Inês De Castro Essay

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The story of Inês de Castro may not compare to that of the Petrichor potion or the Cure for Dragon Pox at a glance, but is none the less important in illustrating how potions can affect a large population in a short period of time.

Spain in the 1300s AD was a roiling mess of war. The Muslims of Spain were being driven further south and out of the peninsula in the name of the Reconquista. Inês de Castro was raised in Galicia, as far from the war front as one could be in Spain, as a witch in a family steeped in magical tradition. She had two brothers, both very accomplished wizards and a great support to her during her youth and young adulthood. Her grandmother Violante Sánchez de Castile wrote in a letter that “the three [were] inseparable”. So when Inês was sent to Portugal as a maid to Constance of Castile, it is unsurprising that her brothers followed.

It has been suggested that Inês was sent to Portugal with Constance to end a blood feud between her family and the royalty of Castile. Inês grandmother had been in line for the Castilian throne, but had been ousted by the Queen and exiled to Galicia. O the wedding of Portugal’s prince and Castile’s princess was announced, a plan was laid. Inês de Castro pledged herself to the Castilian house and offered her services as a maid to the future Queen of Portugal.

Inês was a very accomplished potioneer. In 1340, before she arrived at the Portuguese court, she brewed the most powerful love potion to be recorded historically. Just a few weeks after the royal wedding, Inês had complete control over Prince Peter of Portugal through the use of the love potion. Muggle records indicate that Prince Peter became increasingly obsessed with Inês de Castro, ignoring his wife completely. Her infl...

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...the starting point of their relationship. But after an excavation of the tomb of Peter I of Portugal, a small silver container was found. When opened, it revealed a thick pink cream. When specialists attempted to clean the container, it simply refilled itself. Inês had created a self-refilling container filled with an altered formula of her love potion. Either because Inês had compelled him to do so, or because of an already established habit, Peter I must have used the cream every day. Historians assumed she devised it so that even when she traveled Peter was always under her sway.

Though the reach of the event was not as wide as the Petrichor potion, it drove an entire country into war simply through the usage of one potion. If Inês had survived, a much deadlier war could have been orchestrated which potentially could have devastated the entire Iberian peninsula.

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