Sex, magic, and the periwinkle : a trial at the Malta Inquisition Tribunal in 1617

Abstract

On Imnarja Day 1617, as Solemn High Mass was about to be celebrated in the conventual church of St John’s in Valletta, Sulpitia de Lango – a former courtesan and mother of another notorious courtesan – was caught preparing a magical concoction in the grand master’s crypt. As a result of this scandal, three females and a young male ended before the dreaded Inquisition tribunal accused of having practised love magic….. Based entirely on the documents in Malta's Inquisition Archives, Sex, Magic and the Periwinkle provides an intriguing insight into a by-gone time which can hardly be imagined today. Carmel Cassar's carefully researched study makes innovative use of the great wealth that lies in the archives and breaks new ground in our cultural history.