I.—CONJURING
Conjuring, says Alfonso in effect, is the art of using potent words in the right manner. Then he illustrates the point with naïve quaintness—as he does so often: “These words, just like a carpenter’s tool, may serve for many different purposes, but it is necessary, if they are to have the effect desired, that they be said by a person who knows how. The fact that they do have effect is seen from the results of everyday life.”[103] The fourth rank of the clergy was held by the Exorcist, and this title
“quier tanto decir en griego como conjurador, ca estos han poder a conjurar en el nombre de Dios á los demonios que salgan de los homes et que non tornen á ellos jamas: et por ende deben saber estas conjuraciones de cuer porque las sepan decir quando menester fuere: et esta órden fizo primeramente el rey Soloman.”[104]
How much this short passage taken from a law book tells us of the current beliefs, and of the place held by conjuring! Note, however, that conjuring was limited, according to law, to dispossessing the Devil. This practice, like baptism, was in the hands of the clergy and could only be resorted to by the layman in cases of dire necessity. Enchantment and wizardry were strictly forbidden, and for the practice of such criminality a father was given the right to disinherit his son[105]. In thus combatting the Devil the sacred oil, or crisma, was one of the most powerful instruments. In setting forth its power and significance, the law reads:
“et por ende la crisma es asi como posadero de Ieso Cristo, que toma aquella posada para él, poniendo hi la su señal de la cruz et la entrega de quanto hi falla, echando de hi al diablo et todo lo que hi tiene.”[106]
The method by which the oil was to be prepared is expounded as follows:
“ ... halo él (obispo) de tomar, et exôrcizarlo et bendecirlo desta guisa, deciendo que conjura á Satanás, et á todos sus malos espíritus, et a toda manera de fantasma en el nombre del Padre, et del Fijo et del Espíritu santo que si está en aquel olio que se parta dél ... etc.”
After having been thus carefully prepared,
“Grande es la virtud que ha en este olio ... Esta virtud es en tres maneras: La primera en la natura del olio, la segunda en las palabras que se dicen sobre él, la tercera en las obras que se facen con él.”[107]
Not only the crisma, but certain words (among them the following) possessed special virtue: “Avemaría”, because from the contents of that prayer one comes to understand the mystery of Jesus, moreover it contains the words of salutation used by the angel to María and these words still greatly please her; “Paternoster”, because it reveals the Father and contains the seven petitions which Jesus taught His disciples; and “Credo in Deum”, because it reveals the Holy Spirit and contains all the faith and science of Christianity.[108]
From these and similar regulations pertaining to the various sacraments, especially baptism, perhaps we might not err seriously in supposing that the practitioners of black magic received not a little of their inspiration from the Church itself, altho much against the will of the latter. With such a number of laws, regulations, etc., it might at first seem a little surprising to find so few legends in which conjuring plays an important part, but probably this can be accounted for by the fact that it was so common a practice that it was scarcely esteemed worthy of mention. The most interesting story for our present purpose—and one which is illustrative of the group in general—is that of the great debate conducted in Rome in the year 320 between the Christians and the Jews. The latter, to prove the superiority of their God, whispered His name in the ear of an angry bull, which promptly fell dead. The Christians went even further; they whispered the name of their God in the ear of the dead animal, which immediately returned to life and, quite gentle and meek, was led from the assembly.[109]
In Las Cantigas conjuring is mentioned only in passing references, and almost always it is the Devil who is conjured to leave a person (No. 67). But in one instance we have the well known story of a man, this time a monk, who has at his command the services of the Devil and when Satan cannot procure for him what he desires, because the person concerned is under the special protection of Santa María, the monk threatens him and his host of imps in these words:
“Ide fazer
Com’ eu a donzela aia
log’ esta noit’ en meu poder;
se non, eu hüa redoma
todos uos ensserraría.” (No. 125.)