ate were not binding on him That iy a som whore deceased ober had prom ied to go to Compost dit not hie have to go (Fe prota won ve. Sell today ch vows cin Pronly faite.) Bat vows made by corporation lke village were coaeses with the divine that thirty had’ be fle, eyenf'« handel year hal pase ait alle vilagers who find mde he oil vow fad ied™ Such vows could be modi ociminitedoaly by deciion of te bishop of the pope They were the conor ig Sins ofthe emmy the din bd were egy inde dng mally drawn op oily a an ac of goveennent Ta {eset is nese ha Pip Hed aot cone munity vowst the sng be ad ingued soot bliin to temporal ord, and watted to how oF tlio ith ‘pun oe ‘OF the 74s vows for which a reason wa given in he z- | ports aboot 9 aut of 10 were i sesponce So natal di | of iran to perce were ove aes of tna witht» specie sm tae for sont danger ote comer. Vowe Weve mt ie tl Stace ck toward a {tng atl Snes ot so ater ns or fs elsin and proton for he fare. The vow ISattqs obec das of devil Smolyan uncry on th i's ys ay etre Shel vows emi det std Ghemnee in change (othe nine ineeeion with God The pepe sw God truly ere neem afin whe he wi a fee ae oe we ogre out fn i eco the cu fer hs mge Tw uy vowr were made 2 tio hae sag 9 he lige fos ow wm seed spine esa focu forte common som pare ee» be {rte ste err re ee of ng aes Sh comin Forcier pope he vow the + ropindoa ofthe How Sans Wea Cro rom Vows “The viigers sw the enncidence of 4 ast dsr wih crn its dys car, Hai sll org Meta ed wine othe mest, war para een ‘sgn devote wa mw begs wre auerns when the vigas of Bis (de), err aes tre to ga from on ogy noted the ld seve rn intro on Sie Anes Day, hey inne » wow unsere ber igi (Sane Ans Exe ceed eon Soo the yee some ol oP ‘nr Lady Saat Annes Day) Conecblymifering fom the vary tae sos hems vilage of Doge (Md) Scrap de caso of giving poole diner cls erat Sune Annes ay ‘tins ngs, bese ffl on pal ays in 4 couarree 2 tated vows to Sune Atanas, Sint Ratholomew, Sent Beneice Sain fa the Evangelist (atthe Lata Gat), Sain Patan, Sie Peter Sas Quiey and Julia, te Findag of tte Trve Crom andthe Cr of Septenbes By te sume token, the lick of Paltorn when fe might fae eon expected wal seen a ign. While in Cor sao (Tole), th Feat of Sunt Jobn a he Latin Gate ‘va oberved, “becuse on Br day cut gran fs were Ia on ewo or eee years” not faraway la Masa the sue day was serie “rane os hy che nebo ing towns were aed on, and bythe sey of God this dice wa sare Soy, when in Vato (Gu Sake) Suit Athans ‘Day wor oberred beans Ie oni dy fie yar in on Ip ot fa sy, the sme day Wat hep tes on ht ay hi Sor ipo damage wo the rope wie the vitae were ‘oming in procenon froma ocasery In Laan” ‘Other sudden dasers bese bal were seen posh sms ed sigs ealing for public ows Fires: In Aun (Guajara) SuineBenedice’s Day was ob- served "because on that day ten folivl ol lle belonging to the township burned down. Suit Peters Day was 0b- veered in Fuettes (Guadalajara) because of a fite in the ‘wheat fields Floods: San Martin de Valdepusa (Toledo) observed the Feast of the Vistation (July's) becuse more than sixty years earlier a fash flood downed a fareter in ie feds Similarly Geeafe (Madrid) obnerved the day of Suints Cos sas and Duin Because of + flood that carted away 2 Shepherd and wo lamb arthquake: ‘The village of Romanones (Gidalsjte) ob served May 10 heesuse ofan earthquake. They do not even, mention sng the erehquake was «clear sgn to obverve cha day vows BS LLigheing: Yo Ustnos (Guadalsjar) Saint Datbar’s Day ‘wa observed and a coridad dserbated because “this sue day fa the afternoon a lighting bole ht the tower of tis ‘chicch and bucoed zee or four people, and ever since chey tlways dotribute ie and observe s2™" The ign vas all che tnore clear, ince Sein Brrr was a protector from light- sing Pestilence: Generilly pestilence did not begin dramatically ‘enough fora vow tothe sit on whose day i began. How ‘ever in the own of Fuente de Pedro Naharro (Cun), where i sack very suddenly, “they observe the Feat of ‘Out Lady Sine Agatha and fase oa her eve, and began to ‘do so becuse when