The Book of the Judgements of Calatarama: A Case Study of a Medieval Spanish Geomancy

Manuscript MS 5-2-27 of the Biblioteca Colombina at the Cathedral of Seville, Spain, contains a single text, the Libro de los juysios de calatarama, the “Book of the judgements of calatarama.” Identified as a translation of a Hebrew translation of an Arabic original, the Libro de los juysios de calatarama is an instructional manual in the Castilian vernacular for a type of divination known as geomancy. Geomancy appears to have originated in the Islamic world and was later adopted in the medieval west via Latin and later vernacular translations. This study of the Libro de los juysios de calatarama contributes to research into this less well-known field of medieval divination through a close analysis of the geomantic practice the text describes. In addition, the incipit of this text identifies it as having been translated by a rabbi at the request of a bishop, and thus the Libro de los juysios de calatarama is not only a reflection of medieval geomancy but also contributes to the understanding of intercultural exchange amongst Muslims, Christians, and Jews in medieval Spain. The majority of the evidence for such intercultural exchange tends to come from the literate, scholarly milieu of medieval Spain. However, given that evidence would suggest that geomancy existed in some form at a popular level, the Libro de los juysios de calatarama provides insight into intercultural exchange at a popular level in medieval Spain. By placing the Libro de los juysios de calatarama within the historical context of both medieval geomancy and medieval Spain, this analysis of the text contributes to the research both on geomancy in particular, and divination in general, as well as to the discussion of multiculturalism in medieval Spain.

Department dc:contributor.department

Medieval Studies

Year dc:date.issued

2022

Author dc:creator

• Finan, Alicia Jessie Cameron

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Everett, Nicholas

• Divination
• Geomancy
• Medieval Spain

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1807/125462

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:utoronto.scholaris.ca:1807/125462