Monthly Archives: January 2015

On the Water-Witch of Lubusz

PublishedJanuary 8, 2015 Post authortorino

The Chronicon Monte Sereni was written at the Lauterberg Abbey near Halle. It contains a number of interesting pieces of information about surrounding Wendic/Slavic lands. Among them there is the recollection of the tale of the witch of Wladyslaw Laskonogi (or “Spindleshanks”).

For context, Wladyslaw was one of the grandsons of Boleslaw III, Krzywousty (and a son of Mieszko III the Old). He was born in the 1160s and died in 1231 (apparently killed by a German Maedel he tried to, ahem, “bed”). He was, as per Jan Dlugosz, not very loved by his people given his propensity for lecherous activities (see above). The period between 1138 and 1320 was a period of the (self-inflicted) partitions of Poland where every little prince
and duke was at war with one another – a very interesting time which we hope to discuss in detail.

courtesy, MGH

For now, however, the incident of interest is his conflict with Konrad II the margrave of Nieder Lausitz (Lower Lusatia). Konrad (who was also Wladyslaw’s brother-in-law) decided to invade so-called Lubusz (Lebus) Land – an area then part of Greater Poland (now the city itself is in Brandenburg) and besieged Lubusz. Wladyslaw, then in charge of GP marched against him. It was March, 1209.

The witch sans sieve – she was a jolly one

To make a long story short, the Chronicle reports that the Polish prince first set the time and place of battle but thereafter broke his word and tried to attack by surprise. This failed. However, as the Polish forces, crossed the Oder, the Germans noted that the Poles were being led by a witch who carried with her a magical sieve containing water from the river, and reports were coming in that the sieve retained the water (they say), this being a certain omen of upcoming victory. The chronicler then notes that the Germans first killed the witch – apparently, so as not take chances.

This seems to be the first Polish (confirmed) sighting of an actual witch.

Politicizers of the Past

PublishedJanuary 7, 2015 Post authortorino

A handy example of politicization of the study of the past should be brought back up because it is so compelling. Here is a quote from an article published in 1991 when the fear of the rise of Eastern European nationalism (whatever that means) filled the pants of most academics who studied the area. It was published, we kid you not, by a German (Austrian but, let’s be honest, that’s a fake country that’s always on the brink of not being around in a few years) who decided, in his disarming naiveté, to apply the reeducational training he must have received on deconstructing German nationalism (indeed the concept of the German nation which, though barely, is still in existence) to the other European nations.

(We note here that Germans have a tendency to excel in things – unfortunately for the rest of us, 1) they also often lack the preliminary judgment as to what things they should excel in in the first place and 2) too much excelling in anything can be a bad thing).

An individual well-schooled in the art of criticizing his own people might find no trouble in criticizing other “lesser” (this time “lesser” as regards their sensitivity/multiculturalism/spirit of tolerance – whatever – as usual, with this type – lesser) peoples when called upon to do so. And so this proves true also here.

There are three brow-raising things here:

1) that this should be published by a German less than 50 years after their war;

2) that it was published in a Slavic (Polish actually) Archeological journal; but, importantly, also

3) that he comes out and says exactly what his purpose is (and, just in case you are wondering, it isn’t science or truth – it’s Momsense!)

Here you go, reintroducing the propagandist Walter Pohl:

“Traditional research has taken the meaning of the terms “people” or “tribe” for granted. In this view, a “people” is a racially and culturally [our note: the latter only if you took Kossina seriously] highly homogenous group sharing a common descendant and destiny [our note: not sure where he got the destiny part from], speaking the same language and living within one state. Peoples (and not individuals or social groups) were often seen as factors of continuity in a changing world, as the real subjects of history – almost immutable in its course [our note: huh?], indeed more a natural than a historical phenomenon [our note: here he must be referring to some of his own people’s ’33-’45 (?) Nazi writings and assuming/extrapolating]. Their fate was described using biological metaphors: birth, growth, flowering and decay [note: still awake?]. This historical conception was rooted in the national movements of the 19th and 20th century, and it had its share in encouraging all kinds of chauvinist ideologies [our note: we’re getting warmer]…. Today’s nationalist movements in many Eastern European countries have rediscovered the 19th century ideal of the homogeneous nation-state; it is sad to see that after so many tragedies it has brought about, some more seem to follow, and often in the name of history. This situation explains the crucial importance of Early Medieval studies for the conceptions and preconceptions of ethnicity… The existence of Romans, Germans or Slavs in the 5th or 7th centuries became important arguments [sic] in an endless series of national struggles, culminating in the bizarre revival of the fair and reckless Germanic hero that lured an entire people into the Nazi holocaust [not capitalized by the author because why?].”

