La mujer en la documentación de la inquisición española con especial referencia a la brujería

Abstract

In the period between the fourteenth and the nineteenth century, Spain hosted a sociopolitical institution disguised as an ecclesiastical establishment under the name of The Holy Office. Its main purpose was to disseminate the Christian dogma in order to further strengthen the Church’s monopoly that manipulated the lives of a population. An obsession with religious unity -one of the pillars on which the institution was built- was imposed on every citizen. With the foundation of the Inquisition, Spain of the three cultures was transformed into a Christian empire, dominated solely by men. A reform that saw its completion in 1492 and 1609, with the expulsion of the conversos and the moriscos respectively. The main objective of this investigation is to analyze the reactions and experiences of women towards the social repercussions created by the Inquisition itself. This implies the narration of real life experiences of real women coming from different sectors of a marginalized society, whether; conversas, moriscas, beatas, nuns, married women, servants or prostitutes. In addition, part of this dissertation is set to describe those women associated with the phenomenon of witchcraft. The latter was totally condemned by the Inquisition yet at the same time reveals to the reader certain cultural aspects of such a superstitious society. The first chapter is a historical recapitulation of the establishment process of the inquisitorial tribunals throughout the peninsula. The second part is intended to manifest the social situation of women from that era, taking into consideration the repressive conditions that surrounded her, having to choose between submission and rebellion. Witchcraft features in the third chapter along with other themes including, Sabbats, the debate between reality and imagination and witch hunts. Finally, three hearings of women facing different accusations are presented mainly for having shown signs of independence and conduct that clashed with the misogynistic image of the perfect woman, created by the inquisitors themselves.