DISCOURSE ON ABBATÔN BY TIMOTHY, ARCHBISHOP OF ALEXANDRIA
This text is a discourse on the Angel of Death, who is here called Abbatôn, i.e. Abaddôn, the Hebrew name of Apollyôn (Rev. 9:11), the Angel or King of the Abyss. The author of the discourse is Timothy, Patriarch of Alexandria (died 385), who transcribes a legend which he found in an ancient volume in the library which was founded by the Holy Apostles, and supplied with histories of their lives and acts for the edification of believers. Text like these are of great importance for the history of Christianity in Egypt, for the information supplied by them either is new, or is given in a fuller form than that found in the Ethiopic Synaxarium and in the 'Paradise' of Palladius. The dates in the colophons prove that the manuscript from which they are edited were copied during the second half of the tenth century. As three of the volumns formed part of the library of the famous Monastery of Saint Mercurius in Edfû, and as the fourth was in the library of the church of Saint Victor in the same town, we may assume that their contents represent the views and beliefs of the great monastic communities of Upper Egypt at the flourishing period of their history.
THE DISCOURSE WHICH APA TIMOTHY, ARCHBISHOP OF RAKOTE, OUR HOLY FATHER, WHO WAS GLORIOUS IN EVERY RESPECT, PRONOUNCED ON THE MAKING OF ABBATÔN, THE ANGEL OF DEATH. OUR HOLY FATHERS THE APOSTLES ASKED THE SAVIOUR ABOUT ABBATÔN, SO THAT THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO PREACH ABOUT HIM TO ALL MANKIND, FOR THEY KNEW THAT MEN WOULD ASK THEM QUESTIONS ABOUT EVERYTHING. AND THE SAVIOUR, WHO DID NOT WISH TO DISAPPOINT THEM ABOUT ANY MATTER CONCERNING WHICH THEY ASKED HIM QUESTIONS, INFORMED THEM SAYING, 'THE DAY ON WHICH MY FATHER CREATED ABBATÔN WAS THE THIRTEENTH DAY OF THE MONTH ATHÔR, AND HE MADE HIM KING OVER ALL CREATION, WHICH HE HAD MADE, BECAUSE OF THE TRANSGRESSION OF ADAM AND EVE.' AND THE ARCHBISHOP WISHING TO LEARN CONCERNING THIS FEARFUL AND TERRIFYING BEING WHOM GOD MADE, AND WHO PURSUETH EVERY SOUL UNTIL IT YIELDETH UP ITS SPIRIT IN MISERY, WHEN HE WENT INTO JERUSALEM TO WORSHIP THE CROSS OF OUR SAVIOUR, AND HIS LIFEGIVING TOMB, ON THE SEVENTEENTH DAY OF THE MONTH THOTH, SEARCHED THROUGH THE BOOKS WHICH WERE IN THE LIBRARY OF JERUSALEM, AND WHICH HAD BEEN MADE BY OUR HOLY FATHERS THE APOSTLES, AND DEPOSITED BY THEM THEREIN , UNTIL HE DISCOVERED THE ACCOUNT OF THE CREATION OF ABBATÔN, WITH AN AGED ELDER, WHO WAS A NATIVE OF JERUSALEM. WHEN ONE ASKED HIM WHAT WAS THE OCCASION FOR THE DISCOURSE HE HAD FORGOTTEN WHAT IT WAS. AND HE SPAKE ALSO CONCERNING THE HOLY APOSTLE SAINT JOHN, THEOLOGIAN AND VIRGIN, WHO IS NOT TO TASTE DEATH UNTIL THE THRONES ARE SET IN THE VALLEY OF JEHOSEPHAT, WHICH IS THE PLACE WHEREIN THE LAST STRIFE OF THE WORLD SHALL TAKE PLACE. IN THE PEACE OF GOD! AMEN. BLESS US!
Hearken unto my speech, which is sweet and is filled with gladness of every kind! My Lord and my God crieth out to us daily in the Holy Gospel, saying, 'Every one who asketh shall receive, he who seeketh shall find, and to him that knocketh they will open.' And again, 'Everything which ye shall ask in My Name from My Father, shall be unto you.' And the holy song-writer David saith, 'Blessed are they who are righteous in the way, and who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are the saints, and those who seek them. Blessed are those who walk in His testimonies, and who seek Him with their whole heart.' And again, 'Those who seek after the Lord shall not lack any manner of thing which is good.' Who are they who seek after the Lord? O my beloved, hearken attentively, O ye who love to hear, and I will tell you. Those who seek the Lord are all those wise men who meditate upon His law, and His commandments, and His righteous judgments, by day and by night, according to what is written, 'The law of God shall never be absent from thy mouth'. And again, 'It is meet that every man who is a Christian should fill his body with the fruits of his lips, as if it were corporeal food.' Those who seek after God are those men who inquire concerning the creation of the angels of God, and who make manifest their holy commemorations. Those who seek after God are all those men who seek after His saints, and who bear in remembrance the sufferings which they endured, and record them in the churches. Those who seek after God are all the men who give alms, and charities, and offerings unto God at their holy commemorations, each one according to his power. Those who seek after God are all the men who love strangers, and those who love the poor, and who clothe the naked on the festival of the saints, each one according to his power. For this reason, then, O my beloved brethren, let us give this day unto the saints, each one according to his power. For this reason, then, O my beloved brethren, let us give with a right heart and with a perfect faith, in order that we may find them for ourselves in the day of our visitation. Our Saviour informeth us in the Holy Gospel, saying, 'Whosoever shall give one of these little ones even a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, Amen, I say unto you' . . . . .
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a week of days before the festival came. And in this manner we entered into the martyrdom of the holy God-bearer Mary, which had been built to her in the Valley of Jehosaphat, and we received a blessing, and we prayed together with those who had come there for the festival. And in this wise we were mindful of the Offering with all diligence, and we received the Eucharist with all the people on that day. And each man departed to his house, and we withdrew ourselves from the festival, and I took up my abode in the church. And whilst we were living there the aged presbyter, whose name was John, came up to me, and did homage before me, saying, 'If thy servant hath found favor before thee, let my lord father come to the house of thy servant, for we would enjoy thy blessing.' And when I had perceived his great love for his fellow man, and his gentleness, which was like unto that of an angel of God, I rose up, and I went with him, both I and those who were with me. And when he had taken us up into the upper storey of his house we prayed, and we sat down according to the commandment of our Saviour. And he made for us a great banquet that day, because he was a lover of men, and he was especially hospitable to strangers, and to every one who sojourned in the church, even as was the Patriarch Abraham.
And when the morning had come we talked together concerning the mighty deeds and miracles which our Saviour had wrought, and how the godless Jews had crucified Him because of their jealousy of Him. And in this wise I spake unto the old man, the oresbyter, 'My noble son, is not the Book of the appointing of Abbatôn, the Angel of Death, among all these books which are here, and under thy charge? I want it because I wish to learn how it came about that God made him the king of all mankind, and of all the created things which He made, and how it was that God made him awful and terrifying, for he cometh and pursueth after every soul until it hath yielded up its spirit.' And straighway the old man, the elder, said unto me with a face filled with graciousness, 'Well hath the Master of us all, the Christ, said in the Holy Gospel, "Whosoever seeketh shall find, and whosoever knocketh it shall be opened unto him, and whosoever asketh shall receive." And as for thee, O my holy father, thou seeketh, and thou shalt find; thou knockest, and it shall be opened unto thee; thou asketh, and thou shalt receive. The Lord shall fulfill thy petition which thou has asked.'
And when I had heard these things from the old man, the presbyter, I gave thanks to God because He had never disappointed me in respect of any matter which I had asked from Him; and thus the old man brought it to me. And when it had come into my hand I rejoiced over it more than I should have done over very much riches, and I cried out with David the Psalmist, the righteous king, saying, 'I rejoice over thy words even as doth the man who hath found great spoil.' And I read in the book, and I found written therein the following:
And it came to pass that when our Saviour, Who is the Root of all good, had finished everything, when the days of His Apocalypse were completed, and He was to ascend up to His Father, He laid His hand upon each one of His holy Apostles, and He prayed over them, and sent them forth into all the world to preach His holy Resurrection to all the heathen, and He filled them with power and with His Holy Spirit, and He spake unto them, saying, 'The mighty deeds and miracles which I have performed, ye yourselves also shall do. Ye shall lay your hands upon the sick and they shall have relief. Ye shall tread upon serpents and scorpions. Ye shall take up serpents in your hands. And when ye drink deadly poisions they shall have no evil effect upon you. Baptize those who believe in Me, and in My Good Father, and the Holy Spirit, in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and I will forgive them their sins. Those who do not believe shall be condemned to the second death. Depart in peace. The peace which is Mine shall be with you. And I will never cease to walk with you even to the end of this world.'
