A visit by King Casimir Jagiellonian to the Benedictine Abbey at Bald Mountain sheds interesting light on quasi-pagan practices that took place there as late as the 15th century. A royal edict describes how the abbey’s Benedictine monks were ticked off by the fact that during the Green Week, that is the Pentecost, local villagers would throw a party right by the abbey. The sounds of trumpets, drums and pipes would create a tremendous noise while the locals engaged in shameful entertainments and, as the party got going, even formed dance circles. In the evening, the villagers would build fires. The local abbot Michael complained that alongside of these suspect jovialities there frequently occurred all kinds evil deeds including theft and murder and, of course, everyone’s all time favorite – debauchery. The monks’ daily and nighttime prayers were naturally greatly disturbed by all this commotion. The villagers did not, of course, possess any official permits complained the abbot. He then asked the visiting king to curtail these sinful practices. The king did so and established official – royally sanctioned – market festivities during Pentecost as well as on Saint Lawrence’s Feast Day – that is the 10th of August. These, however, would take place not near the abbey but at the foot of Bald Mountain in the town of Nowa Słupia. Further, the king granted the monks the right to tax such festivals as well as gave them a monopoly on liquor sales (save only wine) during such days “so as to provide for the welfare of the abbey such that it should ever more fervently pray to the Lord for the well being of King and Country.” It is noteworthy that the Sun is about the same altitude in the sky both during Pentecost (beginning of May) and on Saint Lawrence’s Day. The midpoint between these days falls on summer solstice. No doubt that it was such festivities that gave rise to later stories of witches’ “sabbaths” taking place at Bald Mountain.
Sometimes these parties got slightly out of hand
The following text comes from the Codex diplomaticus Poloniae quo continentur privilegia regum Poloniae but supplemented by the writings of the Polish priest-historian Józef Gacki.
For more on Bald Mountain see here.
Słupiae—die 4 menais Decembris 1468 anno.
Nundinas, quae superioribus singulis annis in Monte Calvo exercentur, ordinis tranquillitatisque publicae causa, Rex Casimirus Jagellonides in oppidum Słupie transfert (1).
In nomine domini amen. Cum gestorum inimica obliuio singulaque volvuntur sub tempore e memoria plerumque excutit ac detergit, si non fuerint stili artificio et testium annotacione perennata: proinde nos Cazimirus dei gracia Rex Polonie nec non terrarum Graccouie Sandomirie, Siradie, Lancicie, Cuiauie, Magnus dux Lithuanie, Russie, Prussieque, nec non Culmensis, Elbingensis, et Pomeranie dominus et heres, ad perpetuam rei memoriam significamus tenore presencium quibus expedit vniuersis presentibus et futuris; quomodo venerabilis ac relligiosus Michael Abbas sancte crucis montis calui, deuotus noster dilectus, sua nobis narracione monstrauit, quod singulis annis superiori tempore transactis, in monte caluo monasterii sui pro festo pentecosthes ad tenendas nundinas seu forum annale, nulla priuilegiorum firmitate roboratum, populi multitudo sexus utriusque assolet de consuetudine confluere, ubi tubarum, timpanorum. fistularum, aliorumque musicorum generum exercicia adhibentur, Chorearum ceterorumque jocorum plausus exercentur, multa insuper furta, homicidia, alieque enormitates et deordinaciones plerumque committuntur, que cultus diuini obsequis diurnis et nocturnis sepenumero magno sunt impedimento unde deordinata et enormia huius modi scandala ab illo loco in quo nomen domini assidue inuocatur tollere ас prouida prospectione summouere (?) cupientes, quatenus et locus ipse honestate debita prosequatur et fratres illius monasterii optata quiete