Now, putting aside that many of the “tragedies” that he talks about were brought about not by nationalists (putting aside as well what exactly constitutes a nationalist in his mind) but by self-avowed internationalists… An ethno-nationalist state is what everyone wanted after all but it was a single ethno-nationalist state that brought about WWII (its citizenry was apparently more easily “lured” to use the author’s vaguely exculpatory language). Nor did the multi-national Austro-Hungarian Empire just sit out WWI. He also fails to understand that it is not nationalism or, for that matter, internationalism or religion that creates “tragedies” but rather extremism in pursuit of almost any idea. And that extremism is fostered by a lack of checks and balances on the ruling class which goes to the importance of institutions. Indeed, the Weimar construct that preceded the Nazis used rhetoric and postulated goals with respect to Germany’s borders, very similar to those of its successor but only its successor, unbound by any constraints, was able to set in motion what the preceding republic could not.

This gentleman tells us he is experiencing “sadness” – we can, like, totally understand, as our forefathers experienced a similar “sadness” when his ancestors brought us some wacky sadness over from his country (of course his people were “lured” into all that as he says) – his polemic, errr “article” is, of course, addressed partly at us – the first saddened, then saddled people who spent 50 years behind the Iron Curtain while he warmed his behind in “neutral” Süd Deutschland (or is it really West Slavland?) protected by cushy government-paid stipends and the might of the surrounding NATO countries (i.e., US)?

Highly-developed empathic abilities allow the Dinaric Uebermensch to experience other people’s sadness at intensity levels such lesser people could never hope to reach

He thinks Suavic nationalism could be just like his so now that his people have stopped killing us, he thinks it’s the right time to start to lecture us…

I need to learn some T A C T !!!!!!!

But let’s put that aside and look at what he actually says above:

“This situation explains the crucial importance of Early Medieval studies for the conceptions and preconceptions of ethnicity… The existence of Romans, Germans or Slavs in the 5th or 7th centuries became important arguments [sic]…”

There it is – he is saying history should be a tool of current politics and new identity formation – forget wie es eigentlich gewesen [ist/war] – that’s irrelevant to an over-eifrig armchair-warrior on a crusade to ensure the Slavs do not cause another holocaust… wait, what!? (note that he wrote holocaust and not Holocaust which may also raise some eyebrows).

So, you see, if in fact you come across claims that the Veneti are not Slavs or that something “definitely is not Slavic” or similar stuff, take them with a grain of salt – not because the opposite must be true (we should lways freely admit our doubts) – but because the person making such a claim may not be guided by truth at all or at least not as much as by certain “secondary” considerations – he may just be an ideologic propagandist who tailors his work to fit his preconceived and, here above explicitly stated, political needs.

Not with a tinge of irony we note that in the 19th century the Slavic-Veneti connection was questioned by German nationalists – now it seems the very existence of Slavs prior to some period is being questioned by German “citizens of the world”. (Someone asked whether we thought this individual was a covert German nationalist – we do not like that description as it has been too often abused and, in any event, even accepting this wording, we do not think so – we take his beliefs to be sincere – sincere lunacy though is no less problematic).

Well, as was once said, if people never did silly things, nothing intelligent would ever get done. And with that we take heart.

Polish Gods Part IV – On the Baptism of Poland by Jan Dlugosz & its After-Effects by Thietmar of Merseburg

PublishedJanuary 6, 2015 Post authortorino

We relate here what the Polish priest Jan Dlugosz says in his Chronicle of the Poles of the fateful events surrounding the “Baptism of Poland” under the heading “The year of our lord 965” [Dobrava arrived in 965, the baptism took place in 966].

We note that there may have been earlier attempts to convert portions of Polish lands – indeed Cracow may already have been Christian by 966. There is, for example, a threatening missive from Methodius to the “duke in Vislech” to accept Chrisianity willingly or have it shoved down his throat at the point of the sword (see the Chronicle of Methodius). Nonetheless, little is known of this and those portions were, apparently, not portions of Poland yet (Cracow likely belonged to the Czechs until Mieszko or Boleslaw took it).