Then the Lord answered and said unto Saint Peter, the greatest of the Apostles, the pillar of the Church, the steward of the kingdom which is in the heavens, 'Him that thou wishes to take into it, take; and him that thou wishest to reject, reject.' And Peter said unto the Saviour, 'My Lord and my God. Behold, Thou hast informed us concerning everything about which we have asked Thee, and Thou hast hidden nothing from us. And now, O my Lord and my God, behold, Thou hast sent us out into the whole world to preach Thy holy Resurrection to all the nations, and the mighty deeds and miracles which Thou hast done, the which we have seen with our eyes, and concerning which we have heard, and Thou hast explained them all to us, even the matter of Thy Virgin Mother, and Thy holy Birth. And, O my Lord, Thou knowest that there are very many contentious and unbelieving people who will ask questions of us concerning everything, and we wish to be able to explain unto them everything. Now therefore, O my Lord, we wish Thee to inform us concerning the day wherein Thou didst establish Abbatôn, the Angel of Death, and didst make him to be awful and disturbing, and to pursue all souls until they yield up their spirits, so that we may preach concerning him to all mankind, even as we preach concerning all his fellow angels whom Thou hast created, and of whom Thou hast shewn us the days of their establishing, and also that when men hear of him on the day of his establishing they may be afraid, and may repent, and may give charities and gifts on the day of his commemoration, just as they do to Michael and Gabriel, so that their souls may find mercy and respite on the day of Thy holy Resurrection.'
And the Saviour, the Storehouse that is filled with mercy and compassion of every kind, Who loveth everything which is good in respect of His day, Who wisheth not to cause us disappointment about anything concerning which we are asked, said unto them, 'O ye whom I have chosen from out of the whole world, I will hide nothing from you, but I will inform you how My Father established him over all the created things which He had made. For I and My Father are one, according to what Philip said unto me, "Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us." And I said unto him, "O Philip, in all the time which thou hast been with Me, hast thou not known Me? He who hath seen Me hath seen My Father. Believe thou that I am in My Father, and My Father is in Me. If it be impossible for thee, believe His works." And now, O my holy members, whom I have chosen from out of the whole world, I will hide nothing from you. It came to pass that when My Father was creating the heavens, and the earth, and the things which are therein, He spake the word, and they all came into being, Angel, and Archangel, and Cherubim, and Seraphim, and Thrones, and Divine Governors, and Dominions, and all the Powers that are in the heavens, and all the army of heaven. And He made the earth also, and the wild animals, and the reptiles, and the cattle, and the birds, and everything which moveth upon it. And He planted also a paradise in the eastern part of the earth. And My Father saw that the whole world was a desert, and that there was no one to work it. And My Father said, "Let us make a man in Our image and likeness, that he may continue to praise us by day and by night, and that every one may know that it is the hand of the Lord that hath made all these things; for I existed before these things were." And My Father commanded an angel, saying, "By My wish and by My command get thee to the land of Edem, and bring to Me some virgin earth in order that I may make a man in Our image and likeness therewith, so that he may ascribe blessing unto Us by day and by night."
And the angel went, to the land of Edem, according to My Father's command. And he stood upon the earth, and he reached out his hand to gather together some of it and take it to My Father. And straightway the earth cried out with a loud voice, saying, "I swear unto thee by Him Who sent thee to Me, that if thou takest me to Him, He will mold me into a form, and I shall become a man, and a living soul. And very many sins shall come forth from my body, and many fornications, and slanderous abuse, and jealousy, and hatred and contention shall come forth from his hand, and many murders and sheddings of blood shall come forth from his hand. And they shall cast me out to the dogs, and to the cats, and into pits and holes in the ground, and into streams of water before my time, and after all these things they will finally cast me into punishment, and they will punish me by day and by night. Let me stay here, and go back to the ground and be quiet."
'And when the Angel of God had heard these things he was afraid of My Father's Name, and he returned and came to My Father, and said," My Lord, when I heard Thy awful Name I did not wish to bring the earth unto Thee." And straightway My Father commanded an angel a second time to go to it, and then a third angel, and so on even unto seven angels, and not one of them wished to approach the earth because it took awful oaths by mighty names. And when My Father saw that none of the angels wished to bring the earth to Him, He sent the angel Mouriêl to the earth, saying unto him, "Go thou by My command to the land of Edem, and bring unto me some virgin earth so that I may fashion a man therefrom, after Mine own image and likeness, that he may ascribe blessing unto Us by day and by night."
'And when the Angel of God had departed to the earth he stood upon it in great power and might, and in the commandment of God. And he reached out his hand to take some of it, and straightway the clay cried out with a loud voice, saying "I swear unto thee by the name of Him that created the heavens, and the earth, and the things that are therein, that thou shalt not approach me to take me unto God." And the angel Mouriêl was not afraid at the mention of the Name of My Father when he heard it, and he paid no heed thereto, but he went to it, and he laid hold of it with firmness and determination, and he brought it to My Father Who rejoiced over it. And He took the clay from the hand of the angel, and made Adam according to Our image and likeness. and He left him lying for forty days and forty nights without putting breath into him. And He heaved sighs over him daily, saying, "If I put breath into this man, he must suffer many pains." And I said unto My Father, "Put breath into him; I will be an advocate for him." And My Father said unto Me," If I put breath into him, My beloved Son, Thou wilt be obliged to go down into the world, and to suffer many pains for him before Thou shalt have redeemed him, and made him to come back to his primal state." And I said unto My Father, "Put breath into him; I will be his advocate, and I will go down into the world, and will fulfill Thy command."
'And whilst He was wishing to put breath into him He took a book, and wrote therein the names of those who should come forth from him and who should enter into the kingdom which is in the heavens, according to what is written, "These are they whose names are written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world." And He put breath into him in this way; He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life three times, saying, "Live! Live! Live! according to the type of My Divinity." And the man lived straightway, and became a living soul, according to the image and likeness of God. And when Adam had risen up he cast himself down before My Father, saying, " My Lord and my God! Thou hast made me to come into being from a state in which I did not exist." Thereupon My Father set him upon a great throne, and He placed on his head a crown of glory, and He put a royal scepter in his hand, and My father made every order of angels in the heavens to come and worship him, whether angel or archangel. And all the hosts of heaven worshiped God first of all, and then they worshiped Adam, saying, "Hail, thou image and likeness of God" And He intended that the order of the angels who were fashioned before Adam should worship him, and My Father said unto him, " Come, thou thyself shalt worship my image and likeness." And he, a being of great pride, drew himself up in a shameless manner, and said, 'It is meet that this man Adam should come and worship me, for I existed before he came into being."
'And when My Father saw his great pride, and that his wickedness and his evil-doing were complete, He commanded all the armies of heaven, saying, 'Remove the writing which is in the hand of the proud one, strip ye off his armor, and cast ye him down upon the earth, for his time hath come. For he is the greatest of them all he is the head over them, and is like a king. and he commandeth them as the general of an army commandeth his soldiers; he is the head over them, and their names are written in his hand." Thus is it with this cunning one, and the names of the angels, were written in his hand. And all the angels gathered together to him, and they did not wish to remove the writing from his hand. And My Father commanded them to bring a sharp reaping-knife, and to stab him therewith on this side and on that, right through his body to the vertebrae of his shoulders, and he was unable to hold himself up. And straightway My Father commanded a mighty Cherubim, and he smote him, and cast him down from heaven upon the earth, because of his pride, and he broke his wings and his ribs and made him helpless, and those whom he had brought with him became devils with him.
'And My Father made them take Adam into Paradise, and a multitude of angels sang hymns before him, and they left him there, and he continued to ascribe blessing unto God. And Adam lived alone in Paradise for one hundred years. And when he had completed the period of one hundred years--now Adam lived in the Paradise of Delight, and remained there alone, and the angels used to come to him every day--My Father said, "It is not good to allow the man to live by himself, but let Us make for him a helper like unto he himself." And He brought a slumber upon Adam, who fell into a deep sleep, and He took out one of his ribs and filled up the place thereof with flesh, and He made a woman according to the form of Adam. And when Adam woke up out of his sleep he saw her, and he said, "This now is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman', because she was taken out of her male." Now it was Adam who gave names to all the cattle, and to the wild beasts and to the birds, and to every living creature which moveth upon the earth, and even to those which are in the waters; unto all of them did Adam give names, according to the command of My Good Father.
'And Adam lived in the Paradise of Delight, he and Eve his wife, for two hundred years; and they were virgins, and they were even as the angels of God. And when they had been living in the Paradise of Delight for two hundred years, Eve came forth and passed through the northern part of Paradise, close by the wall, in order to obtain fruit for the cattle and for all the other creatures, because My Father had told Adam and Eve to feed them according to His command, and they received their food from the hand of Adam and Eve. And the serpent himself came at the hour of evening to receive his food according to his wont, for the serpent was like unto all the other beasts, and he walked upon his feet just as did they. And the Devil lived nigh unto Paradise, and he lay in wait for Adam and Eve by day and by night, and when he saw Eve by herself he went into the serpent, and said within himself, "Behold, I have found my opportunity; I will speak into her ear, and I will make her to eat of the tree, and I will cause them to be expelled from Paradise, for I myself was expelled from Paradise for their sakes."
