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"Untitled”

The desire to unbind

Plagues this slight mind

A moment, sad moment,

So returns this writer’s torment.

Remain bare, remain fair,

My woebegone vellum

“Untitled,” and unsnared.

#writer's block #poem #juliakwritings #untitled

Hi there! If anyone out there in the tumblr-verse is interested in photography/books/reading/writing, I have finally perfected my writing blog! It is located at juliakwritings.tumblr.com so pop on by! – laxiare.

#this is an exciting project I've been working on and I'm happy to finally share!#laxiare #juliakwritings #writing #reading #photography #studyblr #themes not mine

An Exploration Into Empiricist Writing: The Spanish Inquisition

The Spanish Inquisition (1478-1834) was the persecution of Christians in Spain suspected of heresy and judaizing. The foundations for inquisitions originated in the Roman Empire where they were employed to try public crimes. This ancient process was preserved in works such as Corpus iuris civilis (534 CE by Emperor Justinian) and laid the groundwork for heretical investigations into medieval times.

Throughout the Spanish Inquisition a number of Christian, Muslim, and Protestant populations were targeted for their suspected heresy. The most prominent of these groups were Jewish conversos (“converts;” used to refer to Jews who were forcefully baptized en masse by preaching Dominican friars in 1391 or their descendants) and Protestants. Enacted by King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella I through collaboration with Pope Sixtus IV, the papal bull Exigit sincerae devotionis affectus established the Spanish Inquisition on November 1, 1478. Pope Sixtus attempted to lighten the severity of the first inquisitors, designated in 1480, but was out-negotiated by Ferdinand who was instead allowed to name an Inquisitor General, Thomás Torquemada, thus strengthening the power of Spain and the Inquisition.

December 1, 1480 marked the publishing of the Edict of Grace which stated that those who confessed to heresy within thirty days would be pardoned and their property returned unsullied. Suspected heretics were arrested and 1481 saw repentant conversos reconciled to the Church with punishments and unrepentant conversos burned at the stake, common conclusions to trials. The following centuries included numerous Jewish expulsions throughout Spain (about 1482-1492), the Edict of Expulsion aimed at Jews after the capture of Granada (1492), the excommunication of Martin Luther (1521), and the subsequent inquest aimed at Protestants (1521-1535).

The Spanish Inquisition was implemented in the neighboring kingdoms of Castile and Aragon in an effort to expand heretical investigation and attempted in Naples, though it was suppressed there in all of two instances – once by Ferdinand in 1509 and again by Charles V in 1542. The Inquisition documents recount methods of torture (including simulated drowning and hanging by the wrists tied from behind) used to prompt confessions from suspected heretics which would then require evidence. Defendants who confessed and were proven innocent were absolved and released with punishments such as “acts of faith” where the defendant’s sentence would be read publicly and they would wear symbols of their penance (for example, yellow smocks with red crosses would be worn in public then hung in parish churches with their names and heresies inscribed). Those who refused to confess or relapsed from absolution were given to secular authorities (“relaxation to the secular arm”) for execution by burning at the stake. The Inquisition was officially dissolved on July 15, 1834 by Queen Isabella II marking the end of an era of anti-semitism and persecution in Spain.

References:

Homza, Lu Ann, ed. and trans. The Spanish Inquisition, 1478-1614: An Anthology of Sources. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., 2006.

#An Exploration Into Empiricist Writing: The Spanish Inquisition #writing #juliakwritings #Lu Ann Homza #the word limit was 500 words :(

The Doctrine of Discovery

The “doctrine of discovery”, or the Romanus Pontifex, stated that Portugal would be given the right to claim lands in the New World provided that a chief aim of colonization would be the conversion of the indigenous to Christianity. In 1493, the year of Christopher Columbus’ return to Spain, the Pope Alexander VI produced the bull Inter Caetera which granted Castile the right to approach, acquire, and trade in lands west of the Azores. The bull stated that it was the duty of Spanish endorsed discoverers to “lead the peoples dwelling in [the New World’s] islands and countries to embrace the Christian religion”. Both papal bulls promoted and justified actions such as conquest and trade during and after the era of discovery. But in a religion where Jesus emphasizes the law “love your neighbor as yourself” how is a papal bull righteous in its destruction of indigenous culture, regardless if “pagan” or not? How is the taking of human life justified in a religion which believes that all “are one in Jesus Christ”?

Papal documents, such as the Romanus Pontifex and the Inter Caetera, paved the way for an era of discovery and conquest throughout the Americas and Africa. These documents, claiming the political right of countries to discover, conquer, and convert in the name of God, are a primary example of how human error in the interpretation of God’s word leads to the destruction of society and culture for those deemed to be “pagan.” The mission to spread knowledge of the “right” or “true” way was a prevalent human desire in during this time.

