#Lope de Vega my beloved

[longagoitwastuesday]

Something about the way Roxane with the cadets lifting their mood parallels Cyrano with the nuns lifting their mood

[timesthatneverwere]

Sending this out to some of my favorite writers on here: What kind of books do you like to read? Any specific authors you enjoy and who inspire you? Feel free to go wild.

Ohhh this is an excellent question! And thank you so much, @djmorn 👉👈🥺 ❤️❤️❤️

Before I begin, two things. One, I have really little brain juice and even less time for immersing myself in books as I used to let's say a decade ago. Two, I have always been more of a non-fiction enjoyer BUT I will try to list some of my favourite works.

Starting with fiction, from the top of my head I can think of:

I have been known to be a huge fan of the Bronte sisters and Oscar Wilde (especially his plays).

La Regenta by Leopoldo Alas Clarín.

The House of Mirth by Edith Warthon.

For theater, my go to is Lope de Vega's plays and also classical Greek tragedies - Euripides, Sophocles...

When I was a teen I had a gothic slash romantic phase so asdfadfa you bet I read Poe, Le Fanu, Shelley (both Mary and Percy Bysshe), Keats, Algernoon Blackwood, Robert W. Chambers, Guy de Maupassant, Arthur Machen and a long etc (yk the vibe). Feels like a lifetime ago for me tho.

Love the Spanish Romancero (romances, ballads and epic poetry corpus) and general Siglo de Oro works (literature from the Spanish golden age but ughhh so much to get into, so little time).

Also for poetry Yeats. Yea. Long time no read as well. Your ask made me think about him again.

For more contemporary stuff, first thing that comes to mind is Strange weather in Tokyo by Hiromi Kawakami.

For non-fiction, I'm a serial bringer of randomness. From Mircea Eliade's works to Marvin Harris, I've read Freud and Jung for the funsies, Safranski, Locke, Rousseau, Camus, Spninoza, Nuccio Ordine, books on mythology and specific parts of history whose authors I'm afraid don't remember (ughhh so much to read in the history, historical fiction and biographies department still XD), Ortega y Gasset and was the target of (friendly) sass about it, mystical works by Saint Teresa of Ávila and of course shitload of Philosophy of Law (call it professional deformation) but especially my beloved Hans Kelsen. Ah. Just thinking about him makes me want to go and grab one of his books from my shelves right meow.

[jolaar]

Faint, dare, be furious,

rough, tender, liberal, elusive,

encouraged, deadly, deceased, alive,

loyal, traitorous, cowardly and spirited;

 not find outside the good center and rest,

be happy, sad, humble, haughty,

angry, brave, fugitive,

satisfied, offended, suspicious;

 flee the face to the clear disappointment,

drink poison by süave liquor,

forget the profit, love the damage;

 believe that a heaven fits into a hell,

give life and soul to disappointment;

This is love, whoever tasted it knows it.

The Verses of Lope de Vega talks about Love, one of the most powerful forces of creation, in its name the greatest stories in the world have been written. Many times they end well but there are also times that they end badly, even leading to the death of lovers. Often times these eternal lovers are found in legends, history or in literary works. One of these eternal lovers has all three and their history makes the city that lived these loves go back in time. The lovers of Teruel.

I'm going to put on my Juggler costume to tell you the story of these thirteenth-century loves.

As there are several versions of the legend, I will take a little of each one, after all, the story is the same and ends the same.

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Hear the love story

more sublime and true,

and it happened in distant times

and that everyone remembers it.

 It was in the city of Teruel

of the Aragonese homeland,

shortly after conquering them

to the Agarenas people.

 It was in 1212 of our Christian era,

Lucia Teruel beautiful,

with its crown of battlements

its noble palaces

and splendor of 9 churches.

 There were two young people there,

scions of nobility

 His name was Juan Diego,

Isabel will call her,

of the Marcilla el Galán,

of the Segura la Bella.

 I leave the ballads here and return to normal writing, that writing in verse is a bit difficult.

Isabel and Diego had known each other since they were children, friendship turned into love and they decided to unite their lives in marriage. Diego, although he was from the Noble family, was the second son of the Marcilla, he would not inherit or title, land or wealth. When he went to ask his father for Isabel's hand, he was reluctant to marry. Under pressure from the lovers, he agreed to get them married, but set conditions, a period of 5 years for Diego to get a fortune so that his daughter Isabel could have the life she deserves. The lover accepted the condition of the father of his beloved, he knew that the fastest way to get fortune and fame was war. Luckily for him, war drums sounded, King Pedro II called his mesnadas to go on the crusade together with the King of Castile and the King of Navarre towards Al Andalus.

