Interacción entre profecías y rumores en la Baja Edad Media

Abstract

[Abstract] Medieval prophecies played a fundamental role in the spreading of news (often fake news), in order to create public opinion on certain issues. For this reason, they were frequently associated with rumors, although the manifestations of this relationship are varied and complex. First, this contribution describes the ways of transmission (direct and indirect) of prophecies that favored the creation of rumors, focusing on preaching. In addition, different cases are considered that demonstrate the interaction between rumors and prophecies, in particular the tradition of Merlin, the legends about Emperor Frederick II and the news regarding the birth of Antichrist