From Medieval Castile to the Sephardic Community of Constatinople in the 19th Century: Two Legends about King Peter I

Abstract

Two legends attributed to king Peter I of Castile (1334-1369) are approached in this work. They are traditionally known as ‘La cabeza del rey’ (‘The King’s Head’) or ‘El Callejón del Candilejo’ (‘Candilejo Alley’) and ‘El arcediano y el zapatero’ (‘The Archdeacon and the Shoemaker’). Although their origin is unknown, they must have spread broadly starting in the 16th century, not only in Spain but also in other European cultures and literatures, as we show in this article. Moreover, one of the most interesting aspects is that they crossed borders, disseminated by the Sephardic communities in the East in the 19th century, thanks to the testimony preserved in an Istanbul periodical, which is also published here.