Diego veiled his arms in the church of San Pedro de Teruel becoming a Knight, before leaving he visited Isabel and the two promised each other eternal love, she promised him that she would wait for him and that he would be faithful to him, that he would return and that he would bring fortune. A friend of both of them of Moorish descent and who knew how to read the future, told them the fate of both, this told them that Diego would achieve fame and fortune, and his return to Teruel, that Isabel would become the most beautiful young woman, and that the Their love would be eternal, but something he saw that he did not tell the lovers.

Diego asked Isabel for a kiss, although she wanted to, through the intercession of her Mistress, he had to deny it. But he promised her that when he returned he would give her the kiss that would unite them forever. From the tower of San Martin, Isabel saw her lover leave, from a distance they saw each other for the last time, within 5 years.

The years passed and Isabel waited for her lover. The waiting time makes Isabel de Segura become the most beautiful maiden in all of Teruel and surroundings, she receives marriage proposals from leading men, but she is firm in her promise to Diego.

A few days after the deadline set by Isabel's father, a rumor took over the streets of Teruel, Diego de Marcilla had died. Isabel didn't believe those rumors, but her father did. For a long time he had received marriage offers from Pedro de Azagra, a very rich man, and brother of the Lord of Albarracín, some gossip said that the men of Azagra had started the rumors of Marcilla's death. Isabel was reluctant and opposed to the wedding with Don Pedro, she wanted to wait until the last day of the deadline, but her father did not, because of his pressure she was pushed and handed over to Pedro de Azagra. Isabel resisted the marriage as much as she could. At the time of the wedding of "if anyone has something to object to" a voice sounded in the Cathedral, Diego's little brother reminded Isabel of the promise he made to his brother,

Teruel has never seen so many celebrations for a wedding, illustrious guests arrive in the city, the King Niño Jaime I and his protector the Grand Templar Master Guillem de Montredon, a papal nuncio endorses the ceremony, the wedding procession goes through the streets of the city, flowers are thrown to the couple as they pass, 3 days will last the celebrations for the wedding of Isabel de Segura and Don Pedro de Azagra. Jugglers, tournaments, a wedding bull, big banquets will follow.

On the afternoon of the second day of festivities, rumors came that an army was arriving in the city. With the last rays of the sun, that army that was approaching Teruel entered the city through the Daroca gate, near the San Martin tower. They were not enemies but friends, the Almogávares, the elite troops of the Crown of Aragon. The soldiers joined the party in the nearest tavern, after arduous battles a glass of wine and warm thighs is what is most desired. The vanguard of these soldiers comments that their captain is from Teruel, that he returns to meet again with his beloved, who had left to achieve fame and fortune in a period of 5 years, the innkeeper and his customers begin to connect the dots. At those moments the rear of the army enters the city, including its captain, Galán Altivo, strong from years of fighting, dressed in the best finery and mounted on a beautiful Andalusian steed. The innkeeper and his patrons see what they imagined, the captain of the host is Diego de Marcilla, they look at each other and begin to sense that this will end badly.

Diego, fought the Muslims, fought in Las Navas de Tolosa, was almost killed in Muret, has made incursions that have earned him fame and wealth. He is happy for his return home and the reunion of his love, but the news of his beloved's wedding reaches him and an uncontrolled fury takes possession of him, he is arrested, but when his father and his older brother are taken to prison. Come and free him from his future captivity, being one of the 9 mayors of the city is what you have. The reunion of the Marcilla is bittersweet, the kisses and cries of a mother who is reunited with her son, the little brothers who know their older brother, the father who feels bad for not defending the interests of his middle son. Diego insists on seeing Isabel to which his parents urge him not to go, that she is a married woman, but he gives up the family plea, Thanks to the help of his younger sister, Diego knows Isabel's new house, in the Plaza del Torico. Diego goes to Isabel's new house, Diego's mother senses that she may never see her son again.

