Are you still my wife? Conversion to Christianity and its legal effects on pre-existing marriages and their offspring in late medieval Castile (1480–1502)

Abstract

This article examines the legal and sociological consequences of conversion to Christianity by Muslim and Jewish couples in medieval Castile at the end of the fifteenth century, focusing on the application of legal prescription in legal praxis. The material summarized and analysed sheds light on how Jews and Muslims dealt with conversion to Christianity and the problems it brought to daily life. Broadening the discussion, this article looks at other conversions to Judaism and Islam in order to establish a comparative perspective and show the problems of legal miscegenation at the end of the fifteenth century in Castile. The paper is based on a dozen royal decrees granted by the Royal Council in response to petitions and preserved in the Archivo General of Simancas, as well as various Inquisitorial records. It answers three basic questions: what happens when only one spouse in the couple has converted; who should educate the children; and what happens when the marriage has been contracted but has not been consummated?