Henry,
Thanks, and a happy Samhain to one and all as well!
Regards,
The Rev. Travis D. Stolz
[log in to unmask]
----- Original Message -----
From: <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, October 27, 2000 2:07 PM
Subject: A Monk's Tale
> As a genuine record of our late medieval forbears toying with the
> 'supernatural', I hope the following will be considered an acceptable
> Hallowe'en offering by the venerable list members.
> This anecdote is the third of twelve such, recorded on the blank pages of
a
> volume of the 12th and early 13th centuries by a monk of Byland Abbey
> (Yorkshire) shortly after 1400 (Richard ii's reign is referred to as
past).
>
> III. De spiritu Roberti filii Roberti de Boltebi de Killeburne
> comprehenso in cimiterio.
>
> Memorandum quod predictus Robertus iunior moriebatur et sepeliebatur
in
> cymiterio sed solebat egredi de sepulcro in noctibus et inquietare
villanos
> et deterrere ac canes ville sequebantur eum et latrabant magnaliter.
Tandem
> iuuenes ville mutuo loquebantur proponentes comprehendere eum, si aliquo
modo
> potuissent et conuenientes ad cimiterium. Sed illo viso fugerunt omnes
> exceptis duobus quorum vnus nomine Robertus Foxton comprehendit eum in
> egressu de cimiterio et posuit eum super le kirkestile, altero acclamante
> viriliter Teneas firmiter quousque veniam ad te. Cui alter respondit Vadas
> cicius ad parochianum. ut coniuretur, quia deo concedente quod habeo
firmiter
> tenebo vsque ad aduentum sacerdotis. Qui quidem parochialis presbiter
> festinauit velociter et coniurauit eum, in nomine sancte trinitatis et in
> virtute Ihesu Christi quatinus responderet ei ad interrogata. quo
coniurato
> loquebatur in interio ribus visceribus et non cum lingua sed quasi in
vacuo
> dolio, et confitebatur delicta sua diuersa. Quibus cognitis presbiter
> absoluit eum sed onerauit predictos comprehensores ne reuelare[n]t
> aliqualiter confessionem eius, et de cetero requieuit in pace, deo
disponente.
> Dicitur autem quod ante assolucionem volebat stare ad hostia domus et
> fenestras et sub parietibus et muris quasi auscultans. fforsitan
exspectans
> si quis vellet egredi et coniurare eum suis necessitatibus succurrendo.
> Referunt aliqui quod erat adiuuans et consenciens neci cuiusdam viri, et
> fecit alia mala de quibus non est dicendum per singula ad presens.
>
> 1) 'quasi in vacuo dolio' is a picturesque touch. These ghosts do not
> twitter and squeak like those of Homer.
> 2) 'volebat stare', 'he would stand'.
> 3) There is caution here about mentioning the crimes of the dead man.
>
> (Source: James MR, ‘Twelve Medieval Ghost Stories', English Historical
> Review, 37 (1922), p.418, transcribed from British Museum MS. Royal 15 A.
xx.
> fo. 142 b.)
>
> Happy Hallowe'en, when it comes ('whistle, and it will come to you, my
lad'?),
>
> Henry Gough-Cooper
>
> visit the Scottish Place-Name Society website at
> http://www.st-and.ac.uk/institutes/sassi/spns/index.htm
> and the Scottish place-name newsgroup at
> http://www.egroups.co.uk/group/scotplace
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|