Isabel, now the wife of Don Pedro de Azagra, has retired from the festivities, she wants to be alone, her mistress consoles her. At that moment a maid calls her mistress's bedroom, an unexpected visitor insists on seeing Doña Isabel, she agrees to go see that unexpected visitor, surely it is another friend of her husband who is going to congratulate her. The surprise is capitalized when opening the door, the visitor is her lover, Diego. Young people hug each other passionately. Much to be told and so little time. He tells her about the blood, the sweat and tears that he has shed, but one constant guided him, his love for Isabel. She tells him that she has waited for him, that she has always loved him, but that women also have honor, and that her parents insisted that she marry when they heard the news of his death. Diego agrees that Isabel will not be his, He tells her that he will leave Teruel he will never see her again, all he asks is a kiss, the one that he promised 5 years ago, a kiss that remembers his passion until God calls him. Isabel, although she wishes with all her might, refuses it, reminds her that she is a married woman, tells her that women also have honor. Diego begs for that kiss to his beloved. When it seems that Isabel acquiesces, she recoils, then Diego begins to suffer from a bad chest, Isabel's mistress takes him out of the house because Don Pedro de Azagra is arriving. Diego begs for that kiss to his beloved. When it seems that Isabel acquiesces, she recoils, then Diego begins to suffer from a bad chest, Isabel's mistress takes him out of the house because Don Pedro de Azagra is arriving. Diego begs for that kiss to his beloved. When it seems that Isabel acquiesces, she recoils, then Diego begins to suffer from a bad chest, Isabel's mistress takes him out of the house because Don Pedro de Azagra is arriving.

When the husband arrives at the room where Isabel asks him what is wrong, she tells him that she has had a bad dream. Her husband tells her that if she tells her her bad dreams will disappear, Isabel agrees to tell her. He tells him that he dreams of a man who returns from war, after a woman who had promised him eternal love, but on his return she is married. Azagra consoles him by saying that it is a sad story, but more common than it seems, asking his wife if the dream man would calm revenge. Isabel tells him no, that she just wanted a kiss. Azagra laughs and is surprised. Isabel tells her that the woman of her "dream" does not give it to her since she is a married woman, that it was due to her husband, Azagra tells her that the woman of her "dream" is an ungrateful woman, that a kiss in a story like that it doesn't matter, a man who comes back from war and only asks for a kiss, that woman deserves hell. While Azagra laughs at his wife's dream, Isabel, upon hearing what her husband has said, breaks into tears, Pedro de Azagra leads Isabel to his bedroom so that she can rest in peace, telling her that this dream has little or nothing to do with it. with them.

    Meanwhile, outside the house, Diego's brother, his squire, and the “seer” friend who had read the couple's fate years ago, were waiting for Diego to leave the Azagra's house, a door opened through the kitchens and a person stumbled out of it. When he approached by the light of a lamp they saw him, it was Diego, they approached him worried and they saw him pale almost dead. They asked him what had happened, if they had hurt him or made blood, to which he answered no, that no one touched a hair, saying: “Wounds have the love that our eyes do not see. Neither in conflict nor in battle, at home, in Teruel, at the gates of heaven. Do not blame anyone for my death, it is evil of the soul, this soul of mine is weaker than I thought. Goodbye Teruel ”. And said this, I fell to the ground. The brother and the squire were scared and came to help him, but they saw that he was not breathing, he was dead. The psychic friend remembered what she saw in destiny 5 years ago, death.

Although it was at night the news of Diego de Marcilla's return and his true death began to spread by word of mouth through the streets of Teruel, the next morning the entire city knew the news. The cathedral bells that two days ago called weddings now call to death. The funeral procession leaves the Marcilla house in the direction of the cathedral, they pass through the Plaza del Torico, where Isabel now lives, she sees her lover from the balcony, crying because she will never see him again and regretting that kiss. that he did not give.

Diego's comrades in arms lead his horse, once haughty, now submissive and without its rider. As a sign of mourning, they run their weapons across the ground, breaking the shield of their fallen captain out of love, the drums sound with a funereal step, the fierce Almogávars now cry not for the battle but for the loss of their captain. In the Cathedral, the people of Teruel, both nobles and commoners, cry and shout for the loss of their neighbor, Diego's parents, heartbroken over the tragic death of their son, preside over the ceremony.

