This reminds us of the second novel by Dan Brown, but nothing is further from my intention to speak at this blog about a best seller. " However if I want to talk about a great book, little known, that it meets several singularities and stories that make it unique.
The book in question entitled "Sponsorship of Angels and Demons fighting" and to understand some of the vicissitudes of this book is first necessary to speak of the author, Francisco Blasco de Lanuza. This Huesca Sallent born in 1595, studied and received his doctorate in theology, was ordained as a priest then. In 1638 he was appointed pastor of Sandini.
This is important to make a short stop to understand the geographical and historical circumstances surrounding Blasco de Lanuza at this time. Sandini enclave is located in the Tena Valley in the Pyrenees region of Huesca province at that time when he was appointed pastor was divided geographically three "Quiñones": the Sallent, the Panticosa and La Partacua. The latter was composed of populations Tramacastilla, Sandini, Escarrilla, Piedrafita, Búbal and looting. One area in which populations are at a height between one thousand and four thousand feet, cold and wet mountain, which was seventeenth century livestock and pasture area. A time when religiously, it highlights the dichotomy between good and evil, between those who are next to God, Christians who cultivate the virtues and the mandates of the church, and plunging into the darkness of evil and demons. These highlands, rich in wild plants, used by locals for centuries and that over the years become reliable remedies for common ailments afflicting the population, will become home of healers and witches. These herbal prescribers healed without knowing quite how, and surrounded themselves with some secrecy, is growing in its success. And if they were able to heal through their "art", which is infinitely more effective showed that faith and prayer, it would be because the other side, the evil power, showed its power and easily cured. Covens and accompanying spells potions that blends herbs and hallucinogenic mushrooms were able to see Satan himself. These facts would be the breeding ground of cases of witchcraft and possessions that hit Huesca, Navarra and the Basque Country during the seventeenth and main objective of the English Inquisition at that time.
appears in this context one of the most important episodes of witchcraft and demonic possession in Spain, possessions of Tramacastilla or valley of Tena. Between 1637 and 1643 he unleashed a blizzard Demon. Behind him a star and two collaborators, Pedro de Arruebo, Miguel Guillen and Juan de Larrat, witches and ranchers, pimps, drinking and womanizing. Pedro de Arruebo was the owner of the La Artos, in Siqués. He was smart, clever, bold, whimsical and attractive, is to think that both He and his cronies, may afford good benefits of all kinds with their actions, and knowing that his victims were women between eleven and thirty years is easy to imagine what would be the favors defendants.
The Inquisition went after him and was sentenced to receive two hundred lashes and spend several years in the galleys, which meant death almost impossible to withstand such conditions. But there is a document that says Arruebo had been seen by Madrid. Angel Gari, an anthropologist who has studied witchcraft in the Alto Aragón, interprets, or escaped, or on a trip to Rome he was pardoned conviction. Returning
Blasco de Lanuza was an important intervention in the development in these cases of possession, a fact that he scored later in life and that significantly influenced the content of the works he wrote. He left the church and entered the Benedictine order, was president of his congregation in the province and abbot of the monastery of San Juan de la Peña. His influence and popularity was such that twice was a member of the kingdom of Aragón.
And returning to the initial thread of this article back to the book "Angels and Sponsorship fighting Demons." According to the author this book is "an illustration of the benefits that make the guardian angels of men [....], and also of the tricks and challenges of demons. "Despite the prominence of demons is much higher, as this book explains the author's experience during his time as pastor, the demonic epidemic.
The mythical celestial battle between rebels and loyal angels have taken place before the world began and ended with the defeat of the first and subsequent descent into the abyss, he found an extraordinary eco-century Europe XVII. According to numerous testimonies of the time, the forces of good and evil, whose clashes continued after the fall, then renewed their strenuous battles with unusual strength in the most remote corners of Christianity. For theologians, this state of affairs was a testament to the obligation of the faithful to support the righteous side of the face of continued and unexpected attacks of the infernal spirits.
These ideas inspired Blasco Lanuza for the execution of his book that came out in 1652 that was actually the continuation of another earlier book titled "Benefits of the Angel of our guard and effects of Government of the invisible God "1637.
Una de las rarezas de carácter bibliográfico de este libro es que fue el único libro impreso en el monasterio de San Juán de la Peña y dicha empresa se llevó a cabo por el impresor oscense Juan Nogués (ignoro si sería pariente de Bernardo Nogués, impresor valenciano, Serrano Morales no aclara gran cosa) No sé qué razón le llevó a imprimir dicho libro en tan apartado lugar, teniendo su oficina en Huesca. Se me ocurren varias circunstancias. Tal vez por lo dilatado de la obra y para evitar dilaciones se imprimía según se escribía, o bien pudo ser debido a que el autor era el abad del monasterio, y para corregir las pruebas tipográficas necesitaba that the printer was always present, either because it is largely a work of demons, and given the events in the area was better to print on holy ground, well, they are still guesses.
Physically the book is beautiful, a folio of 18 h + 1186 p + 42 p with the text in two columns framed double box with a beautiful frontispiece, engraved by Orozco, re-enact the victory of the angels over demons. Remains, bordered cover, which reads that the book devoted to San Miguel.
The book is divided into two parts.
1 st-Book One: The sponsorship of the angels and the favors QVE hazen men from sv principle to mverte "
Party first: "Prvevase QVE holy angels God sends to men QVE gvarden.
Part II: Treatment of way cvstodia QVE this distribvyda the angels by men, and other criatvras.
Party Third: It is, of benefits, devotions, virtvdes, and other effects, which held the assistance of Angel Cvstodio in man.
2 ª - Book Two: The battle of demons cvstodia insinvanse counter, puts QVE Lucifer, and his ministers persecvcion. It is a competition ilvstracion proud of Luzifer with God the astvcias, with that man persigve.
Part I: Trafficking of anti cvstodia, which brings the prince of demons.
Part II: Treatment of Transfigvraciones, revelations, and temptations of devils.
Part Three: Try the evils of demons, and effects, QVE held his ministers.
Francisco in the latter part Blasco de Lanuza gives a detailed explanation of the events of Tramacastilla from chapter nineteen.
is an easy book to find in public libraries the CCPBE given over forty copies from complete, incomplete and parties on both sides. But instead I can not remember in my life have known bibliophile any sale of a copy. Palau cited in the book, the serial number, 30768, if that indicates two sales. A Layetana in the library in 1931 by 75 pts. and one in the library Bardón in 1948 by 300 pts.
I have not seen more references of the book sales, sponsorship Fights Angeles and Demons, but if any Hayles.