The famous “Methodius’ Offer” painting (water colors) from the IXth century, shows Methodius listing the benefits of conversion to the “Duke in Vislech”

BTW we mention Dlugosz from the 15th century since earlier sources (Gallus Anonymous, Master Kadlubek and the Great Poland Chronicles) do not discuss these events in any detail other than to note that Mieszko was first blind but then, at seven, finally gained his sight – this aws an allegory (apparently) to the future baptism of the entire country. Now, Dlugosz wrote half a millennium after the events in question so that one might question how much of this is accurate but, having said that, this is all we have… almost since there are also reports from the Germans like Thietmar… but first to Dlugosz.

Jan Dlugosz

“A.D. 965 – Mieczyslaw, the duke of Poland marries Dobrava the daughter of the Czech duke and leaving pagan idols, accepts the christian faith with the entire nation”

“After a warning from Christian believers and friars Mieczyslaw left his seven concubines tied to him with the love of the flesh, so that the female pleasures should not hold him in the blind addiction of idolatry.”

Mieszko’s prior wives in traditional Polish red-white uniforms (picture taken at a harvest festival)

“After separating from them [the concubines, i.e., current wives] he sent his envoys to Boleslaw, the Czech duke, the brother and killer of Saint Wenceslas, asking for the hand of his daughter Dobrava which he desired to marry as the only and lawful wife. The Czech duke said that he won’t refuse such an honorable and excellent son-in-law so long as he should first give up his pagan errors and accept the order of the Christian faith; otherwise he won’t allow his daughter to marry a pagan duke and an idolater; the princess gave a similar answer from her side that it is not proper for a Christian woman to marry a pagan; but if Mieczyslaw the Polish duke should give up the disgusting idol worship and accepting baptism he should be reborn with a new life, then in that case she will not deny him her hand;”

Dobrava in a local Plzner promotion – Mieszko’s choice could not have been more difficult

“When the envoys came back to Poland with these messages, duke Mieczyslaw called all the elders and lords and in a well-attended meeting he tried to get counsel what one should do. The lords had different views so that it was decided to delay the decision till the next day.”

Mieszko got agitated at the council meeting

“But that night the foreseeing God, took mercy on the penury and blindness of the Polish nation, and during their sleep filled Mieczyslaw in his dreams as well as a majority of his advisers with a dire warning and order that they should not miss the serendipitous opportunity presented them and to know, before accepting their new faith, that their country should blossom into the future [should they accept it].”

Many of the best of the country’s citizens had an unexpected change of heart over night

“With this revelation, the Polish duke was convinced and he and the elders unanimously agreed to surrender themselves to the holy faith of Christ. And so many envoys were now sent to the Czechs and promised that in order to obtain marriage not only the Polish duke but also the entire Polish nation, after having first learned exactly the tenets of the Christina faith, will accept baptism…”

[the Czech duke Boleslaw now, of course, agrees to provide his daughter together with worthy dowry]

“… there were among the lords and elders of the kingdom many who were strongly opposed to this not allowing to accept the Christian faith. Some argued that this new Christian faith is full of superstitions and nonsense; others argued that it would be hard to keep such a faith; others that it i unworthy to give up the faith of their fathers and mothers, and freely bend their necks to a new and unknown faith. These, however, and other difficulties, the loving god, who gives good counsel to kings, took pity on the foolishness and blindness of the Poles, took away their doubts, and filled them with the spirit of agreement and drove them to accept the Christian faith so that, by rejecting it, they should not become a target of shame among the Czechs and others…”

The Czechs’ mockery – what Mieszko feared the most

“… After a few days, prince Mieczyslaw [BTW it’s always Mieszko – Mieczyslaw is Dlugosz’s invention], after having learned the rules and rites of the correct faith from monks and hermits, which with this purpose in mind, he had brought [to his country], together with lords, nobles and certain better [!] citizens gives up the darkness of prior errors and accepts the rightful faith of Christ; the first step of his conversion to the light of the faith he celebrates with the cleansing mercy by accepting his baptism here in Gniezno. And so cleansed of his sins in the holy fount of rebirth, he uses the baptismal water to cleanse mistakes and paganisms, away from the superstitious worship of idols and towards the knowledge of the true go of the pure and chaste faith…”

“… and at this time, the entire Polish nation accepted the shackle [this is in the text] of salvation of the holy Christian faith; from the mercy of the lord, and with the fervent attempts of Mieczyslaw and his wife Dobrava, Poles saw the light of the faith, when in the Peter Chair there sat Leon VIII, a born Roman who also in this year said good bye to the world and after him there sat down…”

The light of the true faith is best seen from this angle

“… and thereafter from the most severe command of the duke, and a unanimous resolution of the lords and nobles [1%? of the population?] all the idols were broken and statues of false Gods, their temples were burned and their worshippers and believers were condemned to the loss of their property and the penalty of the sword. Polish Duke Mieczyslaw not only abrogated all the feasts and rites honoring the pagan Gods, but also brought together all the magicians, augurers, sorcerers and such and forbade all festivities public and private which were previously part of idol worship.”

