Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online

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Sebastianism
(817 words)

1. Religious and historical background

Sebastianism is the Portuguese manifestation of a redeemer myth based on the legend of the so-called rey encubierto (Hidden King) that emerged in Andalusia in the early 16th century. The legend – conflating medieval prophetic texts of St. Isidore of Seville with the Arthurian Legend – predicted a ruler of the Spanish people who would defeat the Turks and establish the Fifth Monarchy, the everlas…

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Müller, Christoph, “Sebastianism”, in: Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online, Editors of the English edition: Graeme Dunphy, Andrew Gow. Original German Edition: Enzyklopädie der Neuzeit. Im Auftrag des Kulturwissenschaftlichen Instituts (Essen) und in Verbindung mit den Fachherausgebern herausgegeben von Friedrich Jaeger. Copyright © J.B. Metzlersche Verlagsbuchhandlung und Carl Ernst Poeschel Verlag GmbH 2005–2012. Consulted online on 05 June 2023 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2352-0272_emho_COM_027323>
First published online: 2015
First print edition: 20210601



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