'And the Devil spake unto Eve through the mouth of the serpent, saying, "Why do ye not eat of the tree which is in the middle of Paradise, as ye do of all the other trees, for the fruit thereof is good?" And Eve said, "God said unto us, Ye may certainly eat of every tree which is in Paradise with the exception of the tree of knowledge of the good and of the evil; in the day wherein ye eat thereof ye shall surely die." And the serpent said unto her, "Ye shall not surely die, but ye shall be like unto these gods, ye shall know the good and the evil, and ye shall be able to separate the sweet from the bitter. God spake unto you in this manner because when ye have eaten thereof ye shall become as gods." And the Devil ceased not to speak into her ear until he had beguiled her and she ate of the tree. And straightway Eve became naked, and she knew that she was naked, and she took some leaves of the fig-tree, and covered her nakedness. And she went to Adam, and when Adam saw her, and saw that she was naked, he was exceedingly grieved, and he became very sorrowful in heart, and shed tears in great abundance. And he said unto her, 'Wherefore hast thou acted in this wise? Behold, from this day forward we shall die, and God will be wroth with us, and He will cast us forth from Paradise." And Eve said unto him, "Come thou and eat. If God shall blame thee, I will take everything upon myself before God." And in this way Adam took, and ate, and he became naked, and he knew immediately that he was naked ; and he covered his nakedness with fig-leaves.
'And straightway the voice of My Father came to him in Paradise, saying, "Adam, where art thou?'' And he said, 'My Lord, I heard Thy voice, but I was afraid, and I hid myself because I was naked." And My Father said unto him, "Who told thee so? Hast thou eaten of the tree until thou hast become naked? " And Adam said, " My Lord, the woman whom Thou didst give unto me as a helper made me eat, and I became naked." And My Father said unto her, "Wherefore hast thou done this thing?" She said unto Him, "My Lord, the serpent led me astray; I ate, and I became like the gods." And My Father said unto the serpent, "Because thou hast done this thing, cursed art thou among all the beasts of the earth. Thou shalt walk upon thy belly all the days of thy life, and all thy seed shall be accursed throughout all generations on the earth. Thou shalt eat earth and ashes all thy time, and so shall all those that shall come forth from thee." It was in this way that the serpent came to walk upon his belly, according to what My Father decreed for him. And He said unto the woman also," Because thou hast done this thing thou shalt bring forth children in sorrow and sighing, and thou shalt turn to thy husband." And similarly He turned to Adam, and said unto him, "Cursed be the earth because of thy deeds. Thou shalt eat thy bread by the sweat of thy face, and all those who shall come out of thee shall do likewise. Behold, thou shalt die from this day onwards, because thou art earth, and thou shalt return again to the earth. Thou shalt live in the world a life of nine hundred and thirty years, and when death cometh upon thee thou shalt turn to the earth I again. Thy soul shall abide in Amente, and thou shalt sit in black darkness for four and a half thousand of years ...
"And when five and a half thousand of years are fulfilled I will send My beloved Son into the world, and He shall abide in a virgin womb, that is to say, the holy Virgin Mary. She shall give Him birth on the earth in lowliness and humility, and after she hath done so she shall remain a virgin, even as she was before. He shall pass thirty-three and a half years in the world, and He shall receive every attribute of humanity, sin alone excepted. He shall perform innumerable mighty deeds and wonders, He shall raise the dead, He shall drive out the devils, He shall heal those who are sick of the palsy, He shall make the lame to walk, the deaf He shall make to hear, and the dumb He shall make to speak, He shall cleanse the lepers, and restore the arms that are withered, and He shall open the eyes of the blind by the word of His power. In short, there shall be no limit to the miracles which He shall perform, but in spite of all these men will not believe on Him. And at length, after all these things, they shall rise up against Him, and they shall deliver Him over unto death, and they shall give Him into the hand of the Governor, that is to say, Pilate, and he shall judge Him for thy sake. He shall be in the form of a servant for thy sake. They shall smite Him in the face for thy sake. They shall treat Him with contempt and vilify Him for thy sake. They shall pass sentence of condemnation upon Him as if He were a sacrilegious person. They shall mount Him upon the wood of the Cross, between two thieves, for thy sake. They shall set a crown of thorns upon His head for thy sake. They shall make Him drink vinegar and gall for thy sake. They shall drive nails into His hands and feet for thy sake. He shall yield up His Spirit on the Cross. They shall pierce His side with a spear so that meter and blood shall flow forth therefrom, and it is these which shell cleanse the sine of the world. They shall lay Him in a new tomb. He shall rise from the dead on the third day. He shall go down into Amente, He shall shatter the gate of brass, and break in pieces the bolts of iron, and shall bring thee up therefrom together with all those who shall be held there in captivity with thee. For thy sake, O Adam, the Son of God shall suffer all these things until He hath redeemed thee, and restored thee to Paradise, unto the place whence thou didst come, for He made Himself to be thy protector, when thou wast clay, before He put breath into thee."
'It was I, the Son of God, Who suffered all these things a until I delivered man I from the hand of the Devil. And ye have seen all these things with your eyes, O my holy Apostles. It was in this wise that My Father expelled Adam and Eve from Paradise. He shut the gate thereof, and He placed a mighty being of fire to watch the gate of Paradise, so that no one might enter therein until all those things which He had proclaimed concerning Adam had been fulfilled.
'And the Devil went to meet Adam outside Paradise, and he said unto him," Behold, O Adam, I was cast forth from my glory through thee, and behold, I have made thee to be expelled from the Paradise of Delight because thou hast caused me to become a stranger to my dwelling-place in heaven. Know thou that I will never cease to contend against thee and against all those who shall come after thee from out of thee, until I have taken them all down into Amente with me."
'And when Adam heard these things he became very sad, and shed many tears both by day and by night. And My Father said unto Mouriêl the angel, "Behold, the man whom I created in My image hath transgressed the commandment which I gave him. He hath eaten of the tree, and hath brought a great injury upon all mankind. For this reason I make thee king over him, for it was thou who didst bring him to Me on this day, which is the thirteenth of the month Hathor.
"Thy name shall he I a terror in the mouth of every one. They shall call thee Abbatôn, the Angel of Death.
"Thy form and thine image shall be associated with complaining, and wrath, and threatening in all souls, until they have yielded up their spirits.
"Thine eye and thy face shall he like unto a wheel of fire which beareth waves and waves of fire before me.
"The sound of thy nostrils shall be like unto the sound of a lake of fire wherein burn fire and sulphur.
"The sound of the noises made by thy lips shall be like unto the sounds of the seven thunders which shall speak with their tongues.
"Thy head shall be like unto these great pillars of fire which reach from heaven downwards.
"Thy teeth shall project from thy mouth the length of half a cubit.
"The fingers of thy hands and the toes of thy feet shall be like unto sharp reaping-knives.
"Seven heads shall be on the top of thy head, and they shall change their shapes and forms continually.
"Their teeth shall project outside their mouths for the length of two palms, and they shall point towards the four quarters of the world. Thou shalt be suspended in the midst, and thou shalt sit upon a throne of fire.
"Thine eyes shall look down upon the earth, and upon whatsoever is in the depths of the waters; nothing shall be hidden from thee in heaven, nor from one end of the earth to the other, from the north to the south, and from the east to the west, among all the created things which I have made.
"Not one of them shall yield up his spirit until he hath seen thee.
"Thou shalt shew compassion neither upon small nor great, and thou shalt carry all away mercilessly. The Powers shall be under thy control, and thou shalt send them after every soul. They shall strike terror into souls, and shall change their forms. When the period of their life hath come to an end thou shalt appear to them, and they shall look upon thee; and when they look upon thy face their souls shall not be able to abide in them, even for a moment, and they will be forced to yield them up. Thus thou shalt continue to be king over them until the period for which I have ordained I the world to last shall be ended."
'And when the angels saw him they were all greatly disturbed together, and they said, "Woe! Woe be unto the sons of men who shall be born into the world! For behold, even we who are incorporeal shall perish through terror." Then Abbatôn, the Angel of Death, cast himself down before My Father, saying, "My Lord, behold Thou hast made me to be an object of terror unto the angels. Now, therefore, O my Lord, I entreat Thee, and I beseech Thy Goodness to grant that when the sons of men who shall be born into the world shall hear that thou hast made me to be an object of terror and fear they shall become afraid, I and shall give charity, and alms, and gifts, in my name, and that the day whereon Thou didst establish me may be written down in the nook, and that they may appear on the day of my commemoration, and may seek after mercy and rest for their souls. And now, O my Lord, let Thy Spirit establish them. And grant unto me power over them, so that I may take them to the place of rest, and to the dwelling-place of all those who rejoice, and let them celebrate a festival in my honor upon the earth even as they celebrate festivals in honor of all my fellow angels. O my Lord, let Thy mercy help them!"
