Francois Soyer
@fsoyer
Associate Prof of European History, the Inquisition, Antisemitism and Gender/Sexuality at the University of New England in Australia. Hispanophile and Lusophile.
When asked by an inquisitor in sixteenth-century Lisbon why he never married, a Christian from India responded "because he wanted to see the world" (disse que elle numqua casou porque tinha tenção de ver o mundo).
September 1550: the Augustinian Sebastião Toscano is denounced to the Lisbon Inquisition by scandalized churchmen for claiming in a sermon preached in the presence of the king that “after Christ no soul was more perfect in grace and virtue than that of Saint Augustin.”
January 1537: an enslaved African named Francisco Fernandes came to the Lisbon Inquisition and accused a 15-year-old boy named Braz Caldeira of having said that he did not know whether God was present in the consecrated host. Interestingly, Francisco signed his name in his own hand.
12 May 1543: a husband-and-wife couple denounce Marcos Gil to the Inquisition in Lisbon for having supposedly said “by our stork” (por nossa cegonha) instead “by our lady” (por nossa senhora) when swearing a legally binding oath.
Some snark from 1542: asked her age by the inquisitor, Ana de Leão responded that "she did not know because she did not see herself being born" (nam sabia porque nam se vyu nacer) but admitted she was probably 19, "more or less."
That moment when someone started to talk much faster and the inquisitorial notary transcribing the oral testimony in 1542 had to shift into turbo mode.
Another woman, this time from 1542, with strong feelings about the Inquisition. Denounced in Lisbon for having said: "f*ck the Inquisition, f*ck those in charge of it and f*ck those who brought it [to Portugal] " (respondeu: merda pera a inquisicao e pera quem a manda e pera quem a tras).
In June 1541, a woman loses her temper during an argument over dinner. According to the different witnesses present she exclaimed alternatively “the Inquisition can drink shit!” or screw the inquisitors!" Three dinner guests denounced her to the Inquisition in Lisbon.
January 1538. A family is denounced to the Inquisition in Lisbon for remaining Jewish & keeping kosher. Evidence? The matriarch of the family refused to eat lamprey eels "because they disgust her and look like snakes." (nam comia lamprea por que tenia nojo della por lhe parecer cobra).
Today's anecdote from the Lisbon Inquisition probably sets a record for vindictive pettiness. In 1544 a woman is denounced because whilst giving birth she “did not call out to the Virgin Mary but to her [own] mother.”
The huge relief that the historian (i.e. me) feels when there is a change of staff in the Inquisition and a new notary with a much more legible hand starts to record the denunciations.
Today's anecdote from the Inquisition. Pedro Alvares, a cobbler from the Algarve, is denounced on 6 April 1543 because he claimed that "if God came and pinched his stuff then he would smash a pot on [God]'s head."
17 September 1550: Englishman John Simons get read the riot act by the Inquisitors in Lisbon for having eaten a chicken on a fasting day, causing local people to denounce him and others to the Inquisition, thereby wasting the Inquisition's time.
And here is someone in 1558 whose nickname was "ball head" (O Cabeca de Bola), probably due to the shape of their head.
Let's hear it for the unnamed man denounced to the Inquisition of Lisbon for blasphemy on 14 December 1537 and whom history will only remember because of their nickname: "stuffed bread" (pão relheno, perhaps because of their corpulence? Or because of their fondness for that food?)
He's fussy but the picture of the seeds on the box looks tasty enough, however.
Dude now lands on the drying line and looks into the kitchen forlornly until I feed him seeds. Apparently the new seed mix is not a big hit, so here I am trying to explain that there’s literally a picture of a King Parrot on it!
A very French event: surely the only world championship race where you get to eat the participants? 🐌🏁🍽️
One of the semi-feral cats in my parents' village in France (they've named this one "Filou", i.e. rascal), enjoying some downtime over the well in their garden.
It's been a very good year for pomegranates in northern NSW and we left a few on the tree for the parrots and other birds.
Interesting visitor outside my bedroom window: an Australian Saunders' case moth or the large bagworm (Metura elongatus). The caterpillars build elaborate, durable shelters with twigs which they carry around for up to two years before pupating.
It's official now. I have just signed the contract with Bloomsbury for my next book "Inquisition, Slavery and Transing Gender in Renaissance Portugal. The Trial of Antonio, alias Vitoria" and the manuscript is now with the press.
Seville, 1743: the Spanish Inquisition investigates because flower-seller N. Lorenzo has a tattoo of Jesus Christ on his right arm along with word "Carajo" (trans. fu*k) written under it. Sacrilege, unfortunate juxtaposition or just poor taste? ES.28079.AHN/1.1.11.6.1.9//INQUISICIÓN,3733,Exp.343