A Polish refusenik at a Sacred Grove

“Our God, namely, is not similar to those false gods about whom the Polish people thought that they could be roused with noises, feasts and festivities and all kinds of godlessness. A happy and god-chosen duke who first brought the Poles to the faith of salvation and allied with the holy church through the knowledge of the truth and the abandonment of the idols. And because in almost all the larger towns and villages there stood statues of Gods and Goddesses, idols and sacred groves, which the people were not altogether eager to destroy, as they were commanded by Mieczyslaw, therefore he ordered that the seventh of March be designated as the day when they shall be crushed and destroyed in all the Polish lands.”

“When this day came, all the towns and villages were forced to hit and topple the statutes of their Gods, and, once crushed, to drown them in marshes, lakes and ponds, and to cover them with stones, [a task] for which there came forth in great numbers people of both sexes and not without mournful sorrow and cries of the worshippers of these idols, especially among those, who, by reason of having performed rites to honor these [Gods] derived certain benefits [i.e., the priest class], but because of the fear of ducal officials they dared not resist the order. A reminder of this destruction and drowning of these false Gods and Goddesses idols lives on until the present day in certain Polish villages, where in the fourth Sunday of Lent [Laetare Sunday] they stick on long poles images of Dziewanna and Marzanna [Dzyexwyanye et Marzane], and then they throw them and drown them in nearby bogs. And so the continuation of this task has not yet ceased among the Poles in this ancient custom.”

And so it was that Mieszko converted his country so as to marry the woman he loved. We note that being a much more noble reason than that of Henry VIII who converted his country just to get a divorce.

Thietmar

And now this is bishop Thietmar of Merseburg reporting on the events in Poland after Mieszko’s passing during the reign of Boleslaw the Great:

Bishop Thietmar – known for his writings on cattle, mules and scrota – never saw an Abrahamic religion he didn’t get a hard on for

“In the country of her [Oda’s] husband [i.e., Boleslaw the Great’s country] there are many customs and although they are terrible, some must be applauded. His people, namely, must be watched like cattle and need a whip like a stubborn mule; also it is impossible to rule with the interest of the ruler in mind if the ruler does not apply the harshest punishments. If anyone from these people should dare to enchant someone else’s wife [remember polygamy was permitted before the year 966] or engage in lascivious acts, he is then subject to the following penalty: he is led to a market bridge and then attached to it with a nail through his scrotum. And then there is placed next to him a sharp knife and so he is given a tough choice: either he should die or to cut off that part of the body” [we have a rather difficult time picturing the exact mechanics here but, be that as it may, the whole thing sounds unpleasant].

And the same refusenik, now, after having undergone a successful conversion

“If it has been discovered that someone ate meat [during Lent], he was punished severely by having his teeth knocked out. God’s law you see, only recently introduced to this country, grows greater in strength through such duress than it would [only] through the Lent/fasting ordered by the bishops.”

[we chose not to publish the “teeth” photos as they seemed too drastic and, therefore, unsuitable for our audience]

On Bretislav II’s Revitalization of the New Faith in Bohemia

PublishedJanuary 4, 2015 Post authortorino

We have previously written that the Czech records regarding pre-Christian Gods are poor and that much is certainly, and unfortunately, true. However, Czech chroniclers did manage too smuggle a few descriptions of Czech religious practices even if, perhaps, by accident. Thus, we have Cosmas in Book III of his Chronicle of the Czechs writing about the events of the year 1092, when the new duke Bretislav II:

Bretislav II also invented the Pickelhaube

“…burning with great zeal for the Christian religion at the beginning of his rule, he expelled all the magicians, prophets and soothsayers [omnes magos, ariolosos et sortilegos] from the midst of his realm. He also eradicated and consumed with fire trees or holy groves which the base commoners worshipped in many places [in multis locis colebat vulgus ignobile]. So also the superstitious practices which the villagers, still half-pagan, observed on the third or fourth day of Pentecost, offering libations over springs, offering sacrifices, and making offerings (of flour and salt?) to demons [Item et superstitiosas instituciones, quas villani, adhuc semipagani, in Pentecosten tertia sive quarta feria observabant, offerentes libamina super fontes mactabant victimas et dæmonibus immolabant]; the burials they made in forests and fields; the huts/tents/temples [atque scenes – see, e.g., Hajek “stanky“] they built at two or three crossroads [i.e., where two or three roads meet] for the dead according to the pagan rite as if to bring calm to the souls; and the profane games, which they performed over the dead, rousing the shadows of the dead/ghosts, dancing while wearing masks on their faces, and reveling. The good duke exterminated these abominations and other sacrileges [has abhominaciones et alias sacrileges adinventiones], so they might no longer persist among the people of God. Because he always worshipped the only true God with a pure heart and possessed zeal for him, this pleased all the lovers of God.”

Crossroads “stanky” – now under new management

It certainly does not escape notice that all of this was occurring in a country which had been part of the Moravian state whose rulers were baptized in the 880s and whose first saints became saints in the 920s and 930s (admittedly the usual, painful way). Thus, 150-200 years later, pre-Christian beliefs continued to resist the New Age appeal of Christianity. It should therefore, not shock that in the much larger and more sparsely populated Poland similar practices continued into the 15th century (and indeed even till today depending on how broadly one interprets folk customs).

The forest creatures did not speak up against the abuses of Czechs under Bretislav II – when Bretislav came for them, there was no one left to speak for the forest creatures

Note also the similar references to early May, the time of the Pentecost and of the Green Week, much like here, here and here.

On the Synodal Statutes (1420?) of Andrew, the Bishop of Poznan

PublishedJanuary 3, 2015 Post authortorino

the original (or as original as we get)

Andrew (of the clan “Godziemba”) of Gosławice (pol, Andrzej Łaskarz z Gosławic herbu Godziemba) was the Bishop of Poznan (between 1414 and 1426) and a well-regarded and quite an accomplished man.

We know this, in the first instance, because he appears in the literature under names suggesting importance, relevance and being an altogether heavy-hitter. Thus, for example, he is written up as Andreas Lyaskarius de Goslawicze, nobiles (but, of course!) de domo Godziamba. He was born in 1362 as the son of Laskarz and Dorota from Goslawice (and that should also tell you that he was important since were he of peasant stock, his contemporaries may not have even known his parents’ names or dates of birth and we certainly, six centuries later, would not even dream of knowing them). His father was a castellan of Konin and his mother was, likely, related to the the later Poznan Bishop Piotr Wysz. Andrew studied in Brodnica and then, at 17, moved on to Prague where he received his bachelors degree in 1392/1393. He then moved on to the University of Padua where he received a doctorate in 1405.

However, putting all of this “silver spoon” stuff aside, he used his privileged upbringing quite well and to the service of his country (even while juggling his studies it seems). He was an emissary to the Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights Konrad von Wallenrode (who was followed by the Jungingen brothers, the second of whom ended up going to see his lord at Grunwald/Tannenberg). In 1397, Andrew became a secretary to queen Jadwiga. He participated in various church councils, he traveled to the Holy Land, he represented Poland against the Teutonic Knights at various diplomatic meetings (along with the more famous Paul Wlodkowic) and, of course, was a bishop of Poznan. He is likely to have known Lucas of Great Kozmin.

In 1415 he was at the Council of Constance as a member of the Polish delegation. That council concluded in 1418 (and is best known in history for putting the Czech church reformer Jan Hus to the torch). Upon returning from Constance, the Primate of Poland, Mikolaj Traba called for a provincial meeting of the clergy first at Wielun and then the clergymen continued their deliberations at Kalisz. The purpose presumably was to educate the locals on the new church findings/doctrines/laws and start the implementation phase (maybe gossip about Hus). We may assume that other European Constance attendees had similar “country” meetings after returning home. Those provincial Wielun/Kalisz meetings concluded on the 25th of September 1420 (as per Jan Dlugosz). Their result was a series of statutes that applied country wide to all of Poland.