'And My Father spake, saying, "I tell thee, O Abbatôn, thou Angel of Death, whosoever shall hold thee in terror, and shall give alms and charities in thy name, or repent, or write in the Book the day of thy establishing, that is to say, the thirteenth day of the month Hathor, the day whereon I established thee over Adam because of his disobedience, I will write their names in the Book of Life, and I will give them as a gift unto thee in My kingdom, and they shall never experience any kind of torture. But thou shalt not go unto them in this terrible form of thine, but thou shalt go unto them and treat them with gentle tenderness, until thou art able to bring them out of the body. I will give thee power over them, and thou shalt take them to the place of rest, the dwelling-place of all those who rejoice, for I am God, the Good and Compassionate towards My clay." Then Abbatôn, the Angel of Death, cast himself down before My Father, and he spake unto Him, saying, "I will purify them, O Lord, my God and my King, in the place of all those whom Thou hast made."
'And now, O my holy Apostles, I have made you to know what My Father did in respect of Abbatôn, the awful and terrifying angel, and how He set him over the creation which He had made, because of the transgression of Adam and Eve; preach ye it to all mankind.'
And Saint John, the virgin, answered and spake unto Him, saying, 'My Lord and my God, Who hast sanctified me For unto Thyself, Who hast made all my thoughts to cling unto Thee, Who didst guard me and didst not permit me to take unto myself a wife; when Thou shalt gather together all Thy clay into the Valley of Jehosaphat, in order that each one may receive according to what he hath done, whether it be good or whether it be evil, if Abbatôn, the Angel of Death, shall come on that day, being in forms of his own person,--if this be so, I say, my Lord, there is not one soul that shall be able to stand before Thy awful throne. Behold, we shall perish through fright when we hear these things at Thy hand.'
And the Saviour opened His mouth with a smile in the face of John, and He spake unto him, saying,'O John, My beloved, who didst cast thyself upon My breast because of the purity of thy heart, and the purity of thy holy body, and thy virginity, dost thou not know that in the day of the holy Resurrection men will not take unto themselves wives, and women will not live with husbands, and that there shell be no death, because old things shall have passed away? And there shall remain only the second death for those who have to meet it. On the day of the Holy Resurrection I shall come upon the clouds of heaven, and every eye shall see Me, and all peoples and tongues shall lament. And thousands of thousands, and tens of thousands of tens of thousands of angels shall be before Me. And My Cross shall advance before Me, like a symbol of sovereignty before a king, according to what I have said unto you, "The Son of Man shall come in His glory, and with that which is of His Father, and all His angels with Him." I will command My chief Archangel, the holy Michael, and he shall blow a blast on his trumpet in the Valley of Jehosaphat, that those who are dead may arise incorruptible, and there shall not remain upon the earth one soul that shall not rise up, from Adam the first man even unto the last man that shall be born into the world. And they all shall rise up in the Valley of Jehosaphat, so that each one may receive in his body according to what he hath done, whether it be good or whether it be evil. And they shall stand there in fear and trembling awaiting the Spirit of My Father.
'And as for thee, O My beloved John, thou shalt not die until the thrones have been prepared on the Day of the Resurrection, because the thrones of glory shall come down from heaven, and ye shall sit upon them, and I will sit in your midst. All the saints shall see the honor which I will pay unto thee, O My beloved John. I will command Abbatôn, the Angel of Death, to come unto thee on that day, and he shall not be in any form that will terrify thee, but he shall come unto thee in the form of a gentle man, with a face like unto that of Michael, and he shall take away thy soul and bring it unto Me. Thy body shall not be in the tomb for ever, neither shall the earth rest upon it for ever. All the saints shall marvel at thee because that shalt not be judged until thou judgest them. Thou shalt be dead for three and a half hours, lying upon thy throne, and all creation shall see thee. I will make thy soul to return to thy body, and thou shalt rise up and array thyself in apparel of glory, like unto that of one who hath stood up in the marriage chamber. Ye shall judge the world, according to what I have ordained for you, and ye shall sit upon thrones and shall judge the Twelve Tribes of Israel. And I said with My mouth unto Paul, "We shall judge the angels before we come to the beings of the earth." For on that day when everything shall stand in fear and trembling I shall say, "Let them be separated from each other, even as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, the righteous on the right hand, and the sinners on the left,'' and not one shall make a sound until he who is chief in his day shall command him.
'I shall look upon all My clay, and when I see that he is going to destruction I shall cry out to My Father, saying, "My Father, what profit is there in My Blood if he goeth to destruction?" And straightway the voice of My Father shall come unto Me from the seventh heaven, and none shall hear it except Myself, for I and My Father are One, saying, "Power belongeth unto Thee, O My Son, to do whatsoever Then pleasest with Thy clay." And in that day I shall say, "I rejoice because Thou didst cleave My covering, and didst gird me about with joy, and My right hand shall bless Thee because I am without sorrow." I shall say unto you in that day, "O My holy Apostles, and all My saints, whether ye be angels or archangels, or whether ye be prophets or righteous, and especially My Virgin Mother, and My chief Archangels Michael and Gabriel, I speak unto you, saying: No man who shall celebrate your commemoration upon earth, or shall give a loaf of bread in your name shall go to destruction." And straightway all the saints shall rush forward towards them, and each one shall seize upon those that belong to him. All those who have shewn love to you upon earth shall be brought back to the others who are on the right hand. Then shall the others cry out with loud wailings, and tears, and with suffering and sorrow of the heart, saying, "O Lord the Merciful One, the Son of the Merciful One, shew mercy upon us." Thereupon straightway shall the Son of God shed tears over them, and He shall say unto them, " My word remaineth with My Father."
'And straightway My Father shall shut the door of heaven, and go His way. And I shall say to them straightway, "My Father doth not desire to shew mercy upon you." And they shall cry out the more, saying, "Have mercy upon us, for the Devil would not permit us to repent. If we had known that these things were to be we should have repented even unto the shedding of blood." And forthwith I shall utter curses upon Satan that day, and I will make them to seize him, and to fetter him in the bonds which cannot be broken, and I will curse that lying prophet who hath led astray all the nations, and Antichrist, the son of perdition, and they shall cast them into the Lake of Fire which burneth with fire and sulphur, together with all those who have been their followers in the world, and they shall never enjoy repose, day or night. Their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched.
'Now therefore, O My holy Apostles, behold I have shewn you everything which ye asked Me to explain, and how Adam transgressed until death came into the world, and how Abbatôn, the Angel of Death, became king over all created things. And now ye shall proclaim the day of his commemoration, so that the sons of men may be afraid and repent. Speak ye unto all mankind, saying, "Whosoever doeth that which is good shall rise in the resurrection . . . . . . life. Whosoever shall do that which is evil shall rise in the resurrection to judgment." Then the Apostles worshiped the Saviour, saying, "Our Lord and our God! Thou hast filled us with blessings, and Thou hast never disappointed us in any way, in answering the questions which we have asked of Thee."' And the Saviour kissed them, and the angels bore Him up into heaven whilst they followed Him with their gaze. And the Apostles worshiped Him, and each one of them departed to preach what the Lord had commanded them.
Now behold, we have declared these things unto you, O my beloved, according to what me found in the books of the Library of Jerusalem, which our holy Fathers the Apostles brought and placed therein, for the benefit of the believers and for the salvation of the men who are unbelievers. Now therefore, my beloved, let us be zealous in bestowing charities and making offerings on the day of the commemoration of Abbatôn, the Angel of Death, each according to his power. Remember what is written in the Gospel wherein our Saviour ascribed more blessing to the poor woman who cast two mites into the treasury than to all the other folk who had cast in their offerings, and how He said, 'All these have cast in gifts from their superabundance, but she hath given out of her absolute poverty. May God Who hath deemed us worthy to gather together in this place this day to commemorate Abbatôn, the Angel of Death, whom God hath made to be king over us, hold us to he worthy to gather together in His kingdom, which is in the heavens. O my beloved, we all have need of the Spirit of our God, even as the wise man saith, 'As I wish to live, I wish to make every one else live also' And may it be, O my beloved, that He will deem us worthy to hear the blessed voice, that is filled with all gladness, 'Come, ye blessed ones of My Father, inherit the kingdom which hath been prepared for you from the foundation of the world,' through the grace and love of man of our Lord Jesus the Christ, to Whom be glory, and to His Good Father, and to the Holy Spirit for ever and ever! Amen.
Colophon
Remember of your charity Theopistus, the least worthy of men, O every one who shall read in this book, and pray that God will forgive me the multitude of my sins. Written on the eleventh day of the month of Thôth, in the Third Indiction, of the six hundred and ninety-eighth year of the Era of the Martyrs.
With God! This little book was made by the zeal and care of the God-loving brother, Etout Khaêl, the son of the blessed Stephen, the lion hunter, who undertook the writing thereof at his own expense, and gave it to the Monastery of St. Mercurius of the city of Tbô, for the salvation of his soul, in order that the monks might read therein in the name of Abbatôn, the Angel of Death, and that Saint Mercurius might invoke Christ on his behalf, and bless him in this world, and deliver him from all the wiles of the Devil and of wicked men, and might help him to bring every work to a successful issue, and that when he cometh forth from this life the Archangel Abbatôn may shew kindness on his behalf before God, and may forgive him his sins. So be it! Amen. Amen.