in suis oracionibus quibusuis summotis impedimentis paciantur, prefatas nundinas seu forum annale in dicto monte caluo amplius et de cetero exercendum inhibemus prefato abbati et suis pro tempore successoribus mandato nostro Regio committimus, ut taies enormes deordinaciones scandalososque Conventus (sic) pro dictis diebus, in quibus spiritus sancti gracia pocius est imploranda fieri prohibeant ducturas, propinacionesue cereuisiarum aliorumque potagiorum non admittant, tuguria insuper pro premissis exercendis in dicto monte caluo construere nulla racione permittat, sola dumtaxat taberna excepta que illic antiquitus est locata aut erecta, quam in primeuo statu et condicione uolumus permanere. Ne autem hominibus dictas nundinas exercere uolentibus negociandi aut mercandi, uendendi uel emendi facultas adimi uideatur, ipsas siue forum annale in oppido Słup sub monte caluo ante dicto sito, bis in anno, uidelicet pro diebus festi Pentecostes et pro festo beati Laurencii martiris nec non per totam octauam festorum predictorum singulis annis indiximus, statuimus, et posuimus, indicimusque, ponimus et statuimus perpetuo et in euvm tenore preeencium mediante, ab omnibus mercatoribus, uectoribus et populis cuiuscumque status condicionis, sexus, aut preeminencie existant, more ciuitatum et aliorum oppidorum Regni nostri celebrandi et realiter exercendi, decernentes presentis scripti patrocinio, ut quicumque homines, ad huiusmodi nundinas seu annalia fora pro festiuitatibus Pentecosthes et Laurencii predictis, ad sepedictum oppidum Słup gracia emendi, uendendi, et res pro rebus commutandi accesserint in accedendo et recedendo securitate nostra plenaria et nostrorum successorum pociantur, nisi tales sint quos iura non tueutur et quibus merito fidedignorum consorcia denegantur. Volentes insuper dicti monasterii montis calui condicionem facere meliorem, ut inde uberioribus fratres eiusdem gracie nostre presidiis subportati, altissimum pro nobis ac statu reipublice feruencius studeant exorare, prefato Michaeli abbati et suis pro tempore successoribus racione foralium a quolibet curru panni onerato per unum grossum, ab aliis uero curribus institorum siue mercimoniorum per medium grossum tollendi ac recipiendi tempore huiusmodi nundinarum plenam et omnimodam concedimus facultatem ciuitatum tamen et oppidorum nostrorum Regalium mercatoribus, vectoribus, ac negociatoribus duntaxat exceptis quos ad dictorum foralium solucionem nullatenus uolumus obligari. Interea autem forensium extranearumue cerrevisiarum (sic) ducturam ac propinacionem, uino duntaxat excepto in ipso oppido Słup pro temporibus prescriptarum nundinarum prohibendi ac tuendi memorato abbati ac suis successoribus plenam potestatem impartimur, ita tamen, ut de hiis et aliis necessariis pro hominibus forum annale huiusmodi celebrantibus et exercentibus prouidere eademque abs defectu ministrare teneantur ac debebunt. Harum quibus sigillum nostrum est subappensum testimonio litterarum.
Actum in Słup dominico die ipso sancta Barbare uirginis, anno domini millesimo quadringentesimo sexagesimo octauo; presentibus Generosis, strenuis, ac nobilibus Nicolao de Chransthow Vexillifero Cracoviensi, Petro Donyn de Prawcovicze succamerario (2) Paulo Jasszensky subdapifero Sandomiriensi, Nicolao Dzialinskij et Nicolao Cosczielieckij curiensibus nostris, ceterisque ad premissa fidedignis. Datum per manus Venerabilis Alberti de Zichlin custodis Sandomiriensis, nec non Gneznensis, Graccouiensis, Vladislaviensisque, et Posnaniensis Ecclesiarum Canonici, ас Regni Polonie uicecancellarii, sincere nobis dilecti.
Relacio eiusdem Venerabilis Alberti.
(1) Ex eodem libro manuscrípto, qui jam sub a. 1351 descriptus erat, tabula a Leone Rzysczewscio deprompta. De oppido Słupie monasterii in Monte Calvo locati proprio, ibidem.
(2) Sandomiriensis sub, camerarius fuit.
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