the soa rose on Our Lady Sune Aga the's Day these wete thirteen dd from the pestilence, and it was decided feom devotion 20 observe said boly day and fast omer eve, and give caridad her day" Inthe sore cas the pope se wave considered the sine on whose day # Gee occorect someway the SGurce of thar mefataney the ne was thoughe to be Inge and to need pletion, or ele he mint won pret as tecing devon Orthod dactiae would fre xe ‘ie chaste comer only from Gad, and sits er ede for pees at agin then, Petaps fr this eon She ipl ofthe wins agate nerve in Inge feanes was ver eplicly sted in the report Sore voys sem a rl fo pf mor niga gan Around 51 Use, tw of i ha rel ouscolts benwsn Goadaljara and Masi + man Brcheod tshep on Decener 7 ind the seep dd not Heol ign fing nce sl ote eaten tat dy, thee of he Immuelte Conception In hs town the Fane of the Conception of the Viggia ‘Shine Mary, which falls on December 8b observed by Toca vow teat snot eaten om ts ev, also by vow. This 6 corn 2 luna Yow was promised abou ty years ago, eason Being atom oe eve of eh oly dupe wie it wes the) custom fo eit mes, x botcher named Jaen Dit wile ling «rm nthe town sghers nce ke inthe neck wo cestode with othe Ks of aia beheading thea Bic no mater how had he ‘ore wt of how fra ep she if nota drop {af blood eae ou, een thug ebro the thon and ve the head off and compel ied This was nen to be worthy of ainsi ws cake dove it epost. Prom tat day ww vowed ptt ete mest ta ht ev, and 3 twat ober and al ered Ad we lito de Lone nd Boiler Ramer cary that onthe day of Sane Jon of Jane Jase 34) of {yar 73, ering the main eterno of Taledo, ‘esa thine Juan Diar weighing mete The older of {thought he caged hi ant Ske i he hd vet Seen in Use and be lt he bad. And without out sig him ev ow he ha ce uta hr and how the sorerdened evr etl hand a depo Sins tad been ken By then he wa ey dad py ie geen knowlege tn ss tomn ta i apc tot | have quoted this ease at length to show tte wonder sll {elt about the incident by the wager Such an anomaly, coccuering when ie did, mast have fad meuing, exerying 1 message to the village. Comatusiey vows to observe the TInumacalte Conception for devotianal reson swept across Castile inthe lst quarter of the fteenthceatary and the fens was obligatory in ll the dioceses whose sntetath-cen- tury consiations T could check So le & not sorprising that by 1515 Uceda was alteady observing the day. Tow: ‘rer, befoce major holy days it was oblgacry to fst che rg, oF at est to abstain from eating meat. Although sine Bishops encouraged fasting on the eve of the Tnwcalae Conception by granting indulgences of fory days to those vows ” who fated, feng was no olan. Since i was not cleat tow important 9 day the Conception of Mary sas the tawnpeope were mtu cope tt "A gn iat on meaning a cotter, The doce ofthe Tnncae Conception of Maty conered on Sit: Anne rats eet of Mary nel, Te spoctyphal Gop opus lathe Scat cenary coesbuted to thi eae Fetcenentof Sie Ane fling n dea abot be ie and ‘aes Tha the Fest of xine Anne ene tobe consid oly dyn he popu eel etre was made oir tory bythe Church Infact nth seh cent Sat dune er ober in sere ice nla Sigtonn, the or in Gheea ce Tota Hance the yiager were Frspired toate signe Uke hal to ned for devotion to ine Ange Tiled seven yarn a ow en Sie Bene {ieee Day in Negro (Calas) Before he vile ‘owed the day bat only two ote yarson Sunt Ante Dry n Ber iain) Ot cous she more deat the Sitch fod, or dare fete les were comers But hails smething at happens a fod A amd ppc he villas ld ot rl ete oo Sy of Cnc evel ofthe ge samed to require that no wok be done on gen day, Not working specially haves tae ws jt scifi th brrce of at dy. “Ts was espetly te forthe majo of endl ot i who depend on net daly wage for uve. Here gn the vilgar’ unceralnty aboot thet oblgatos to SEinr Anne ter. On Sunt Anne’ Day logget sing timber from the mounts of Caenes down Be Grade ver were stato e+ log ead upright ad ur i fae. Ar ret of te roe suportd by th eter ‘Sze ofthe tow, the mayor of Caen (Chere) and ther of eter sucoudingilges vowed the oltre tthe day; he