Race Change in Spanish Nobility (700-1600)

Expand Messages
  • tlefranc10
    (The following text is to be considered as an addition to the issue of medieval race-mixing among the nobility, which has already been discussed at length on
    Message 1 of 1 , Jan 21
    • 0 Attachment

      (The following text is to be considered as an addition to the issue of medieval race-mixing among the nobility, which has already been discussed at length on this forum.)


      El tizón de la nobleza de España

      or

      Jewish and Moorish Ancestry of the Spanish Nobility

      Race Change in Spanish Nobility (700-1600)

       

      FIRST PART

       

      Spain has had a particular history in so far it was as early as the eighth century AD the theatre of a conflict between three peoples: the Castilian, the Moor and the Jew. For a long time none of them could prevail over the others. They had to live on the same territory and it is appropriate to speak of “castes”, which, however, gradually mixed together.

       

      This mixing may account for the very existence of Imperial Spain in the sixteenth century. The Spanish empire was the fruit of the Castilian's self-confidence and military valor; of the Moor’s liking for technology; and of the Jew’s knowledge of finance, as well as his utopian dreams of world-empire.

       

      At the time of the beginning of the formation of the empire, numerous Jews and Moors had already become part of the Castilian nobility and government. From 1478 - the establishment of the Inquisition - on, many more Jews converted to christianity (“conversos”). One of the goals of the Inquisition, besides imposing christianity to all, was to “extirpate all forms of judaism”, which was viewed as vital to maintain the realm (however, the rabid and intolerant character of the Inquisition is foreign to the Aryan mindset - as is the truncated concept of “limpieza del sangre” - and that is not surprising because many Inquisition officials were of Jewish ancestry). Also, it seems the hostile measures taken against the Jews were forced upon the king by the general population and not the nobility.

       

      At the same time, the last Moorish stronghold in Spain, Granada, was reduced. So the Castilian caste had finally won. It won back its privileges which the Moorish and Jewish had competed for. A strictly segregated society was being erected and the time to make lists and say who was who had come. That was not easy because it was found many Castilian families had had Moorish and Jewish blood influx. 

       

      Two books of significance were published - “Libro verde de Aragón” and “El tizón de la nobleza de España” by cardinal Francisco de Mendoza y Bobadilla (1508-1566) -, both of which showing that the largest part of the sixteenth century Castilian nobility had Jewish and Moorish blood, including the very king who had completed the reconquista and founded the Inquisition, Ferdinand II “the Catholic”, who was Jewish by his mother, Juana Enrriquez.

       

      Don Francisco wrote “El tizón de la nobleza de España” because he was offended by the fact his nephew was not given an appointment on the charge of his (alleged) dubious ancestry. He wished to show the largest part of the Spanish nobility was in the same situation. His sources were thoroughly valid and included, for example, the well-known “Libro de Genealogías” written by the count don Pedro.

       

      Don Pedro himself had written that a number of Spanish houses had Jewish and Moorish blood, which was inevitable because noble families reproduced among themselves. Don Francisco went a step further and carried out a deeper analysis. For example, he argued the famous knight don Hernando Alfonso was a Moor - who, at the fall of Toledo, converted to christianity and was baptized by the christian king from whom he received great presents - from whom several houses descended in one way or another. Also that the Portocarrero and the Pacheco families carried a large proportion of foreign blood as the latter proceeded from the Jew Ruy Capón, while the former proceeded from a Jewess doña Polonia or Paloma or Palda. As we will see, both of these families transmitted their blood to countless noble houses.

       

      We will now detail don Francisco’s claims and review a few of the most striking cases of noble families with mixed ancestry so as to have a clearer picture of the racial state of the Spanish nobility. This text may also give hints on the history of other countries in Europe. If we suppose a similar process occurred throughout Europe, then Guénon’s remarks on the marked changes the mentality of the European peoples went through from the fifteenth century on may be explained.

       

      SECOND PART

       

                  Pacheco

      This family proceeded from don Gonzalo López Tabiera and doña María Ruiz, whose father was the Jew Ruy Capón, who flourished in the first half of the fourteenth century. After his conversion to christianity, he was made finance minister by queen doña Blanca. Then, he became knight and received greats presents from king don Alfonso, who had his daughter wed him. Other members of Ruy Capón’s family also married into noble and royal houses.

      María Gómez Tavira, who proceeded from the above union, married Lope Fernández Pacheco, Lord of Ferreira in Portugal. Dozens, if not hundreds, of noble families proceeded from or were related to this blood, of which we give a list probably incomplete:

      Conde de Benavente, Duque de Florencia, Marqués de Villafranca, Conde de Aranda, Duque del Infantado, Duque de Castro Villa, Marqués de Montesclaros, Conde de Medellín, Conde de Alcaudete, Duque de Alba (de Tormes), Almirante de Castilla, Marqués de la Guardia, Conde de Luna, Conde de Alba de Liste, Conde de Monterrey, Marqués de Tavaran Don Bernardino de Mendoza, hermano de Mondéjar, Marqués de Priego (Pliego), Adelantado de Castilla, Marqués de Viana, Duque de Feria, Duque de Alburquerque, Marqués de Gibraleón, Marqués de Comares, Marqués de Mondéjar, Marqués de Ayamonte, Conde de Agudos (Monteagudo), Conde de Oropesa, Duque de Maqueda, Conde de Fuensalida, Conde de Osorno, Don Francisco Pacheco, Señor de Almunia, Señor de Albadalejo, Señor de Malpica, Doña Magdalena de Bobadilla, Marqués de las Navas, Casa de Palma, Casa del Duque de Arcos, Casa del Marqués de los Vélez, Marqués de Villanueva del Fresno, Duque de Alcalá, Condestable de Castilla, Marqués del Carpio, Conde de la Puebla, Conde de Castro, Conde de Montalbán, Conde de Castro, Marqués del Carpio, Casa del Señor de Pinto, Marqués de Camarasa, Casa del Señor de la Casa Rubios, Conde de Valencia, Duque de Nájera, Conde de Buendía, Marqués del Carpio, Marqués de Montemayor, Marqués de Cerralvo, Don Diego de Acuña, Don Juan de Acuña, Don Fernando de Acuña, Conde de Villa Mediana, Casa del Mariscal de Valencia en Zamora, Señor de Peñaranda, Duque de Medina Celi, Marqués de Falces, Marqués de la Guardia, Conde de Aranda, Conde de Coruña, Marqués de la Fuente, Lope de Guzmán, Álvarez de Toledo, etc.

       

      Portocarrero

      This old family of Castile proceeded from don Hernando Alfonso, a prominent, rich Moor from the twelfth century, born in Cordoba, who converted to christianity when Toledo was taken by Alfonso VI. A great number of Spanish houses descended from don Hernando Alfonso.

      Don Pedro Portocarrero, a later descendant of Don Hernando Alfonso, married Beatriz Enrriquez, a Jewess born in Guadalcanal and related to king don Alfonso.

       

                  Don Pedro de Castilla, bishop of Palencia

      Don Pedro de Castilla (1394-1461) had a concubine, Isabel Oleni, whose father was an English Jew from the lowest ranks of society. Her name has never been ascertained with certainty and it varies a lot in the documents of the period (Olin, Oleni, Dioelni, Drohelin, Droklin, etc.). But it is not Droellin, a most noble English name, as some paid genealogical authors would have had it. They had two sons and two daughters together from whom numerous Spanish houses proceeded: Marques de Alcañíces, Conde de Denia, Marques de Poza, Conde de Miranda, Conde de Salinas, Conde de Coruña, Duque de Villahermosa, Señor de Fuente y Dueña, the sons of Don Pedro de Zúñiga, the sons of Don Francisco de Castilla, don Alfonso de Castilla, the brothers of Marqués de Gibraleón, Marqués de Frómista, Don Antonio Fonseca de Toro, the sons of don Gómez Henrríquez, Don Pedro Castilla en Valladolid, Don Juan de Castilla, de Madrid, Don Juan de Castilla y Aguayo, Marques de Santa Cruz, Conde de Santiesteban del Puerto, etc.

       

                  The dukes of Braganza

      This house, which became very powerful and eventually ruled Portugal and Brazil, was started by Afonso, the bastard son of the Portuguese king, and Inés Fernández de Esteves, whose father was a Jewish clerk who had converted to christianity. Many other noble houses proceeded from this blood.

       

                  The counts of Mirabel, Veras and Davila

      Although this house is not a prominent one, its case is very illustrative of a tendency which seems to have been common, namely having children with a plebeian - often Moorish or Jewish - woman - in this case a girl with the wife of a barber - and wedding them to noble husbands or wives. As a result, many houses were corrupted - in this case, at least three different houses received this blood.

       

      The duke of Villahermosa

      The following case is illustrative of the futility of the European nobility in the last few centuries, which eventually sealed its doom. The duchy of Villahermosa was created in remote times. Alfonso de Aragón y Escobar (1417-1485), duke of Villahermosa, son of king Juan II, took a Jewish mistress, María Sánchez (Junques) - called “La Coneja” -, who converted to christianity. Two children were born from this union ; both were legitimized and were given prestigious titles. Of course they reproduced among the nobility.

       

                  The counts of Puñonrostro

      This house originated in Pedro Arias de Ávila, a Jew (who had converted to christianity) at the service of king Enrique IV (1425-1474) as his main accountant. Although he was the son of a shopkeeper, he was already very wealthy when he was ennobled. He had two sons: one became the bishop of Segovia while the other became count of Puñonrostro, a county which was created especially for him.

       

                  Don Pablo de Cartagena y Burgos

      Don Pablo, bishop of Cartagena, also writer and poet, flourished in the fourteenth century. His first name was Salomon Halevi and he remained to the Jewish faith for many years until he was granted the permission by a pope to join the Church. He then advanced quickly and became the preceptor of king Juan II of Castile and later bishop of Cartagena and Burgos.


                  Aragón

      According to the author, the Aragón region was one of the hardest hit by blood-mixing.


                  Navarra

      According to the author, there were in Navarra many conversos who occupied high positions.


                  Vizcaya

      There was in Vizcaya a Jewish medical doctor, Mosén Pablo, who had four daughters. He managed to have all of them married into regional noble houses.


      T. L., 2015


      http://critiquehistorique.blogspot.fr/2015/01/race-change-in-spanish-nobility-700-1600.html

    Your message has been successfully submitted and would be delivered to recipients shortly.
    Add to this conversation...
    evola_as_he_is@{{emailDomain}}