Suddenly, the doors of the cathedral are thrown open, a hooded figure already against the light enters the temple and goes to the central corridor. He approaches the coffin of the deceased, his steps are determined, but at the same time with fear, people begin to wonder who that person is. The mysterious figure reaches the altar. He takes off his hood. An almost eternal deafening silence followed by a whispering takes over the people. It's Isabel. What are you doing there? A small brawl takes place at the altar, her parents ask her what she is doing there, Diego's classmates reproach her for her attitude. A voice is raised in the temple, Diego de Marcilla's mother, they are told to be quiet, that she has the same or more right to say goodbye. Isabel finishes taking off the hood that covered her, She wears the same wedding dress that she wore 2 days ago, this makes the murmurs take over the place. Isabel arrives at the coffin of her beloved Diego, cries before him, approaches his ear to say something to him, and immediately gives him the passionate kiss that she never gave him in life. Everyone in the cathedral is amazed by such an act. Isabel stands up, her face is not sad, a smile of love crosses her face, she takes a few breaths of air and collapses on her dead beloved.

Those present are frightened by the loss of the young woman, her parents go to help her, but when they see that she does not react, they realize that Isabel de Segura has died. New cries of pain take over the cathedral. The Lord of Albarracín says of burying Isabel in Santa María de Albarracín, in the family crypt of the Azagra family. A resounding NOOOOOOOO sounds in the place, it is Don Pedro de Azagra, Isabel's widower. Between sobs, he appealed to his status as husband and lord of Isabel, admitting that she was never his but Diego's. Taking off his wedding ring, he put it on true love. Praying that no one separate the union, denying that she was buried in Albarracín, but next to her beloved Diego de Marcilla.

Seeing such a scene the inhabitants of Teruel made a common boto of burying the lovers together and never separating them. The Knights Templar and the Knights Hospitaller carried the bodies to the church of San Pedro, during the journey the neighbors threw flowers at them. Upon arriving at the Church, before burying them together, the parish priest who saw the two young men grow married them so that at least in the kingdom of God they would be husband and wife since in the kingdom of men they could only be THE LOVERS OF TERUEL .

“I, Domingo de Celadas, elected judge of this town, I see myself in the obligation to narrate the events that occurred here, today February 17 of the year of the lord of 1217. Just as we were born the plagues, the battles, well this that we will narrate the loves of Don Diego de Marcilla and Doña Isabel de Segura. Truer story than any other. Scribe, ask those present, complete the story, so that the following generations know it. And you raise a single grave to keep the bodies of these two lovers and to remain together, as spouses, which is what they have always been. "

 In love with the world

Lovers on Earth

In Teruel love raised a temple

In which they are venerated

The mummies of 2 lovers

What example do they present

 Come to renew

Those ties that tighten you

 That love

Feels alive

Beyond existence.

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In the 16th century, in some works in the chapel of San Cosme and San Damiano in the church of San Pedro, a tomb with two mummies, a man and a woman, and a scroll that told the story was discovered. It was Isabel and Diego. Their bodies remained together and were exposed in a church chapel, surviving wars, looting, and calamities. In 1955 the sculptor Juan de Ávalos devised and sculpted the recumbent statues under which the mummies rest. The cold serenity of Los Amantes, whose hands do not come together, is a symbol of an impossible love that goes beyond human concepts. The bases are molded in bronze: An angel –which symbolizes obedience- in the tomb of Isabel; a lion - symbol of courage - under Diego's tomb.

This is the story or legend of the Lovers of Teruel, many versions, but all the same. This story of truncated loves and the death of lovers will inspire future generations, and writers, Tirso de Molina, Fernando de Rojas in "Tragicomedy of Calisto and Melibea" also known as "La Celestina", William Shakespeare with his famous "Romeo and Juliet ”. The authors of the nineteenth century in full Romanticism will be passionate about this tragic story and countless plays, theater, novels, an Opera by Tomas Breton, artistic works would enlarge this story. Since 1997 Teruel returns to the 13th century to remember this tragic story, amateur actors recreate this story the weekend after Valentine's Day, every year the city triples its population that weekend. In 2019 it became a national holiday.

 I cannot say goodbye without reciting the Verses of Don Francisco de Quevedo in his poem

"Constant love beyond death"

Close my eyes the last

shadow that the white day will take me;

and can unleash this soul of mine

hour of his eager flattery;

 but not from that other part on the shore

it will leave the memory, where it burned;

swimming knows my flame the cold water,

And lose respect for severe law.

 Soul to whom an entire prison god has been,

veins that humor to so much fire have given,

marrows, which have gloriously burned,

 your body will leave, not your care;

they will be ash, but they will make sense;

dust they will be, more dust in love.