THE DISCOURSE WHICH APA TIMOTHY, ARCHBISHOP OF RAKOTE, OUR HOLY FATHER, WHO WAS GLORIOUS IN EVERY RESPECT, PRONOUNCED ON THE MAKING OF ABBATÔN, THE ANGEL OF DEATH. OUR HOLY FATHERS THE APOSTLES ASKED THE SAVIOUR ABOUT ABBATÔN, SO THAT THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO PREACH ABOUT HIM TO ALL MANKIND, FOR THEY KNEW THAT MEN WOULD ASK THEM QUESTIONS ABOUT EVERYTHING. AND THE SAVIOUR, WHO DID NOT WISH TO DISAPPOINT THEM ABOUT ANY MATTER CONCERNING WHICH THEY ASKED HIM QUESTIONS, INFORMED THEM SAYING, 'THE DAY ON WHICH MY FATHER CREATED ABBATÔN WAS THE THIRTEENTH DAY OF THE MONTH ATHÔR, AND HE MADE HIM KING OVER ALL CREATION, WHICH HE HAD MADE, BECAUSE OF THE TRANSGRESSION OF ADAM AND EVE.' AND THE ARCHBISHOP WISHING TO LEARN CONCERNING THIS FEARFUL AND TERRIFYING BEING WHOM GOD MADE, AND WHO PURSUETH EVERY SOUL UNTIL IT YIELDETH UP ITS SPIRIT IN MISERY, WHEN HE WENT INTO JERUSALEM TO WORSHIP THE CROSS OF OUR SAVIOUR, AND HIS LIFEGIVING TOMB, ON THE SEVENTEENTH DAY OF THE MONTH THOTH, SEARCHED THROUGH THE BOOKS WHICH WERE IN THE LIBRARY OF JERUSALEM, AND WHICH HAD BEEN MADE BY OUR HOLY FATHERS THE APOSTLES, AND DEPOSITED BY THEM THEREIN , UNTIL HE DISCOVERED THE ACCOUNT OF THE CREATION OF ABBATÔN, WITH AN AGED ELDER, WHO WAS A NATIVE OF JERUSALEM. WHEN ONE ASKED HIM WHAT WAS THE OCCASION FOR THE DISCOURSE HE HAD FORGOTTEN WHAT IT WAS. AND HE SPAKE ALSO CONCERNING THE HOLY APOSTLE SAINT JOHN, THEOLOGIAN AND VIRGIN, WHO IS NOT TO TASTE DEATH UNTIL THE THRONES ARE SET IN THE VALLEY OF JEHOSEPHAT, WHICH IS THE PLACE WHEREIN THE LAST STRIFE OF THE WORLD SHALL TAKE PLACE. IN THE PEACE OF GOD! AMEN. BLESS US!
Hearken unto my speech, which is sweet and is filled with gladness of every kind! My Lord and my God crieth out to us daily in the Holy Gospel, saying, 'Every one who asketh shall receive, he who seeketh shall find, and to him that knocketh they will open.' And again, 'Everything which ye shall ask in My Name from My Father, shall be unto you.' And the holy song-writer David saith, 'Blessed are they who are righteous in the way, and who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are the saints, and those who seek them. Blessed are those who walk in His testimonies, and who seek Him with their whole heart.' And again, 'Those who seek after the Lord shall not lack any manner of thing which is good.' Who are they who seek after the Lord? O my beloved, hearken attentively, O ye who love to hear, and I will tell you. Those who seek the Lord are all those wise men who meditate upon His law, and His commandments, and His righteous judgments, by day and by night, according to what is written, 'The law of God shall never be absent from thy mouth'. And again, 'It is meet that every man who is a Christian should fill his body with the fruits of his lips, as if it were corporeal food.' Those who seek after God are those men who inquire concerning the creation of the angels of God, and who make manifest their holy commemorations. Those who seek after God are all those men who seek after His saints, and who bear in remembrance the sufferings which they endured, and record them in the churches. Those who seek after God are all the men who give alms, and charities, and offerings unto God at their holy commemorations, each one according to his power. Those who seek after God are all the men who love strangers, and those who love the poor, and who clothe the naked on the festival of the saints, each one according to his power. For this reason, then, O my beloved brethren, let us give this day unto the saints, each one according to his power. For this reason, then, O my beloved brethren, let us give with a right heart and with a perfect faith, in order that we may find them for ourselves in the day of our visitation. Our Saviour informeth us in the Holy Gospel, saying, 'Whosoever shall give one of these little ones even a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, Amen, I say unto you' . . . . .
[Three leaves wanting]
a week of days before the festival came. And in this manner we entered into the martyrdom of the holy God-bearer Mary, which had been built to her in the Valley of Jehosaphat, and we received a blessing, and we prayed together with those who had come there for the festival. And in this wise we were mindful of the Offering with all diligence, and we received the Eucharist with all the people on that day. And each man departed to his house, and we withdrew ourselves from the festival, and I took up my abode in the church. And whilst we were living there the aged presbyter, whose name was John, came up to me, and did homage before me, saying, 'If thy servant hath found favor before thee, let my lord father come to the house of thy servant, for we would enjoy thy blessing.' And when I had perceived his great love for his fellow man, and his gentleness, which was like unto that of an angel of God, I rose up, and I went with him, both I and those who were with me. And when he had taken us up into the upper storey of his house we prayed, and we sat down according to the commandment of our Saviour. And he made for us a great banquet that day, because he was a lover of men, and he was especially hospitable to strangers, and to every one who sojourned in the church, even as was the Patriarch Abraham.
And when the morning had come we talked together concerning the mighty deeds and miracles which our Saviour had wrought, and how the godless Jews had crucified Him because of their jealousy of Him. And in this wise I spake unto the old man, the oresbyter, 'My noble son, is not the Book of the appointing of Abbatôn, the Angel of Death, among all these books which are here, and under thy charge? I want it because I wish to learn how it came about that God made him the king of all mankind, and of all the created things which He made, and how it was that God made him awful and terrifying, for he cometh and pursueth after every soul until it hath yielded up its spirit.' And straighway the old man, the elder, said unto me with a face filled with graciousness, 'Well hath the Master of us all, the Christ, said in the Holy Gospel, "Whosoever seeketh shall find, and whosoever knocketh it shall be opened unto him, and whosoever asketh shall receive." And as for thee, O my holy father, thou seeketh, and thou shalt find; thou knockest, and it shall be opened unto thee; thou asketh, and thou shalt receive. The Lord shall fulfill thy petition which thou has asked.'
And when I had heard these things from the old man, the presbyter, I gave thanks to God because He had never disappointed me in respect of any matter which I had asked from Him; and thus the old man brought it to me. And when it had come into my hand I rejoiced over it more than I should have done over very much riches, and I cried out with David the Psalmist, the righteous king, saying, 'I rejoice over thy words even as doth the man who hath found great spoil.' And I read in the book, and I found written therein the following:
And it came to pass that when our Saviour, Who is the Root of all good, had finished everything, when the days of His Apocalypse were completed, and He was to ascend up to His Father, He laid His hand upon each one of His holy Apostles, and He prayed over them, and sent them forth into all the world to preach His holy Resurrection to all the heathen, and He filled them with power and with His Holy Spirit, and He spake unto them, saying, 'The mighty deeds and miracles which I have performed, ye yourselves also shall do. Ye shall lay your hands upon the sick and they shall have relief. Ye shall tread upon serpents and scorpions. Ye shall take up serpents in your hands. And when ye drink deadly poisions they shall have no evil effect upon you. Baptize those who believe in Me, and in My Good Father, and the Holy Spirit, in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and I will forgive them their sins. Those who do not believe shall be condemned to the second death. Depart in peace. The peace which is Mine shall be with you. And I will never cease to walk with you even to the end of this world.'
Then the Lord answered and said unto Saint Peter, the greatest of the Apostles, the pillar of the Church, the steward of the kingdom which is in the heavens, 'Him that thou wishes to take into it, take; and him that thou wishest to reject, reject.' And Peter said unto the Saviour, 'My Lord and my God. Behold, Thou hast informed us concerning everything about which we have asked Thee, and Thou hast hidden nothing from us. And now, O my Lord and my God, behold, Thou hast sent us out into the whole world to preach Thy holy Resurrection to all the nations, and the mighty deeds and miracles which Thou hast done, the which we have seen with our eyes, and concerning which we have heard, and Thou hast explained them all to us, even the matter of Thy Virgin Mother, and Thy holy Birth. And, O my Lord, Thou knowest that there are very many contentious and unbelieving people who will ask questions of us concerning everything, and we wish to be able to explain unto them everything. Now therefore, O my Lord, we wish Thee to inform us concerning the day wherein Thou didst establish Abbatôn, the Angel of Death, and didst make him to be awful and disturbing, and to pursue all souls until they yield up their spirits, so that we may preach concerning him to all mankind, even as we preach concerning all his fellow angels whom Thou hast created, and of whom Thou hast shewn us the days of their establishing, and also that when men hear of him on the day of his establishing they may be afraid, and may repent, and may give charities and gifts on the day of his commemoration, just as they do to Michael and Gabriel, so that their souls may find mercy and respite on the day of Thy holy Resurrection.'
