Narbona Dacal facts for kids

Narbona Dacal was a healer from Aragon, a region in Spain, who lived in the 1400s. She was accused of practicing witchcraft and was put to death in 1498.

About Narbona Dacal

Narbona Dacal came from a family of healers. They used plants and natural things to help people in their village, Cenarbe. Narbona had two brothers, Juan and María. She was married to Juan de Portañya, but he left her. After that, she lived alone and worked as a healer to support herself.

At that time, many people in the Pyrenees mountains, near where Narbona lived, were accused of witchcraft. This also happened in the city of Zaragoza, and in other areas like Cinco Villas and the Moncayo mountains.

Why People Accused Her

In 1498, a grandmother believed her prayers to Saint Cebrián had helped her granddaughter get better from a serious illness. When the grandmother died, another grandchild became sick. The family was sad because the grandmother could no longer pray for the child.

Narbona Dacal did not agree with their religious beliefs. She suggested using plants to heal the sick child instead of prayer. This made some people in Cenarbe upset.

People in Cenarbe started to accuse Narbona of witchcraft. They said she had put spells on them. Some claimed she caused women in the town to have miscarriages. Others said that after Narbona helped them, they would bark like dogs in church. Some even said that during Sunday mass, when the priest held up the white host (a special wafer), they would see a black spot instead.

These accusations were similar to those made against another Spanish woman named Guirandana de Lay. She was called the leader of a group of witches in Villanúa. Many women accused of witchcraft in Villanúa during the 1400s became known as the Witches of Villanúa.

Her Arrest and What Happened Next

The Inquisition was a powerful religious court. Its office in Aragon was in the Aljafería Palace in Zaragoza. The Inquisition had Narbona Dacal arrested along with other women accused of witchcraft. They were taken to Zaragoza.

There, her neighbors made more accusations against her. One person claimed Narbona gave his wife poisonous grapes, and his wife died soon after. Another said Narbona and other women killed his daughter. Someone else testified that Narbona had also put a spell on her so she could not have children.

On February 12, 1498, Narbona Dacal was found guilty. She was sadly put to death at the Aljafería Palace. Her brothers, Juan and María, were also accused of witchcraft, but they managed to escape.

See also

In Spanish: Narbona Dacal para niños