After the provincial synod, the local clergy, in turn, returned to their own dioceses and called for meetings there. In the case of Andrew, he returned to Poznan and it was then at that point that he called for a meeting of the local Poznan clergy that produced the below discussed Statuta Synodalia Andreae Episcopi Posnaniensis, i.e., the statutes (or laws) for the Poznan diocese (diocese being a part of the Polish province). Presumably, they were a reflection both of what was discussed at Constance and later at Wielun/Kalisz. Again, we may assume that similar meetings were taking place at all the local church levels all over Poland (and Europe) in a kind of a trickle-down evangelism. Note for example that we already briefly (breviter) mentioned here the Statuta Breviter of Gniezno. When did the meeting in Poznan take place? Presumably after the national Wielun/Kalisz meeting so September 26th 1420 would be the earliest date – but before Andrew died in 1426.

laskarza1 These Poznan statutes (but also the Statuta Brevier which deal with similar issues in places) are of great interest as they deal with all kinds of deviations from church policy/docrine and with other excesses. While some are trivial (in their nature, if not in effect) and read a bit like a list of sins of the political class of any respectable middle or southern European country (or of a banana republica latina), others are point to folk practices, beliefs, superstitions and customs that co-existed with and in full view of Christianity – in fact, many local priests participated in these “excesses”. It is a selection of these latter ones that we present here for our readers. We note, upfront, that some of these may be or “proto-Slavic” nature (indeed some of them are also subject to scorn in Bohemia), others may have developed in Poland alongside of Christianity and others yet may have come from other countries (e.g., dyngus from Germany?). Some of these customs we would likely see today as joyful and fun, others as great if kept in moderation, others yet as clearly “excessive” and yet others as, likely, troublesome.

Statuta Synodalia Andreae Episcopi Posnaniensis

(selected items)

VII. De fonte baptismali (Of the baptismal font)

Item statuimus et sub poena trium marcarum mandamus, ut quilibet curatus fontem baptismalem, crisma et oleum sacrum, ac sacratissimum corpus domini nostri Jesu Christi sub seris et clausuris semper habeant, ut nulli alteri quam ipsis pateat accessus propter sortilegia et maleficas mulieres, et conservent in mundis et decentibus locis; caldareque aereum vel plumbeum in fonte baptismali infra hinc et festum Paschae proximum habeant comparatum propter stillicidium, quod fit fontibus ligneis.

(Furthermore, we order and command, under the penalty of [three (?) marks], that in each parish the baptismal fount, chrism/myrrh and sacred oil, the most sacred body of our Lord Jesus Christ be kept under lock and that no one have access to these except [the priests] because of sorcerers and witch women and to keep such [relics] in a clean and decent/well thought-out place; Caldar [?] [bronze/steel/lead vase for, e.g., sprinkling Holy Water] to be placed below the font [at the time/close to?] Easter… in cases of fonts made of wood [?]) (you get the gist)

XXIX. De columbationibus (On caroling/kolenda/kolyadam)*

Item prohibeatis columbationes nocturnas in festo sancti Stephani, cum illa nocte furta, homicidia et plura mala committantur.

(Also, let there be forbidden carolers (kolednicy/calenda – see too here for a Croatian version of yule-tiding mariner carolers) going about at night on the second day of Christmas (Saint Stephen’s Night) for on that night there occur therefore murders, thievery and other bad excesses)

Note this was also the Latin sterna, i.e., auguries, e.g., for the new year.

XXX. De ludis festorum (On festive games)

Item in vigilia Nativitatis Christi prohibeantur ludi et superstitiosae opiniones, quae – proh dolor! – in hac vigent patria.

(Likewise, let there be forbidden on Christmas Eve games and superstitious beliefs/doctrines which – alas! – blossom in this country)

XXXI. De incantationibus mendosis et benedictionibus (On mistaken incantations and blessings)

xxxi1

Item superstitiosae benedictiones et mendosae, quae non habent in sacris scripturis fundamentum, prohibeatis.

(Also, let there be prohibited superstitious and mistaken blessings that do not have foundations in the sacred scriptures)

xxxi2

Item omnes incantationes, quae consueverunt fieri de nocte sanctorum Philippi et Jacobi Apostolorum prohibeantur.

(Likewise, let there be prohibited the enchantments that have become commonplace during the nights/Feats of Saints Phillip and James (this was May 1st – now, since the reform of the Roman calendar in mid-20th century, May 3rd)).

XXXIII. De incantationibus et abusionibus carnis privii (Regarding incantations and other Lent [i.e., carnival] abuses)*

Item, quia multe incantationes et superstitiones consueverunt fieri in carnis privio, arceatis [articulate?] populum, verum ut a talibus desisteret, et a dissolutionibus effrenatae consuetudinis, ut viri mulierum vestibus, et mulieres virorum vestibus utantur.

