Esther M. Zimmer Lederberg
Female slave Badestan inspection
The music is Morisco music, found on Iberian Garden, Vol. 1 by
Altramar. The piece is Muwashshah: Mā li-l-muwallah, 1113-1198.
This music takes place at the beautiful gardens along the Guadalquiver, near Cordoba.
This is during the "convivencia" under Alfonso X (El Sabio - The Wise), the time
before Granda fell: when Christians, Moslems and Jews lived at peace with each
other. Muwashshah are songs in poetic form, with instrumental interludes in the
form of Ibn Bājja (Avempace): 1470-1520. This is Morisco art.
Slaves were forcibly debarked at the conveniently located
slave market (Badestan). These slaves were then inspected
for sale to customers. Inspection included examination for
health, strength, and resale value (some slaves had
marketable value as craftsmen, some slaves might be literate,
some slaves were bought [freed] by coreligionists and relatives):
teeth, no lameness, no illness, exercised. This inspection
included both male and female slaves.
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