Joana Serrado

Despite having won, the God-Child asks Mariana to play again. This time, Mariana uses two words: to fool around (brincar), and to play (jogar/jugar). Christ is fooling around with her (brincando) by showing that she can win without knowing how to play (jogar), by breaking the rules, and by being receptive to his tricks, his demands, and his whims.

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Originally published as “Playing Cards with God: The Visions of the Portuguese Nun, Mariana da Purificação (1623–95)”, Early Modern Women, Volume 12, Number 1, Fall 2017, pp. 143-151. Published by the Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies.