Caesarius of Heisterbach (c. 1180 -1240) collected a large body of
miracle stories in his Dialogus miraculorum. These stories were set as a
dialogue between a monk and a novice and were intended to instruct novices. The
following story is about a woman attending church in a far too pompous dress.
So pompous that little devils are jumping on the train of her dress. The parish
priest celebrating mass with his flock decides to take action…
Next time when I see a woman in pompous dress, I will look with
different eyes and see little devils all over her!
The monk tells:
Caesarius of Heisterbach, Dialogus
miraculorum V.7
Retulit mihi quidam civis honestus, asserens suis temporibus
Maguntiae, si bene memini, hoc quod dicturus sum contigisse veraciter. Die
quadam Dominica, cum sacerdos in ecclesia, cuius erat plebanus, circumiret, et
aqua benedicta populum aspergeret, ad ostium ecclesiae veniens, matro-
nam quandam pompatice venientem, et ad similitudinem pavonis variis
ornamentis pictam obviam habuit. In cuius cauda vestimentorum , quam trahebat
post se longissimam, multitudinem daemonum residere conspexit. Erant enim parvi
ut glires, nigri sicut Aethyopes, ore cachinnantes, manibus plaudantes, et
sicut pisces intra sagenam conclusi saltantes. Revera ornatus muliebris sagena
diaboli est. Quod ut vidit, daemonum quadrigam foris exspectare fecit; plebem
advocavit,
daemones ne fugerent adiuravit. Territa iiia stetit, et ut visiones
populus videre mereretur, quia vir bonus ac iustus fuit, orationibus obtinuit.
Intelligens mulier ob vestimentorum superbiam sic se a daemonibus derisam,
domum rediit, vestimenta mutavit, et tam ipsi quam ceteris feminis
eadem visio occasio facta est humilitatis.
refero – retuli – relatum: to tell
assero: to assert
Maguntiae: at Mainz
contigisse veraciter: truly happened
dies Dominica: Sunday (note the gender: dies
is normally masculine in Classical Latin.)
plebanus: priest
aqua benedicta (abl!): holy water
aspergo aspersi aspersum: to sprinkle
matronam… obviam habuit: he encountered a woman
pompatice: in a pompous way
pavo pavonis (f.): peacock
cauda vestimentorum: litt. the tail of her clothing: train.
glis gliris: hazel dormouse (a small kind of mouse)
cachinno: to laugh loudly
sagena: a large fishing-net
salto: to jump
revera: truly
ornatus –us (m.): splendid dress
daemonum quadrigam foris
exspectare fecit: he ordered (fecit) the `chariot of demons’
to wait outside (That is outside the church. Quite convenient for the
demons that that lady stood at the entrance.)
plebem advocavit, daemones
ne fugerent adiuravit = plebem advocavit et adiuravit daemones ne fugerent
advoco: to call nearby
adiuro: to swear, adjure (this word is used in exorcising)
et ut visiones populus
videre mereretur, quia vir bonus ac iustus fuit, orationibus obtinuit = et orationibus obtinuit,
quia vir bonus ac iustus fuit ur populus mereretur visiones videre: and he obtained
by prayers…. that the people were worthy (mereretur)
to see the appearances (As a priest he could see devils, but other people not.)
superbia: haughtiness
derido - derisi - derisum: to make ridiculous
et tam ipsi quam ceteris
feminis eadem visio occasio facta est humilitatis:
(litt.) and that very same appearance was both for her and the other women was
made an occasion for humility.
Of course the novice was deeply impressed by this story!
As a theologian I can clearly see the devils!
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