bering log beng hd gn that ee log i should aoe have bon work Thi eeptvnce gn mst hee ben Ince ecaie the fete as Kepe 8 cunwren in che neighboring diocese of Sigienza and besuuse there ‘were shrines t Sint Anne in nearby Tendilla and Car "scout. Less crypuic was the sign in Argaraills de Alba {Ciudad Real): "Te was vowed to observe Saint Anne's Day because in this town people used to work on that day, and ie-eme to pas Gat Several of those Who waked oa that dayded™ or east and long-distance freight haulers there were ro holy days. They Worked seven days « week, which led Juan de Avila, when proposing reforms for the Council of “Trent, to suggest hat carters be pernitted to work on holy ay, since they did anyway." In his Miclénc, ween bout 14, Las de Zapata averted that "it Case and the [kingdom of Toledo, where there much carting its known snd tai toe eerain that no eters have did, or broken tems oF logs, of fd thir males strangled, aor did they oF their mules drown crosing fords, except and becuse of is being on holy day." ‘Ssint Lance, whose populatity atthe time is ated by the dedication of the Hscoil, Was one of the few non- nlc sunt whore feast day was univerally obligatory concal Spain. Parealely dire consequences vere #09. posed to befall persons who Worked om his day. Is hunting {varking? In Belmonte (Oenes) three notables honting of Sit Lawzence’s Day were unable to hi eaptive tates the firings of thelr crosbows suapped, and when they bla peed one ofthe bows sponntensly brake, Zaps giver number of instances of divine retaintion visted pon ‘these wha Worked or even lighted freon that days" Sunt Blase was another st for whom devotion on « local level in Madrid and. Guadalajara ad ouserspped his place in the Chureh ss « whole. Observe the reactant ofthe people in Almanac de orits(CGuadalsjara) when the door Fell off the ebareh as they were leaving an Saint Blass Days 1566 “The fost of loed Sine Ble i kepe because few years sgn, when mort of the village out of devoion wss ob- vows » serving his day anyway, hen all the village was coming ‘8 of high mass hat day y the main door ofthe church, very crowded together, oe of the ewo man door of the ‘chor fl in chet mk becase» hinge broke, and God fae Be chat ao one was injured. And when the people ‘contemplated the mystery that Gd had worked in har ing no one, gen the devotion that they hd, they all ‘onlered those who govern this epabli and wich hem is ergy to promise and endow ito be kepe from then on* While dipssdonate olsecver mnighe wonder whether an purl reading ofthis Sgn might nor counsel saying 2s far a6 possible from the church on Srint Biss Day, the local inerpretason war thatthe people ha been spared io jy brome of thie devotion tp Suit Blaise and tha here- fore they should formalize that devotion in + vow. “The sgn—a bloodless ram a pil of fame ins tve, che brouking of « bowsteng, othe fling of » church door— 4d aoe have wo bea disaster, hough dieses seem eo have ‘ben the commonest sigs and ered oat fo aon. No, ee sign was on anomalos even, invested with meaning by its ‘occurence i tela to the annual calendar and the wey ie fc” withthe villages devoconl history. For the sige thae were seen ax punisimentsdzcted atthe village for not ‘observing popular (but technically optional) feast days Shaded off into signs that were punishments for violations fof vows previosly made. In all he miracle books of shrines, ‘which begun to be publsied ia the mid-sctenth centary, ‘vere examples of dine ponishment of indvidals who dd ot fol hie promises to ee seine sat geverally what ‘vet affison they had ad returned to theo ntl ey pl tap. In terms of village vows, che villages themselves in- sed formal mechani ke Snes on release clezens Boe when an ene village lapsed in is observance ofa Yow, the punishment was sometimes seen to come from a Sint fr ftom God, That these laps continually occured cannat be doubted, especially since some vows were very oly and f occisions perhaps two hundred years esti Tong ° couemin 2 ongottn. ‘The incendie €0 fll ¢ teaicons obligation Ind to be weighed