Chapters on Magic in Spanish Literature

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: Chapter II. CALDERON'S MAGICO PRODIGIOSO. ITS SOURCES AND ITS RELATION TO THE DEVIL PACT IN LITERATURE The Cypriano of Calderon's Magico Prodigioso has frequently been called the Spanish Theophilus or the Spanish Faust. This classification is largely due to the fact that all three, Theophilus, Faust, and...
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Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: Chapter II. CALDERON'S MAGICO PRODIGIOSO. ITS SOURCES AND ITS RELATION TO THE DEVIL PACT IN LITERATURE The Cypriano of Calderon's Magico Prodigioso has frequently been called the Spanish Theophilus or the Spanish Faust. This classification is largely due to the fact that all three, Theophilus, Faust, and Cypriano, under varying circumstances, entered into pacts with the devil. It is the purpose of this study to point out in what essential particulars these three types are allied, and in what respects they differ. For a complete understanding of the subject it is necessary to go back to the first appearance of the devil pact in legend and literature. The first devil pact of which we have ary record in Christian times is that of Theophilus, a priest who lived in Adana, Silicia, in the sixth century, and who figured in one of the many legends of the Virgin Mary cult of the Middle Ages '. Eutychianus, one of his disciples, whose story has come down to us in two Latin versions, describes his master as a verv holy and humble ecclesiastic, who held the position of vice-dominum in his bishopric. When his governing bishop died, Theophilus, being next highest in rank, was acclaimed bishop by the clergy and the people. The modest Theophilus refused this exalted honor, and another priest was chosen in his stead. The new bishop, having been influenced against Theophilus, deposed him from his position of vice-dominum . In despair, Theophilus appealed for help to aJew, reputed to be skilled in the black arts. The Jew agreed to consult his master, the devil, and bade the priest return on the following night. This Theophilus did, and was told that if he would abjure Christianity, and deny Christ and the Virgin, the devil would have him reinstated. A pact was signed to this effect, ...