An example of the effects of the Romanus Pontifex and Intera Caetera can be seen primarily in the conquest of Mexico. The conquest began in 1519 during a time when the Church was very much a part of politics. Spanish Christians perceived the world through a fixed lens of religion and resources. The destruction of great cities such as Tenochtitlan were justified in religious terms. It was believed that the word of God must be spread to the “barbaric nations” and the indigenous must be baptized for the “health of [their] souls”. Spanish conquistadors were convinced that human sacrifices to the gods and the idols in the temples were signs of the devil’s work in Mexico. They attempted to convince the leader of Tenochtitlan to convert his people. The conquistadors installed Catholic images in the native temples and prohibited human sacrifice in a land that was not theirs to rule over. The Spanish were fixated on the righteousness of their own beliefs and were blind to the centuries of tradition which created the vibrant culture of the Mexica. The conquistadors failed to recognize what the indigenous believed to be righteous about Mexica religion. Human life, it has been argued, was the most precious thing that could be offered to their gods because it was the sacrifice of self in a show of religious devotion. Christians have been known to die for God, too. However, this form of non-Christian worship was considered to be the work of the devil leading the natives in a mockery of the Christian faith.

After the conquest of Mexico, efforts were made to appease the native populations. The problem with using indigenous peoples as slaves was that they were used to the land and could easily flee. They all spoke similar languages which increased the risk for large slave rebellions. European traders created a market which expanded the slave trade throughout the Atlantic and allowed Africans to replace the Mexica as slaves. The Africans did not speak the native language, and did not know the new land and. If they escaped or rebelled, they would be unable to return to Africa. The separation of the Africans from their homeland, and from each other, led to less of an emphasis on kinship and culture. Traditions were lost, such as the art of African pottery, because young Africans were not taught nor given the opportunity to carry on these traditions. This separation also promoted the role of Christianity in forming a new Afro-Atlantic culture. New World Africans were likely to lose their traditional religious beliefs and convert to the Christian faith, therefore fulfilling the Pope’s expectation that Europeans “may acquire for them the reward of eternal felicity, and obtain pardon for their souls.” This justified the slave trade because it ultimately fulfilled the goal of the conversion of pagans.

References:

Burkhart, Louise M. “Spain and Mexico.” In The Cambridge History of Magic and Witchcraft in the West: From Antiquity to the Present, edited by David J. Collings, S. J., 429-460. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2015.

Pope Alexander VI. Inter Caetera. 4 May 1493.

Pope Nicholas V. Romanus Pontifex. 8 Jan 1455.

Schwartz, Stuart B., ed. Victors and Vanquished: Spanish and Nahua Views of the Conquest of Mexico. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2000.

Thornton, John. Africa and Africans in the Making of the New World, 1400-1800. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998.

#doctrine of discovery #juliakwritings #inter caetera #romanus pontifex #used to be in chicago format but tumblr doesn't format for that turabian style life

Ambiance for Writing

So I realized that I love ambiance. Listening to white noise while I write or study or just surf the web is the most calming thing for me to do. And then it occurred to me that there HAS TO BE other people out there who enjoy ambiance like I do, or haven’t discovered how great it is just yet. So for al you humans out there who love yourselves some ocean waves, rain on the roof, or even library white noise: this is for you!

Websites:

Rainymood - perfect for rain lovers, and very popular from what I’ve heard. I discovered this 4 years ago and it has really upgraded it’s look to impress.

Ambient Mixer - has a variety of worlds and atmospheres perfect for writing/studying, including Harry Potter, Doctor Who, Game of Thrones, and Lord of the Rings! (the fantasy world ambiances are what sold me on this site) this is my favorite go-to ambiance website.

Jazz and Rain - literally listening to jazz music as the rain falls around you. everything you could hope for.

Coffivity - the ambiance of a coffee shop? I think YES. It also has different modes that match your favorite coffee time of day (morning murmur, lunchtime lounge, paris paradise, etc.)

Soundrown - literally the MOST ORGANIZED AMBIANCE WEBSITE EVER. it has everything from coffee sop to rain to waves and even FIRE. *YAAAAAAs*

A Soft Murmur - layout is just like rainymood except you can control what you want to hear (crickets, birds, rain, thunder, waves, white noise) and how loud you hear it (there’s a slider for each one!)

Rain for Me - it’s like a baby rainymood omg *yeeey*

Snowy Mood - literally says “inspired by the rainymood” #perf

Forest Mood - asdfghjkl YUS PLEASE. This one speaks *volumes* for itself

Rainy Cafe - I feel like a cliche narrator would say something to the effect of ... “Like rain? Like cafe? Well then rainy cafe is the perfect thing for you!”

My Recommended Loops:

Shores of Valinor on ambient-mixer (lord of the rings)

Tea at Hagrid’s on ambient-mixer (harry potter)

Hogwarts Library on ambient-mixer (harry potter)

Midnight at Winterfell on ambient-mixer (game of thrones), and it’s great for late night writing sesh!

Scottish Rain on ambient-mixer (outlander fans? and fans of raiiinnn)

Ocean Waves on youtube (11 hours long!)

Gentle Stream on youtube (also 11 hours long *yesssss*)

Rainforest Reverie on youtube (yt just loves to indulge with 11hours of happiness)