The Tractat de prenostication de la vida natural dels Hòmens : a fifteenth century Catalan astro-numerological treatise, textual study, critical edition, and paleographic transcription [thesis]

260 Pages·2000·8.96 MB·English

by  John Scott Lucas

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The Pennsylvania State University
The Graduate School
Department of Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese
THE TRACTAT DE PRENOSTICATION DE LA VIDA NATURAL DELS HOMENS:
A FIFTEENTH CENTURY CATALAN ASTRO-NUMEROLOGICAL TREATISE,
TEXTUAL STUDY, CRITICAL EDITION, AND PALEOGRAPHIC TRANSCRIPTION
A Thesis in
Spanish
by
John Scott Lucas
© 2000 John Scott Lucas
Submitted in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements
for the Degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
August, 2000
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
UMI Number. 9982366
UMI*
UMI Microform9982366
Copyright 2000 by Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company.
All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against
unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code.
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We approve the thesis of John Scott Lucas.
Date of Signature
7 I fa zoot
* /
-
Donna M. Rogers
Associate Professqr of Spanish
Thesis Advisor
Frederick A. de Armas
Edwin Erie Sparks Professor of Spanish
and Comparative Literature
Chair of Committee
RoDert K jJm
Professor of Spanish and Comparative Literature
9
■ * — - < k-JULs fc C_______________
Jeanne E. Krochalis
Associate Professor of English
£?*Z>
Terry J/P e^fer ^
Professor of Spanish
Interim Head of the Department of Spanish,
Italian, and Portuguese
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iii
Abstract
The present work is an edition of the Tractat de prenostication
de la vida natural dels homens, a iate fifteenth century Catalan
incunable. The Tractat exemplifies medieval syncretism, the tendency
to pull together various strands of philosophy into one system. The
text is a practical manual for predicting an individual's future that
draws on a rich tradition including astrological magic, geomancy,
Pythagorean numerology, and Hebrew gematria. The method of
determining the birth sign is based upon calculations performed on the
subject's name and his or her mother's name. There is clear evidence
that an editorial hand has attempted to frame the source materials in
a manner acceptable to the Christian theology of the time.
Astro-numerological works similar to the Tractat exist in other
European languages. There are few studies of prognostication as a
genre, however, and still fewer editions of primary sources in the
vernacular languages. Unless and until scholars uncover other
material, the Tractat remains sui generis in the Catalan and Spanish
traditions. As such, the text provides valuable data for Hispanists
interested in the history of magic, experimental science, and
prognostication.
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iv
Table of Contents
List of Figures..........................................................................................................v
List of Tables............................................................................................................vi
Acknowledgments.................................................................................................vii
I. Prognostication at the Dawn of the Renaissance.......................................1
A. Changing World Views..............................................................................3
B. The Catalan Context...............................................................................27
C. Catalan Material in Relationship to Other European
Traditions ................................................................................................37
II. Genres of Prognostic Material in the Catalan Language....................45
A. Astrology and Astrological Magic.......................................................47
B. Geomancy ................................................................................................66
C. Numerology and Astro-Numerology..................................................72
D. Gematria ... .............................................................................................89
III. The Present Edition .....................................................................................93
A. Known Editions of the Tractat.............................................................93
B. Physical Description of B.................................................................95
C. Contents and Divisions of the Tractat...............................................97
D. Linguistic Features and Orthography.............................................117
E. Provenance and Sources....................................................................125
F. Tractat in the Catalan Printing Tradition.........................................142
G. The Present Edition..............................................................................143
Tractat de prenostication de la vida natural dels hdmens segons
los signes, planetas celestials, e proprietats lurs demonstren............147
Apparatus criticus..............................................................................................184
References............................................................................................................186
Appendix A. Paleographic Edition.................................................................208
Appendix B. Samples of Catalan Printing (reproductions).....................242
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List of Figures
Figure 1. Houses of the Zodiac..............................
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vi
List of Tables
Table 1. Melothesia in Two Catalan Texts.................................................63
Table 2. Melothesia in Two Classical Authorities....................................64
Table 3. Topics of Inquiry in a Popular Catalan Geomancy................71
Table 4. Alphanumeric Correspondences in the Tractat de
prenostication....................................................................................99
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vii
Acknowledgments
I dedicate this thesis to my grandmother, Leona Lucas, whose
ninety-two years of wisdom have been a constant source of
inspiration. I am grateful as well to my parents, John and Judy Lucas,
who have also constantly and in and so many ways encouraged me
throughout the years I have been a student.
Colleagues at the Institute for Social and International Studies
(ISIS) and Portland State University always made work a pleasure. I
owe a special debt of gratitude to Julie Resnick and Teresa Taylor at
ISIS, who—in addition to their encouragement—generously gave me
the release time I needed to write and financial support for some of
the many journeys between Spain and the United States.
Other colleagues shared their time and professional advice with
me during the research and writing process. Professor Gemma
Avenoza at the Universitat de Barcelona shared her BITECA database
and offered advice on codicology. Professor Isidro Rivera at the
University of Kansas provided invaluable bibliography on the history of
printing. My good friend, Laura Delbrugge, at Indiana University of
Pennsylvania generously read the draft and made numerous
suggestions for improvement throughout the research and writing
processes.
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