And the Saviour, the Storehouse that is filled with mercy and compassion of every kind, Who loveth everything which is good in respect of His day, Who wisheth not to cause us disappointment about anything concerning which we are asked, said unto them, 'O ye whom I have chosen from out of the whole world, I will hide nothing from you, but I will inform you how My Father established him over all the created things which He had made. For I and My Father are one, according to what Philip said unto me, "Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us." And I said unto him, "O Philip, in all the time which thou hast been with Me, hast thou not known Me? He who hath seen Me hath seen My Father. Believe thou that I am in My Father, and My Father is in Me. If it be impossible for thee, believe His works." And now, O my holy members, whom I have chosen from out of the whole world, I will hide nothing from you. It came to pass that when My Father was creating the heavens, and the earth, and the things which are therein, He spake the word, and they all came into being, Angel, and Archangel, and Cherubim, and Seraphim, and Thrones, and Divine Governors, and Dominions, and all the Powers that are in the heavens, and all the army of heaven. And He made the earth also, and the wild animals, and the reptiles, and the cattle, and the birds, and everything which moveth upon it. And He planted also a paradise in the eastern part of the earth. And My Father saw that the whole world was a desert, and that there was no one to work it. And My Father said, "Let us make a man in Our image and likeness, that he may continue to praise us by day and by night, and that every one may know that it is the hand of the Lord that hath made all these things; for I existed before these things were." And My Father commanded an angel, saying, "By My wish and by My command get thee to the land of Edem, and bring to Me some virgin earth in order that I may make a man in Our image and likeness therewith, so that he may ascribe blessing unto Us by day and by night."
And the angel went, to the land of Edem, according to My Father's command. And he stood upon the earth, and he reached out his hand to gather together some of it and take it to My Father. And straightway the earth cried out with a loud voice, saying, "I swear unto thee by Him Who sent thee to Me, that if thou takest me to Him, He will mold me into a form, and I shall become a man, and a living soul. And very many sins shall come forth from my body, and many fornications, and slanderous abuse, and jealousy, and hatred and contention shall come forth from his hand, and many murders and sheddings of blood shall come forth from his hand. And they shall cast me out to the dogs, and to the cats, and into pits and holes in the ground, and into streams of water before my time, and after all these things they will finally cast me into punishment, and they will punish me by day and by night. Let me stay here, and go back to the ground and be quiet."
'And when the Angel of God had heard these things he was afraid of My Father's Name, and he returned and came to My Father, and said," My Lord, when I heard Thy awful Name I did not wish to bring the earth unto Thee." And straightway My Father commanded an angel a second time to go to it, and then a third angel, and so on even unto seven angels, and not one of them wished to approach the earth because it took awful oaths by mighty names. And when My Father saw that none of the angels wished to bring the earth to Him, He sent the angel Mouriêl to the earth, saying unto him, "Go thou by My command to the land of Edem, and bring unto me some virgin earth so that I may fashion a man therefrom, after Mine own image and likeness, that he may ascribe blessing unto Us by day and by night."
'And when the Angel of God had departed to the earth he stood upon it in great power and might, and in the commandment of God. And he reached out his hand to take some of it, and straightway the clay cried out with a loud voice, saying "I swear unto thee by the name of Him that created the heavens, and the earth, and the things that are therein, that thou shalt not approach me to take me unto God." And the angel Mouriêl was not afraid at the mention of the Name of My Father when he heard it, and he paid no heed thereto, but he went to it, and he laid hold of it with firmness and determination, and he brought it to My Father Who rejoiced over it. And He took the clay from the hand of the angel, and made Adam according to Our image and likeness. and He left him lying for forty days and forty nights without putting breath into him. And He heaved sighs over him daily, saying, "If I put breath into this man, he must suffer many pains." And I said unto My Father, "Put breath into him; I will be an advocate for him." And My Father said unto Me," If I put breath into him, My beloved Son, Thou wilt be obliged to go down into the world, and to suffer many pains for him before Thou shalt have redeemed him, and made him to come back to his primal state." And I said unto My Father, "Put breath into him; I will be his advocate, and I will go down into the world, and will fulfill Thy command."
'And whilst He was wishing to put breath into him He took a book, and wrote therein the names of those who should come forth from him and who should enter into the kingdom which is in the heavens, according to what is written, "These are they whose names are written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world." And He put breath into him in this way; He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life three times, saying, "Live! Live! Live! according to the type of My Divinity." And the man lived straightway, and became a living soul, according to the image and likeness of God. And when Adam had risen up he cast himself down before My Father, saying, " My Lord and my God! Thou hast made me to come into being from a state in which I did not exist." Thereupon My Father set him upon a great throne, and He placed on his head a crown of glory, and He put a royal scepter in his hand, and My father made every order of angels in the heavens to come and worship him, whether angel or archangel. And all the hosts of heaven worshiped God first of all, and then they worshiped Adam, saying, "Hail, thou image and likeness of God" And He intended that the order of the angels who were fashioned before Adam should worship him, and My Father said unto him, " Come, thou thyself shalt worship my image and likeness." And he, a being of great pride, drew himself up in a shameless manner, and said, 'It is meet that this man Adam should come and worship me, for I existed before he came into being."
'And when My Father saw his great pride, and that his wickedness and his evil-doing were complete, He commanded all the armies of heaven, saying, 'Remove the writing which is in the hand of the proud one, strip ye off his armor, and cast ye him down upon the earth, for his time hath come. For he is the greatest of them all he is the head over them, and is like a king. and he commandeth them as the general of an army commandeth his soldiers; he is the head over them, and their names are written in his hand." Thus is it with this cunning one, and the names of the angels, were written in his hand. And all the angels gathered together to him, and they did not wish to remove the writing from his hand. And My Father commanded them to bring a sharp reaping-knife, and to stab him therewith on this side and on that, right through his body to the vertebrae of his shoulders, and he was unable to hold himself up. And straightway My Father commanded a mighty Cherubim, and he smote him, and cast him down from heaven upon the earth, because of his pride, and he broke his wings and his ribs and made him helpless, and those whom he had brought with him became devils with him.
'And My Father made them take Adam into Paradise, and a multitude of angels sang hymns before him, and they left him there, and he continued to ascribe blessing unto God. And Adam lived alone in Paradise for one hundred years. And when he had completed the period of one hundred years--now Adam lived in the Paradise of Delight, and remained there alone, and the angels used to come to him every day--My Father said, "It is not good to allow the man to live by himself, but let Us make for him a helper like unto he himself." And He brought a slumber upon Adam, who fell into a deep sleep, and He took out one of his ribs and filled up the place thereof with flesh, and He made a woman according to the form of Adam. And when Adam woke up out of his sleep he saw her, and he said, "This now is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman', because she was taken out of her male." Now it was Adam who gave names to all the cattle, and to the wild beasts and to the birds, and to every living creature which moveth upon the earth, and even to those which are in the waters; unto all of them did Adam give names, according to the command of My Good Father.
'And Adam lived in the Paradise of Delight, he and Eve his wife, for two hundred years; and they were virgins, and they were even as the angels of God. And when they had been living in the Paradise of Delight for two hundred years, Eve came forth and passed through the northern part of Paradise, close by the wall, in order to obtain fruit for the cattle and for all the other creatures, because My Father had told Adam and Eve to feed them according to His command, and they received their food from the hand of Adam and Eve. And the serpent himself came at the hour of evening to receive his food according to his wont, for the serpent was like unto all the other beasts, and he walked upon his feet just as did they. And the Devil lived nigh unto Paradise, and he lay in wait for Adam and Eve by day and by night, and when he saw Eve by herself he went into the serpent, and said within himself, "Behold, I have found my opportunity; I will speak into her ear, and I will make her to eat of the tree, and I will cause them to be expelled from Paradise, for I myself was expelled from Paradise for their sakes."
'And the Devil spake unto Eve through the mouth of the serpent, saying, "Why do ye not eat of the tree which is in the middle of Paradise, as ye do of all the other trees, for the fruit thereof is good?" And Eve said, "God said unto us, Ye may certainly eat of every tree which is in Paradise with the exception of the tree of knowledge of the good and of the evil; in the day wherein ye eat thereof ye shall surely die." And the serpent said unto her, "Ye shall not surely die, but ye shall be like unto these gods, ye shall know the good and the evil, and ye shall be able to separate the sweet from the bitter. God spake unto you in this manner because when ye have eaten thereof ye shall become as gods." And the Devil ceased not to speak into her ear until he had beguiled her and she ate of the tree. And straightway Eve became naked, and she knew that she was naked, and she took some leaves of the fig-tree, and covered her nakedness. And she went to Adam, and when Adam saw her, and saw that she was naked, he was exceedingly grieved, and he became very sorrowful in heart, and shed tears in great abundance. And he said unto her, 'Wherefore hast thou acted in this wise? Behold, from this day forward we shall die, and God will be wroth with us, and He will cast us forth from Paradise." And Eve said unto him, "Come thou and eat. If God shall blame thee, I will take everything upon myself before God." And in this way Adam took, and ate, and he became naked, and he knew immediately that he was naked ; and he covered his nakedness with fig-leaves.
