A Kingdom of Stargazers: Astrology and Authority in the Late Medieval Crown of Aragon (Frank W. Pierce Memorial Lectureship and Conference)

In this very entertaining book, Michael A. Ryan focuses on the history of astrological studies in the Crown of Aragon during the late fourteenth century and the influence of this forbidden knowledge on its European neighbors.... It is a brilliant study of one phase of the history of science and magic in the later Middle Ages and a worthy successor to the groundbreaking research of authorities such as Valerie Flint and Lynn Thorndike.

A Kingdom of Stargazers is an excellent work that exposes in a novel way the relationship of the interest in astrology and magic, the censure of this interest, and the level of authority and power of kings in the medieval Iberian Crown of Aragon. To what extent the label 'occult' is a construct of scholarship or whether it represents a historical idea, or both, is one of the themes of this book. Ryan's work offers a brilliant exploration of the sources of the court of Aragon, which reveals the complex relationship between political power and the attitudes toward astrology. Historians of medieval Spain and historians of science in general will find it worth reading; scholars interested in the history of medieval and early modern astrology, magic, or alchemy will also see in it an essential addition to scholarship.

A Kingdom of Stargazers affords a welcome glimpse into the ambiguous position of astrology, magic, prophecy, and divination in the royal court of Aragon in the later Middle Ages. Through a rich variety of primary source materials, Michael Ryan deftly reveals the tight connection between political contexts and the use-and perception of-astrology and divination in a land medieval Europeans closely associated with the magical arts and at a time when, supposedly, rulers throughout Europe were putting astrologers on their payrolls. Ryan's sources reveal a more complex situation. While a powerful and respected king like Pere the Ceremonious might vigorously pursue occult sciences without raising much of an eyebrow, others whose reigns were more uncertain could find themselves censured for consulting the stars or even strategically turning away from astrological prognostication in pursuit of moral reform and religious orthodoxy.

Michael A. Ryan's superb book provides a hitherto unexplored vision of the transformations of the worlds of magic and astrology in the Crown of Aragon and elsewhere in the late Middle Ages and, most significantly, a most original reading of how these mystery traditions underpinned the search for legitimacy in the Spanish eastern realms. It is an ambitious book, firmly grounded in a comparative perspective and knowledge of the sources. It opens new vistas on, and understanding of, the relationship between astrological and magical cultures and political power. A brilliant effort!