Template:Heretics

1259

Flagellants appear in Bohemia, go through the whole country and come into conflict with the established clergy. Many Bohemians (men and women) go with them. They are persecuted by the Roman Church.

Von gotes geburt her abe / czwelfhundirt gar / vnd dar nach nun vnd funfzcig iar; / Von den, di in der buz / gingin mit dez tufils gruz. / vnd der sel ein swer val / vndir einer neuwen tat / waz czu licht komen drat, / in dem vorgnantin iar / czu Behem quam fur war. / Do gingin blose leut / durch daz gancze lant wit, / di indecktin dy ruk / vf er cleins gluk / vnd slugin sich mit geisziln / den ruk voln kreiszil. / Si stracktin sich in daz kot, / vnd daz waz der sel tot. / Gotis dinst si smechtin, / di pristirschaf si echtin; / si sprachin: "Vnsir buzze ist der sel suzse / vnd beszir, wen vwir schrein." / Si hiszin laszin sin / gotis ampt vor nit, / und daz tetin dy lut. / Di bemisch herrin / sohin si von verrin / also durch daz lant gen. / Si sprachin zcu den: / "Wi turt er daz getun / an vnsir viszin iczun?" / Mit in gingin si bi nom / vnd slugin sich alsom. / Di frouwen in irn scharin / sach man alsam gebarin; / si tetin als di gouch / vnd geisiltin sich ouch. / Hettin si gewolt, / daz ez der sel frumen solt, / so soltin si ez bi tagin / czu buz intphangin habin / von den pristirn gelesin; / so wer ez der sel nucz gewesin. / Abir dy erstin nacktin / bosen vorsacz trachtin, / wan si slugin sich ser / vm den tufil Lucifer, / daz der gar vngenem / uf sinen stul widir quem. / Vnd do von in dysze mer / virnomen dy Romer, / si in aln czu stur / gabin ein buz mit dem fur / als andern keczern, / di si woltin mern. / Di keczir sint mit ganczir ger / des tufils diner, / vnd daz warn dy. / Dar vm offintin si / ir heilkeit misstetlich, / daz schied si von dem himilrich.

After the birth of God in the twelfhundred and fifty ninth year; of those who went in penitence with the salute of the devil. Doing their souls no good choice by this new deed that came to light in the named year in Bohemia. Naked people went through the whole land. They covered their backs with beatings by whips. They layed down in excrement and that was the death for their souls. They reviled the devine service and the clergy and they said: "Our penitence is the food of the soul and it is better than your shouting." They demanded the devine service to stop and the people did so. The Bohemian lords saw them go through the land from far and said: "How come they do this without our knowledge?" But they went with them and beated themselves. The flock of the women behaved likewise: they did the same and joined them. If they had wanted to help their souls they should have received the order of penitence by day and from the priests. But those nakeds had a bad scheme from the beginning: They beated themselves hard in order to bring the devil Lucifer back on his throne. When the Romans came to know of them, they let them atone by fire as they did with other heretics. The heretics are with their whole desire servants of the devil and so they were. Therein they advertised their failed holiness and this seperated them from the kingdom of heaven. (Translation: Christian Oertel)

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