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
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