against the need 19 work, gives an over” sshelming namaber of obigntory feast days even withost ‘dional vowod observaes. Dramatic eases of the rein of the community diwscer followings lapee in obserance at evidence that theoughost this region fear mare have accompanied tniiton as a0 n= ‘encvo to mainaln vows The fasion of locus ia the Fields of Yebra in 1545, described above, cakes on a deeper meaning when sen a retribution for not observing oN” roade is dhe previous eaneary to Stine Macs os protection gine locust Afterwatds, either Became of our sins or our weakness in being remis in observing this bly day and vow, oF because God sav i, His Divine Majesty about thiety yeats ago allowed many grashoppers to star to the lands of tis town. In Caberarados (Ciudad Real) che lapse was of « vow c0 Suine Quteia for tle from rubies. The chasésement was the loosing of a xbid wolf on 2 group of holidaymakers “This vow i very oli, and when there was some lax in observing ie came t0 pass that about forty years ago fs Bes day Kael Marti, citizen of this tow and het brother and other people were in dhe common pustare land ofthe town when suddenly «raid wolf sprang oot sd bie the young man and indieted many wounds pon Fim, and he beeune said and died of them eight o wine ayy after he was bien. The last days he wa so subd ‘ee they bound him with eins unt he died. The wolf tlso bit many oxen and cows in the pasture, and whe tying to bite a mother cow that was defending her calf, ‘he cow billed it Since these evens the townspeople have observed and do naw obsere the old vow wich much ‘levotion and hold «solemn proceson aed feed all the oot in the towns and everyone fron the tow ext inthe house of the mayordomo that day each paying his share” , | | | | | vows a Divine puaishnene ale fll on indvidsls who inited ‘communal vows Tn the Madtid town of Sea Sebastin de Tex Reyes, the vow eo Sint Sebstian on account of pst lence’ was to fase the ove and exe neither anima) products nor fish on the fea day. According t canon lit one "sponsible for keeping the vows ofthe wllage where one ‘sstaying, aot of one's home village So a villager went 10 2 acighboringvilge to exe well and escape the dietary re striction, Whea fe came back his wife and chien were feting beans, and he died suddenly after elling thom that thay need not observe the vow. or Seine Sebastian's Day, which i always Jansary 20 it hs been vowed inthis tor that om ee ee there wll be fasting and no meat eaten, and on the day itself tere be ‘no anal products oF fish eaten, of anything that ever Imad or has-blood, nor checs, milk, or eggs This was vowed eeruse of the pestilence. Aboot Sbey yeas 260 ‘on Sant Sebastian's Day, ata time whea the people ofthe town of Alcobendas used to come in praceason to the church of this town before high mas, x citizen of thie town, named Portzguero, went back with the procesion fo Alcabends solely in orer to cat ment in that town. re ate lunch and dinar tat day in Alebends, nd 3¢ nightfall he returned to his ome ints town, He sat down iss ehuie and found his wife and childeea and servants keeping the vow by eating broad beans. And he spe ro hem in away that showed his lack: of respect 2nd searm for the vow by saying how good they were ‘ing their broad beans while he had come al fll From ‘ting meat. Without saying another Word he was sade ‘enly dead in bis aie ‘Two more of thes causionary tae. Ts Puerta (Cin- ddd Teal) = exper ered o harvest grain om the fest day of the local shvie, Our Lady of Gtace: Tn ad chapel hangs se for reaping gin, wich thy sty wp ceria noy oft tan who west # cunrnm + to 2eap with ton the day of the Vistation of Out Lady, ‘which isthe advocacion of dhe ehapel and s vow of is tow. At the fist veep that he tade in the grain the Sickle turned against is hand and suck to i such 2 ‘way tha he could nat reap soything. The al people say that this happened, tha they feed efron dain parens sad many other people®™ [Bven the worms could take thee zevnge. The one in Castillo de Garei Mofo (Cuenca) who did not 2 vow fad his house stacked by worms ‘The