Renaissance Impostors and Proofs of Identity

Early Modern Europe Was Teeming With Impostors. Identity Theft Was Only One Form Of Misrepresentation: Royal Pretenders, Envoys From Imaginary Lands, Religious Dissimulators, Cross-dressers, False Gypsies - All These Caused Deep Anxiety, Leading Authorities To Invent Increasingly Sophisticated Means For Unmasking Deception. Early Modern Europe Was An Age Of Impostors. Religious Dissimulation Was Rife Not Only In Iberia With Its Crypto-jews And Crypto-muslims, But Also, Following The Reformation, Wherever Non-conformists Had To Conceal Their Beliefs. Geographical Expansion Offered Various Opportunities For Forging New Identities - As Envoys Of Imaginary Princes Or As Cross-dressers Living For Years As Members Of The Opposite Sex. Satan Was Believed To Be Turning Old Ladies Into His Minions. Vagrants Transformed Themselves Into The Deserving Poor. Gypsies Travelled Under Various False Pretences. All These Identity Deceptions Increased Manifold The Authorities' Fear That Things Were Not What They Seemed, And Sparked A Frantic Search For Reliable Means Of Identification. Offenders Of All Kinds Were Branded; Sumptuary Legislation Was Intended To Create A Clearly Visible Social Hierarchy; And Vast Bureaucratic Machineries Were Erected To Investigate Identities, Issue Licenses And Control Movement. Introducing An Age Of Impostors -- Religious Dissimulation -- False Ambassadors, Fabulous Lands -- Underworlds -- Gypsies, Or Such As Do Counterfeit -- The Body As Evidence -- Judging By Appearances -- Paperwork : Identification Documents -- Conclusion : Reserving Judgement. Miriam Eliav-feldon. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.