'And straightway the voice of My Father came to him in Paradise, saying, "Adam, where art thou?'' And he said, 'My Lord, I heard Thy voice, but I was afraid, and I hid myself because I was naked." And My Father said unto him, "Who told thee so? Hast thou eaten of the tree until thou hast become naked? " And Adam said, " My Lord, the woman whom Thou didst give unto me as a helper made me eat, and I became naked." And My Father said unto her, "Wherefore hast thou done this thing?" She said unto Him, "My Lord, the serpent led me astray; I ate, and I became like the gods." And My Father said unto the serpent, "Because thou hast done this thing, cursed art thou among all the beasts of the earth. Thou shalt walk upon thy belly all the days of thy life, and all thy seed shall be accursed throughout all generations on the earth. Thou shalt eat earth and ashes all thy time, and so shall all those that shall come forth from thee." It was in this way that the serpent came to walk upon his belly, according to what My Father decreed for him. And He said unto the woman also," Because thou hast done this thing thou shalt bring forth children in sorrow and sighing, and thou shalt turn to thy husband." And similarly He turned to Adam, and said unto him, "Cursed be the earth because of thy deeds. Thou shalt eat thy bread by the sweat of thy face, and all those who shall come out of thee shall do likewise. Behold, thou shalt die from this day onwards, because thou art earth, and thou shalt return again to the earth. Thou shalt live in the world a life of nine hundred and thirty years, and when death cometh upon thee thou shalt turn to the earth I again. Thy soul shall abide in Amente, and thou shalt sit in black darkness for four and a half thousand of years ...
"And when five and a half thousand of years are fulfilled I will send My beloved Son into the world, and He shall abide in a virgin womb, that is to say, the holy Virgin Mary. She shall give Him birth on the earth in lowliness and humility, and after she hath done so she shall remain a virgin, even as she was before. He shall pass thirty-three and a half years in the world, and He shall receive every attribute of humanity, sin alone excepted. He shall perform innumerable mighty deeds and wonders, He shall raise the dead, He shall drive out the devils, He shall heal those who are sick of the palsy, He shall make the lame to walk, the deaf He shall make to hear, and the dumb He shall make to speak, He shall cleanse the lepers, and restore the arms that are withered, and He shall open the eyes of the blind by the word of His power. In short, there shall be no limit to the miracles which He shall perform, but in spite of all these men will not believe on Him. And at length, after all these things, they shall rise up against Him, and they shall deliver Him over unto death, and they shall give Him into the hand of the Governor, that is to say, Pilate, and he shall judge Him for thy sake. He shall be in the form of a servant for thy sake. They shall smite Him in the face for thy sake. They shall treat Him with contempt and vilify Him for thy sake. They shall pass sentence of condemnation upon Him as if He were a sacrilegious person. They shall mount Him upon the wood of the Cross, between two thieves, for thy sake. They shall set a crown of thorns upon His head for thy sake. They shall make Him drink vinegar and gall for thy sake. They shall drive nails into His hands and feet for thy sake. He shall yield up His Spirit on the Cross. They shall pierce His side with a spear so that meter and blood shall flow forth therefrom, and it is these which shell cleanse the sine of the world. They shall lay Him in a new tomb. He shall rise from the dead on the third day. He shall go down into Amente, He shall shatter the gate of brass, and break in pieces the bolts of iron, and shall bring thee up therefrom together with all those who shall be held there in captivity with thee. For thy sake, O Adam, the Son of God shall suffer all these things until He hath redeemed thee, and restored thee to Paradise, unto the place whence thou didst come, for He made Himself to be thy protector, when thou wast clay, before He put breath into thee."
'It was I, the Son of God, Who suffered all these things a until I delivered man I from the hand of the Devil. And ye have seen all these things with your eyes, O my holy Apostles. It was in this wise that My Father expelled Adam and Eve from Paradise. He shut the gate thereof, and He placed a mighty being of fire to watch the gate of Paradise, so that no one might enter therein until all those things which He had proclaimed concerning Adam had been fulfilled.
'And the Devil went to meet Adam outside Paradise, and he said unto him," Behold, O Adam, I was cast forth from my glory through thee, and behold, I have made thee to be expelled from the Paradise of Delight because thou hast caused me to become a stranger to my dwelling-place in heaven. Know thou that I will never cease to contend against thee and against all those who shall come after thee from out of thee, until I have taken them all down into Amente with me."
'And when Adam heard these things he became very sad, and shed many tears both by day and by night. And My Father said unto Mouriêl the angel, "Behold, the man whom I created in My image hath transgressed the commandment which I gave him. He hath eaten of the tree, and hath brought a great injury upon all mankind. For this reason I make thee king over him, for it was thou who didst bring him to Me on this day, which is the thirteenth of the month Hathor.
"Thy name shall he I a terror in the mouth of every one. They shall call thee Abbatôn, the Angel of Death.
"Thy form and thine image shall be associated with complaining, and wrath, and threatening in all souls, until they have yielded up their spirits.
"Thine eye and thy face shall he like unto a wheel of fire which beareth waves and waves of fire before me.
"The sound of thy nostrils shall be like unto the sound of a lake of fire wherein burn fire and sulphur.
"The sound of the noises made by thy lips shall be like unto the sounds of the seven thunders which shall speak with their tongues.
"Thy head shall be like unto these great pillars of fire which reach from heaven downwards.
"Thy teeth shall project from thy mouth the length of half a cubit.
"The fingers of thy hands and the toes of thy feet shall be like unto sharp reaping-knives.
"Seven heads shall be on the top of thy head, and they shall change their shapes and forms continually.
"Their teeth shall project outside their mouths for the length of two palms, and they shall point towards the four quarters of the world. Thou shalt be suspended in the midst, and thou shalt sit upon a throne of fire.
"Thine eyes shall look down upon the earth, and upon whatsoever is in the depths of the waters; nothing shall be hidden from thee in heaven, nor from one end of the earth to the other, from the north to the south, and from the east to the west, among all the created things which I have made.
"Not one of them shall yield up his spirit until he hath seen thee.
"Thou shalt shew compassion neither upon small nor great, and thou shalt carry all away mercilessly. The Powers shall be under thy control, and thou shalt send them after every soul. They shall strike terror into souls, and shall change their forms. When the period of their life hath come to an end thou shalt appear to them, and they shall look upon thee; and when they look upon thy face their souls shall not be able to abide in them, even for a moment, and they will be forced to yield them up. Thus thou shalt continue to be king over them until the period for which I have ordained I the world to last shall be ended."
'And when the angels saw him they were all greatly disturbed together, and they said, "Woe! Woe be unto the sons of men who shall be born into the world! For behold, even we who are incorporeal shall perish through terror." Then Abbatôn, the Angel of Death, cast himself down before My Father, saying, "My Lord, behold Thou hast made me to be an object of terror unto the angels. Now, therefore, O my Lord, I entreat Thee, and I beseech Thy Goodness to grant that when the sons of men who shall be born into the world shall hear that thou hast made me to be an object of terror and fear they shall become afraid, I and shall give charity, and alms, and gifts, in my name, and that the day whereon Thou didst establish me may be written down in the nook, and that they may appear on the day of my commemoration, and may seek after mercy and rest for their souls. And now, O my Lord, let Thy Spirit establish them. And grant unto me power over them, so that I may take them to the place of rest, and to the dwelling-place of all those who rejoice, and let them celebrate a festival in my honor upon the earth even as they celebrate festivals in honor of all my fellow angels. O my Lord, let Thy mercy help them!"
'And My Father spake, saying, "I tell thee, O Abbatôn, thou Angel of Death, whosoever shall hold thee in terror, and shall give alms and charities in thy name, or repent, or write in the Book the day of thy establishing, that is to say, the thirteenth day of the month Hathor, the day whereon I established thee over Adam because of his disobedience, I will write their names in the Book of Life, and I will give them as a gift unto thee in My kingdom, and they shall never experience any kind of torture. But thou shalt not go unto them in this terrible form of thine, but thou shalt go unto them and treat them with gentle tenderness, until thou art able to bring them out of the body. I will give thee power over them, and thou shalt take them to the place of rest, the dwelling-place of all those who rejoice, for I am God, the Good and Compassionate towards My clay." Then Abbatôn, the Angel of Death, cast himself down before My Father, and he spake unto Him, saying, "I will purify them, O Lord, my God and my King, in the place of all those whom Thou hast made."
'And now, O my holy Apostles, I have made you to know what My Father did in respect of Abbatôn, the awful and terrifying angel, and how He set him over the creation which He had made, because of the transgression of Adam and Eve; preach ye it to all mankind.'
