Chapter VII: Visions

The two terms _dream_ and _vision_ seem to have been only vaguely differentiated in the period we are studying, just as even at the present time they are often used almost synonymously. In _las Cantigas_ we find:

“ ... et log’ o meninno
se fillou ben a _dormir_
et uiú en _uijon á Madre_” (No. 53),

and

“et _dormindo_, uiù en _uijon_
Santa María con grand’az” (No. 68),

but in No. 336 the person certainly was not asleep, for:

“El aquest assí fazendo
e con o demo luitando,
_non estand’ en un estado,_
_mais caend’e leuantando_,
uiú en _uijon_ a Reynna
dos cëos, et él chorando
lle disse....”

A similar confusion of the two words is characteristic of the other works of Alfonso X.

Because they are thus synonymously employed it has not seemed desirable to treat the two separately. Also it must be remembered that in many instances, especially in _Las Cantigas_, some simple statement is made such as “The Virgin appeared to him,” with no indication whether it was in a dream or a vision, or whether, in the form of an ordinary human being she appeared to the person concerned while he was in full possession of his faculties. It is to be regretted that there is no definition of either “dream” or “vision” in _Las Siete Partidas_. The only reference to dreams is one to the effect that in themselves they are not sufficient authority for the establishment of a church or an altar[90].

Visions and significant dreams[91] may conveniently be divided into three classes: (a) those which deal with what is to us the unknown fate of persons in whom we are interested; (b) those concerned with contemporary events at which we ourselves are not present; and (c) those associated with the future.

In the literature of Alfonso X, those pertaining to the first group deal exclusively with the fate of the soul in the other world. For instance, shortly after the death of king Dagobert of France a holy man had a vision in which he saw the devils contending for and almost successfully carrying off to Hell the soul of the deceased king[92]. Many good men desired this consummation, but Saint Denis, bishop of Paris, pleaded to God for Dagobert’s soul and the bishop’s prayer was granted.[93]

In reading other passages we can almost imagine ourselves in the presence of a clairvoyant medium. Alfonso X dreams of the destruction of the church of Jerez (No. 343), and in a similar manner the Emperor Justinian has a vision of the evil that Gilemer the Vandal is doing in Africa[94]: while the Emperor Heraclius dreams of the misfortunes of his troops in Africa.[95] All of these visions are contemporary with the events involved.

By far the greater part of the visions and dreams have to do with the future of the individual to whom they are manifested; and of these visions by far the greater number are symbolic. Occasionally the messenger appears and gives a direct command, as San Fernando when he appeared to Maestro Jorge and bade him take a fine ring from the finger of a statue recently erected to the saint’s memory by his son Alfonso X, and put it on the finger of the image of the Virgin[96]; or as when the saints appeared to Taion who had gone on a seemingly hopeless task to Rome to find the famous book _Moralia in Job_ and told him where it was to be found, even mentioning the exact position in the chest;[97] or again, as when Aeneas, upon his landing on the shores of Africa, dreamed of his future meeting and love affair with Dido[98]. But it is the symbolic vision that was the most popular.

Usually this type of vision is quite simple in its elements, as when Our Lord appeared to Emperor Marcian and showed him the broken bow of Attila. The emperor was at a loss to understand the real import of this, but interpreted it as a favorable omen. Later he discovered that on the very night of the vision Attila had married, and had died as a result of the debauch that had accompanied the wedding.[99] This is an example of the usual type, but at times such a vision is considerably elaborated, involving much symbolism and mysticism. One of the best introduces the Emperor Constantine. It is given here in the writer’s words:

“Et (el emperador) morando y en una cibdat que auie nombre
Bizancio, auinol assi una noche, que el yaziendo durmiendo en su
lecho, uinol en uision quel parauan delante una muger uegezuela muy
fea et much enatia et muerta; et diziel sant Siluestre:
“Costantino, faz oracion et ressuscitara esta muger”. Et el oraua
luego, et ressuscitaua la muger, et tornauasse sana et muy fermosa;
et pagauasse Constantino della de buen amor et casto, et cubriela
de su manto, et poniel su corona en la cabeça, et todo quanto bien
ell auie. E Elina su madre diziel: “Fijo, tuya sera aquesta, et
numqua morra fasta la fin del mundo.”

On awaking, the Emperor fails to recognize the meaning of the dream, until after seven days of fasting on his part, the Pope Sylvester.

“apareciol otra uez et dizol: “la uieia que tu uiste es Bizancio,
esta cipdat en que estas, que uees que a ya los muros todos caydos
de uegedat. Et por ende sube en el cauallo en que andeste en Roma
en las aluas el dia que fuste bateado, quando andeste por todas las
yglesias de los apostoles et de los martires pintandolas et
afeytandolas con oro et con plata et con piedras preciosas; et
leuaras en tu mano la tu senna que a nombre _labaro_, et soltaras
las riendas al cauallo, et iras por o quier que te ell angel guiar,
et leuaras por tierra rastrando la punta del labaro, de guisa que
fagas sennal que parezca. Et por o aquella sennal fuere, mandaras
fazer muros muy altos et muy fuertes; et esta cibdat que es uieia,
tornar la as nueua, et poner las nombre del tuyo, et sera en ella
muy loado el nombre del Nuestro Sennor Ihesu Cristo, et aura y
muchas yglesias a onra de todos los santos, et regnaran en ella tus
fijos et tus nietos et todos los que de ti uinieren”.[100]

There is also quite a long account of the visions beheld by Mohammed while he was at Jerusalem, from which city he was permitted to ascend thru the seven heavens. The compilers preface the history of this arch-enemy of the Christian faith with the statement that Mohammed suffered from epilepsy, because of which he saw visions that he thought were of God but in reality they were of the Devil.[101] The account ends also with a reminder to the same effect[102].