Death by Effigy: A Case from the Mexican Inquisition

Glossary

glossary Definitions and explanations for the terms below refer to events described in this book. For a broader description of terms related to the inquisition, readers may wish to consult henry Kamen, The Spanish Inquisition: A Historical Revision (new haven, conn., 1997), and Joseph Pérez, The Spanish Inquisition : A History, trans. Janet lloyd (new haven, conn., 2005). Abogado de los presos: often referred to simply as abogado; defense lawyer; in the inquisition , this was the lawyer, usually appointed by the inquisitors, to assist the accused in their defense Alcalde mayor: the chief royal official in a province, charged with policing and judicial duties, more like a provincial governor than a mayor Audiencia: the royal appellate court in mexico city; more generally (and not capitalized ), the name given to the sessions, or audiences, of witnesses and suspects before the inquisitors; audiencia del tormento: torture session Auto de fe: the ceremony during which the inquisition published the sentences of its prisoners and surrendered them to civil authorities, who carried out the punishments and executions Castizo/Castiza: the child of a European and a mestizo/mestiza Comendador: the knight commander of a religious-military order Comisario: the inquisition’s official commissioner—frequently an ecclesiastic— appointed in a diocese (or in a religious order) to carry out the orders of the inquisitors , such as interviewing witnesses and arresting suspects Compadre: a spanish term with multiple meanings; in the context of this book, it is used loosely to describe a relative or friend Cordeles: cords; also the name given to the torture consisting of tying cords around a prisoner’s arm and twisting them Coroza: cone-like miters worn by accused heretics during the autos de fe Encomienda: grants of lands and service made by spanish monarchs Estatua: statue; effigy used in an auto de fe in place of a heretic who was not present or who died before the execution 210 Glossary Fiscal: Prosecuting attorney; the inquisition’s officer charged with making formal accusations in trials Garrote: a stick or club; also the name given to the torture consisting of tightening cords around the biceps, thighs, or shins while the victim lay on the rack; the garrote was used to tighten the cords in a tourniquet Libelo: a defamatory sign Licenciado: licentiate, or university graduate Mestizo/Mestiza: the child of a European and an indian Oidor: a judge in the audiencia Proceso: trial Relación de causa: trial report sent by an inquisitorial tribunal to the suprema Sambenito: penitential tunic worn by those found guilty of heresy by the inquisition; more generically, it stood for a defamatory sign (libelo) suprema: the council of the supreme and General inquisition, the royal council in madrid that oversaw the work of the inquisition across the spanish empire Tochomite: indian wool cloth ...