Superstitions of the Madrileños in 1500´s

Witch, A. Durero
1505

Well is known that Madrid, and Spanish people in general are and always were very superstitious, especially if we look back to medieval ages and all the stories about witches, wizards, dragons or potions for this and that. To the point that eventually, people lived in fear, surrounded by lies based on faith or believes.

The “evil eye”, wow, careful with it ’cause you could easily get cursed by a gypsy for not buying something from him/her, and then only a gypsy or a witch could take off the spell of this evil eye!

Specifically in Madrid more people had many superstitions as part of their everyday culture.

Imagine, they believed that if a pregnant woman walks into the sacristy at the specific moment, when the priest is tiding up his belt at the first day light, her baby would be born with the umbilical cord tided around its neck and it would die of asphyxia. In order to prevent this from happening, the husband must steal a piece of the priest’s cloths used for the mass and burnt it in the fire at the house, while pouring the white wine on a clean cloth and the couple would have to rub their hands with oil.

The Collection Of Superstitions and Spells
 1555  (see comment)

Getting married on a Friday is a short of kamikaze attempt, and very wrong to marry either in May or August.

If there is a woman in the house of age to get married, oil lamps or candles cannot ever be turned off and if in the morning the kitchen wakes turned itself off (charcoal has died) – it’s a really bad sign, which means that the spirits will repel away from the house all those men to could be willing to marry.

These stories were all over the place and were very strong believes in our society back in those days of the XVI century. Now apparently marrying or travelling on a Tuesday isn’t a good idea. Some things seem to have changed, but had they really?

Comment to "The Collection Of Superstitions and Spells"
The insciption of the title says: This is a very useful book and is necessary for every good christian. It was written by the master Ciruelo and now it is issued again with corrections and improvements
"Reprouacion de las supersticiones y hechizerias : Libro muy vtile y necessario a todos los buenos christianos / El qual compuso y escriuio el Reuerendo maestro Ciruelo ...; y agora de nueuo lo a reuisto y corrregido, y aun le ha añadido algunas mejorias, con sus acotaciones por las margenes."

Author:
Enrique Gonzalez
MadSnail Travel Guide
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