(Also, because it is customary to name many enchantments and superstitions during the Lent time, tell the people to desist from such and to terminate/dissolve the carrying on of such customs, such as the dressing of men in women’s clothes and women putting on men’s clothes).

* Whether these carnival abuses then then also led to carnal ones is another matter (not for this blog; let us just say that winters are cold in Europe). Note that the etymology of carnival is that of “letting go of meat”, i.e., giving up meat on Lent before Easter (as to Easter, note the connection to Yassa/Yasse via Yasterbog/Jasterbog of the Kaszubians – see, e.g., Jastarnia – we will return with stories of the Venerable Bede & Einhard & others, later)

XXXIV. De pactatione ovorum (On trading eggs)

Item prohibeatis, ne feria secunda et tertia post festum Paschae masculi foeminas, et foeminae masculos praesumant pro ovis et aliis muneribus depactare, vulgariter dyngowacz, nec ad aquam trahere, cum tales insolentiae et strangulationes non sunt sine gravi peccato et sine divini nominis offensa, cum in die Pasche vel circa hoc tempus sunt eucharistiae sacramento procurati; igitur sint solliciti qualiter in omni devotione et disciplina morum se custodiant et observent.

(Also prohibit, on the second and third day after Easter (e.g., Lany Poniedzialek and thereafter) that men ask women and women ask men for eggs and other presents, which in the common tongue is called dyngowacz, and to run to water because such lawlessness and insolence do not take place without also them being grave sins and offenses against the divine name, when this happens around the time of Eucharist/Easter; therefore, be careful and observe whether they they will keep themselves in every lesson in moral conduct and in devotion)*

* The feast of Smigus-Dyngus (whether this comes from Germany (Schmackostern (from, yes, smacking), Stiepern – stypy?) is a topic for another post though we will note here that the only places in Germany where this was a practice seem to be only the former Slavic ones so whether this is originally of a Slavic or of a Germanic beginning is to us unclear although the dyngowacz seems to be of German origin – Dingen = things you give so as not to get smacked) was originally a kind of “trick or treat” event. Specifically, you might get whacked/smacked with a branch from a “palm” tree (remember Palm Sunday?) unless you treated your interlocutors with presents.

Alternatively, the branch was replaced with water and the presents with eggs – and, voila! here is your Easter (or, rather, the fun parts!);

Item prohibeatis comessationes et ebrictates, cum secundum apostolum tales regnum Dei non possidebunt, et praesertim in festivatibus Pentecostes Navitatis Dominin et aliis festis, sed ut divinis officiis sint intenti.

(Also prohibit eating and drunken debauchery [whoa!?] [especially during the Pentecost, Christmas and at other Holy Days, for as the Apostles tell us such persons [acting this way] shall not inherit the Kingdom of God)

XXXV. De imagine straminis in jejunio (Of [the carrying of] straw imagines during fasting [Lent])

Item prohibeatis, ne in dominica “Laetare”, alias “Biala niedziela”, superstitiosam consuetudinem observent, efferentes quamdam imaginem, quam mortem vocant, et in lutum postea projiciunt, quia non carent hujus modi facta scrupulo superstitionis.

(Also prohibit on the Laetare Sunday* (alias White Sunday), the superstitious custom of carrying around a kind of a puppet that they call “death” (i.e., Marzanna), which they then throw into the mud as they are not free from these kinds of superstitions)

Same practices were also subject to prohibitions in the Prague diocese in 1366 and again in 1384 during a local synod.

* Fourth Sunday of Lent

XL. De abusionibus circa funera (Of abuses at the time of funerals)

Item superstitiosas, consuetudines, quae consueverunt fieri circa funera, prohibeatis.

(Prohibit also the superstitious rituals that are customary at funerals)

LVIII. De choreis nocturnis festorum (Of night dances and feasts)

Item inhibeatis nocturnas choreas in diebus sabbativis et in vigiliis sanctorum Joannis Baptistae, Petri et Pauli, cum plures fornicationes, adulteria et incestus illis temporibus committuntur.

(Prohibit too the nightly dances that take place during days of the sabbath (sobotki or kupalnocki in the summer) and on the days of the Saints John the Baptist and Saints Peter and Paul, for there are fornications and adultery and incest committed in those times)