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Libra Esoterica

Proceso y causa crim[ina]l da Ysabel de Montoia, mulata o castiza, llamada la Centalla, resid[en]te en la de Guajocingo, cass[a]da con don Gasp[a]r de la pena, de offi[cio] curandera

Author not recorded

  • First published:
  • 17th century
  • Language: Spanish
  • Content type: ManuscriptPrimary source

A collection of documents in two volumes pertaining to the two criminal cases of Ysabel de Montoya before the Mexican Inquisition. The first case, contained in the first volume, was initiated in 1652 and the accusations, 25 in all (f.115r-122r), include practicing witchcraft and invoking the devil to cure illnesses and bring good fortune, riches, and love to various women, in exchange for payment. She is also accused of casting a spell to bring harm upon a woman who offended her (f.117r). In this first case she initially denied the charges, at which point torture was authorized (f.136r) to be used until she "told the truth," and confessed to the charges, which she quickly did. After her confession, she was sentenced to publicly abjure her errors, of which there is a record (f.191r-191v); to be carried throughout the streets of Mexico City on a donkey, naked from the waist up, while a town crier announced her offenses to the public; to receive 100 lashes; perpetual exile from the city of Puebla, where she allegedly committed her offenses; and three years of service in a hospital. The second volume contains documents relating to a second case brought against her in 1662 for repeating many of the same offenses. She was found guilty once again this time her sentence was increased to 200 lashes and perpetual service in a hospital. The last document tells of her death in 1664 while serving at the Amor de Dios Hospital in Mexico City. Of particular interest are the detailed descriptions of the alleged witchcraft practiced by Montoya, including the use of powders, potions, roots, seeds, and other concoctions in conjunction with incantations, which are quoted verbatim. Many of the documents are signed by the original authors.

Provenance

Why this book is in the catalog

Included because retained bibliographic metadata links this work to Ritual magic and grimoires and Witchcraft and folk magic.

  • Retained metadata contains “spell” in the description.

    • spell· in description
  • Witchcraft and folk magic

    Controlled discovery queries from colenda matched “Witchcraft”. Retained metadata contains “Witchcraft” in the description and “Witchcraft” in the subject metadata.

    • Witchcraft· via Colenda Digital Repository — University of Pennsylvania Libraries
    • Witchcraft· in description
    • Witchcraft· in subject

Membership records how this book met the catalog’s discovery criteria — relevance to a tradition, not a judgment of the book’s claims.

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Editions

One edition cataloged here.

University of Pennsylvania digitized manuscript

2 volumes (200, 176 leaves) : paper ; 305-315 x 205-210 mm bound to 325 x 220 mm; Binding: Quarter morocco (Zacour-Hirsch).; Foliation: v.1: Paper, iv + 200 + ii; [i], 1-7, [i], 8-46, [i], 47-59, [i], 60-80, [i], 81-88, [i], 89-194; v.2: Paper, iv + 176 + i leaves; [i], 195, [i], 196-204, [i], 205-207, 207-214, [i], 215-217, [i], 218-220, [i], 221-225, [i], 226-228, [i], 229-231, [i], 232-238, [i], 239, [i], 240-246, [i], 247, [i], 248 (printed), 249-250, [i], 251-257, [i], 258-317, [i], 318-324, [i], 325, [i] 326-328, 328-341, 341, 341-348; contemporary foliation in ink, modern foliation in pencil, upper right recto. Some pages have earlier contemporary foliation. All references are to later contemporary foliation.; Ms. codex.; Origin: Written in Mexico City, between 1652 and 1664.; Script: Written in a cursive script, by multiple hands.; Spanish.; Title from title page (f.i recto).; Watermark: Unidentified watermark consisting of a cross inside a crowned oval, flanked on either side by an animal rampant, possibly a griffin, and with two circles underneath, the upper circle containing either the initials A M or M A; unidentified watermark consisting of two circles stacked vertically, the upper circle containing a cross, and with what appear to be two initials above.

1652SpanishPublic download

Subjects

6 subject headings

Identifiers & provenance

How this record was assembled, and the authority identifiers it carries.

Identifiers

Colenda
  • ark:/81431/p3mc8rp1z

Cataloged from

Cataloging notes

  • Penn Libraries catalog identifier: 9944559583503681
  • Physical location: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, Manuscripts, Oversize Ms. Codex 1436
  • Provenance: Bequest of Henry Charles Lea, 1909.; Formerly owned by Henry Charles Lea (inscription front fly leaf, 1885; bookplate inside upper cover of each volume).; Lea, Henry Charles, 1825-1909, former owner.
  • Rights: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0
Catalog id
colenda:81431-p3mc8rp1z
Edition coverage
Colenda source record
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