GLOSSARY

abjuration

public renunciation by an accused, usually done during an auto de fe

alfaqui

Muslim clergy who ministered to the Muslim/Morisco population

aljama

Arabic word for the community in which Muslims or Jews lived separate from their Christian neighbors; known in Castilian as a judería or a morería

alumbrado

an illuminist, mystic who minimized the role of the Church and ceremonies

anusim

Hebrew term for Jews converted to Christianity against their will

arbitrista

writer of arbitrios, or proposals for reform

auto de fe

“act of faith,” often held in public, at which those tried by the Inquisition had their sentences declared

beata

woman who dedicated herself to a solitary religious life, within or without a religious order

calificador

assessor, usually a theologian, who examined evidence to see if heresy was involved

censo

annuity from investments

Chancillería

the Castilian high court in Valladolid and Granada; other high courts were called audiencias

colegios mayores

elite graduate colleges at the main universities

comisario

select local clergy who helped the Inquisition in administrative matters

conseller

member of the Consell de Cent, the city council of Barcelona

converso

a person converted from the Jewish or Muslim faiths, especially the former; applied also to all descendants of the same

convivencia

coexistence, in this case of the three religious cultures of Spain

corregidor

civil governor in the main Castilian towns

Cortes

parliament of each realm of Spain (in Catalan, Corts)

Diputación

(in Catalan, Diputació) standing committee of the Cortes, of particular importance in the crown of Aragon. Members were called diputados in Aragon, diputats in Catalonia

ducat

Castilian unit of coinage, equivalent to 375 maravedis or 11 reales

edict

declaration (of “grace” or of “faith”) read out publicly by the inquisitors or their officials at the commencement of proceedings in a district

encomienda

in medieval Spain, a knighthood in one of the military orders; in colonial Spanish America the word had a different meaning

familiar

lay official of the Inquisition

fuero

local law or privilege

hermandad

a brotherhood or confraternity, usually based on a parish church and associated with devotion to a particular saint

hidalgo

one of noble rank

judaizer

used in this book to refer to a converso accused of illicitly practicing the Jewish religion

judería

Castilian word for a Jewish community

limpieza de sangre

“purity of blood,” freedom from Semitic blood

maravedi

medieval Castilian unit of account

Marrano

abusive word, of obscure origin, applied to Jewish conversos

meshumadim

Hebrew term for Jews who converted “voluntarily” to Christianity

Moor

in Spanish, moro, term used by Spaniards to refer to a Muslim

Moriscos

Castilian term for Muslims converted to Christianity and their descendants

Mozárabes

Christians living under Muslim rule

Mudéjares

Muslims living under Christian rule

New Christian

term applied (especially in Portugal) to people of Jewish origin

sanbenito

penitential garment of the Inquisition

Sephardic

term applied to Jews of Spanish origin, from “Sepharad,” a Hebrew word referring to Iberia

Suprema

central council of the Inquisition

taqiyya

the tactic of conformism permitted in certain conditions to Muslims living under an alien faith

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