reason why this fens of Saint Ambrose was vowed was Deenue of the worm that sus esting the ele Itowns? vines]. And when the town vowed itso they fave hear from their sneesone—the worm stopped i mediately. Boe ane person from thie town did not want to keep he day, and the worms got into his hose, 9 that he wowed once again the day and observa it, and there Dinas fie enthuses, food, nd ata of foe cst wich tend to ove sudden, wete mre ely to be fae sg led to nyt my alow pei ot ‘he more gro ifemcon of vis wich worns: Inte Ine esr the choice ofa aint was moe problema ost ‘lags tare to mints kaown fore species {the cre of pestene te pests of New Cnc boreal tame to Sune Seu, epecly Ise ep deni fray. Bu by th spor ae Rec wan ing ele nfo me eww tas Sie Sen Te fe aed tce of Roch Inthe reports wan Lapana (Cade) soue sss, and throoghour the eotary Roch wis ore Da inthe Gada ze than aoe pas of New Eile For Spain in genera Seine Roch id nor come iano tse ul he of the Aten center, when isle swee tole from Monier and aken fo ely, He did not | | vows 8 ee eee Se ae once as epee er ere rime te te Perpatapebatepeaei pater Sees Sere repeat eo ee Sear ee a oars rer eee ee tesa ree meno eevee een ee ee ees ee eee et eee SS roe! Sy ne eae tg nee eee ane eee ee ee Petre ry pe ing eh eer eee eae epee fee cae ee eras an elas ea yap, Aa Seen eae oe eee eS pear eee eee gee eee ere eee eer ee res ore anes “ ouwnn : they say the body of the Mlsed snes, and from these he brovghe back water that wat sprinkled on the field and God sw Ae oo life ce plague of locusts. So tht 3 nmaity wes vowed, and » wooden image wis mde that istaken aroand the ene village on that day ia a geneal procesdon" Here the confusion of Gregory of Nari and Gregory Osiese is clear, and the people of Almodéver comider ‘ham the sme. The shrine seems to have adapted to the confusion, for there are statues of several Gregores within itcImite preset fonm he shrine way constructed with fond ‘lasted by Charles V. The fs dated vow to Sunt Gregory lof Neziannas in the feports is soot sqm. A late a8 57 the government sponsored nationwide sour of the fous ral to comin on epldeois of loca” yen befare the Gregeies enme into vogue, anther theo- login, Saint Acustine, was we! to combat lois Inet, iq New Cale Sint Augustine ws locust special, wil the Gregori were used agains both Tocnts and vine rms, An Augostnian chronicle publi fa 1569 daimed hat Seine Augistine appeared in ‘Toledo in 1:68

sonst, the cls of ints fom which 2 potctor Savin we lsc we cht feo ing fn Fee (Gnadajors) Sans Son anda J) were hosts sv proton apse the plage fom among ie ‘wave sponta by auc of ean ‘This town is devoted to the blesed sins Simon and Jide, apostles, and hold them its parons and advocsts ‘The old people were hea to say thn this devotion was taken mufsetlouly, beeaue when there wit @ gonerl plague ia che town, they devoutly decided to eelebrte he feast of ee snt vt our Lor should inspire then to chose an lence they made twelve ax cans and put fav each the tame of an apostle, and fie ther in front of the Holy Seerameat, proposing that che lst ene ch ‘vas livefor al ofthe had she sine weight snd wick ‘Would be considared the devotion chat they had co cele be and give a caridad on that day in penpeciy. ‘The last two candles the remained were those of Sano and Jude, and these sats were celebrated in perpesicy, and owadays the fas is celebrated by giving and dividing Sip twelve cattle asa eardad to the iahsbitants of the sown and poor ouiders™ art of th miraculous nature of the choice would hve been the conjunction ofthe two candles, fer bod sints ae ele Iwao the same day, October 28. Was the distibuion ‘of wee entle seen ar kindof propitiaton ax a symbol ff the peeve apostles? ‘The spots were aot generally used as protectors against the plagte in sinteeath-cencury vows. However, the custom ‘may have been more common in Alcaeia in the Bfeenth fentury, for emdles representing the ewelve apostles, with ‘ovo othets ed for Mary a he Méries were buried to selec an advoente for the town of Ataneia (Guadaljra)

You might also like