And Saint John, the virgin, answered and spake unto Him, saying, 'My Lord and my God, Who hast sanctified me For unto Thyself, Who hast made all my thoughts to cling unto Thee, Who didst guard me and didst not permit me to take unto myself a wife; when Thou shalt gather together all Thy clay into the Valley of Jehosaphat, in order that each one may receive according to what he hath done, whether it be good or whether it be evil, if Abbatôn, the Angel of Death, shall come on that day, being in forms of his own person,--if this be so, I say, my Lord, there is not one soul that shall be able to stand before Thy awful throne. Behold, we shall perish through fright when we hear these things at Thy hand.'
And the Saviour opened His mouth with a smile in the face of John, and He spake unto him, saying,'O John, My beloved, who didst cast thyself upon My breast because of the purity of thy heart, and the purity of thy holy body, and thy virginity, dost thou not know that in the day of the holy Resurrection men will not take unto themselves wives, and women will not live with husbands, and that there shell be no death, because old things shall have passed away? And there shall remain only the second death for those who have to meet it. On the day of the Holy Resurrection I shall come upon the clouds of heaven, and every eye shall see Me, and all peoples and tongues shall lament. And thousands of thousands, and tens of thousands of tens of thousands of angels shall be before Me. And My Cross shall advance before Me, like a symbol of sovereignty before a king, according to what I have said unto you, "The Son of Man shall come in His glory, and with that which is of His Father, and all His angels with Him." I will command My chief Archangel, the holy Michael, and he shall blow a blast on his trumpet in the Valley of Jehosaphat, that those who are dead may arise incorruptible, and there shall not remain upon the earth one soul that shall not rise up, from Adam the first man even unto the last man that shall be born into the world. And they all shall rise up in the Valley of Jehosaphat, so that each one may receive in his body according to what he hath done, whether it be good or whether it be evil. And they shall stand there in fear and trembling awaiting the Spirit of My Father.
'And as for thee, O My beloved John, thou shalt not die until the thrones have been prepared on the Day of the Resurrection, because the thrones of glory shall come down from heaven, and ye shall sit upon them, and I will sit in your midst. All the saints shall see the honor which I will pay unto thee, O My beloved John. I will command Abbatôn, the Angel of Death, to come unto thee on that day, and he shall not be in any form that will terrify thee, but he shall come unto thee in the form of a gentle man, with a face like unto that of Michael, and he shall take away thy soul and bring it unto Me. Thy body shall not be in the tomb for ever, neither shall the earth rest upon it for ever. All the saints shall marvel at thee because that shalt not be judged until thou judgest them. Thou shalt be dead for three and a half hours, lying upon thy throne, and all creation shall see thee. I will make thy soul to return to thy body, and thou shalt rise up and array thyself in apparel of glory, like unto that of one who hath stood up in the marriage chamber. Ye shall judge the world, according to what I have ordained for you, and ye shall sit upon thrones and shall judge the Twelve Tribes of Israel. And I said with My mouth unto Paul, "We shall judge the angels before we come to the beings of the earth." For on that day when everything shall stand in fear and trembling I shall say, "Let them be separated from each other, even as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, the righteous on the right hand, and the sinners on the left,'' and not one shall make a sound until he who is chief in his day shall command him.
'I shall look upon all My clay, and when I see that he is going to destruction I shall cry out to My Father, saying, "My Father, what profit is there in My Blood if he goeth to destruction?" And straightway the voice of My Father shall come unto Me from the seventh heaven, and none shall hear it except Myself, for I and My Father are One, saying, "Power belongeth unto Thee, O My Son, to do whatsoever Then pleasest with Thy clay." And in that day I shall say, "I rejoice because Thou didst cleave My covering, and didst gird me about with joy, and My right hand shall bless Thee because I am without sorrow." I shall say unto you in that day, "O My holy Apostles, and all My saints, whether ye be angels or archangels, or whether ye be prophets or righteous, and especially My Virgin Mother, and My chief Archangels Michael and Gabriel, I speak unto you, saying: No man who shall celebrate your commemoration upon earth, or shall give a loaf of bread in your name shall go to destruction." And straightway all the saints shall rush forward towards them, and each one shall seize upon those that belong to him. All those who have shewn love to you upon earth shall be brought back to the others who are on the right hand. Then shall the others cry out with loud wailings, and tears, and with suffering and sorrow of the heart, saying, "O Lord the Merciful One, the Son of the Merciful One, shew mercy upon us." Thereupon straightway shall the Son of God shed tears over them, and He shall say unto them, " My word remaineth with My Father."
'And straightway My Father shall shut the door of heaven, and go His way. And I shall say to them straightway, "My Father doth not desire to shew mercy upon you." And they shall cry out the more, saying, "Have mercy upon us, for the Devil would not permit us to repent. If we had known that these things were to be we should have repented even unto the shedding of blood." And forthwith I shall utter curses upon Satan that day, and I will make them to seize him, and to fetter him in the bonds which cannot be broken, and I will curse that lying prophet who hath led astray all the nations, and Antichrist, the son of perdition, and they shall cast them into the Lake of Fire which burneth with fire and sulphur, together with all those who have been their followers in the world, and they shall never enjoy repose, day or night. Their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched.
'Now therefore, O My holy Apostles, behold I have shewn you everything which ye asked Me to explain, and how Adam transgressed until death came into the world, and how Abbatôn, the Angel of Death, became king over all created things. And now ye shall proclaim the day of his commemoration, so that the sons of men may be afraid and repent. Speak ye unto all mankind, saying, "Whosoever doeth that which is good shall rise in the resurrection . . . . . . life. Whosoever shall do that which is evil shall rise in the resurrection to judgment." Then the Apostles worshiped the Saviour, saying, "Our Lord and our God! Thou hast filled us with blessings, and Thou hast never disappointed us in any way, in answering the questions which we have asked of Thee."' And the Saviour kissed them, and the angels bore Him up into heaven whilst they followed Him with their gaze. And the Apostles worshiped Him, and each one of them departed to preach what the Lord had commanded them.
Now behold, we have declared these things unto you, O my beloved, according to what me found in the books of the Library of Jerusalem, which our holy Fathers the Apostles brought and placed therein, for the benefit of the believers and for the salvation of the men who are unbelievers. Now therefore, my beloved, let us be zealous in bestowing charities and making offerings on the day of the commemoration of Abbatôn, the Angel of Death, each according to his power. Remember what is written in the Gospel wherein our Saviour ascribed more blessing to the poor woman who cast two mites into the treasury than to all the other folk who had cast in their offerings, and how He said, 'All these have cast in gifts from their superabundance, but she hath given out of her absolute poverty. May God Who hath deemed us worthy to gather together in this place this day to commemorate Abbatôn, the Angel of Death, whom God hath made to be king over us, hold us to he worthy to gather together in His kingdom, which is in the heavens. O my beloved, we all have need of the Spirit of our God, even as the wise man saith, 'As I wish to live, I wish to make every one else live also' And may it be, O my beloved, that He will deem us worthy to hear the blessed voice, that is filled with all gladness, 'Come, ye blessed ones of My Father, inherit the kingdom which hath been prepared for you from the foundation of the world,' through the grace and love of man of our Lord Jesus the Christ, to Whom be glory, and to His Good Father, and to the Holy Spirit for ever and ever! Amen.
Colophon
Remember of your charity Theopistus, the least worthy of men, O every one who shall read in this book, and pray that God will forgive me the multitude of my sins. Written on the eleventh day of the month of Thôth, in the Third Indiction, of the six hundred and ninety-eighth year of the Era of the Martyrs.
With God! This little book was made by the zeal and care of the God-loving brother, Etout Khaêl, the son of the blessed Stephen, the lion hunter, who undertook the writing thereof at his own expense, and gave it to the Monastery of St. Mercurius of the city of Tbô, for the salvation of his soul, in order that the monks might read therein in the name of Abbatôn, the Angel of Death, and that Saint Mercurius might invoke Christ on his behalf, and bless him in this world, and deliver him from all the wiles of the Devil and of wicked men, and might help him to bring every work to a successful issue, and that when he cometh forth from this life the Archangel Abbatôn may shew kindness on his behalf before God, and may forgive him his sins. So be it! Amen. Amen.
DRAUMKVEDET MEDIEVAL ENGLISH DREAM VISION
OR THE VISION OF OLAV ASTESON
Draumkvedet, or The Dream Poem, is a Norwegian visionary poem, probably dated from the late medieval age. It is one of the best known medieval ballads in Norway. The first written versions are from Lårdal and Kviteseid in Telemark in the 1840s. The protagonist, Olav Åsteson, falls asleep on Christmas Eve and sleeps until the twelfth day of Christmas. Then he wakes, and rides to church to recount his dreams to the congregation, about his journey through the afterlife. The events are in part similar to other medieval ballads like the Lyke Wake Dirge: a moor of thorns, a tall bridge, and a black fire. After these, the protagonist is also allowed to see Hell and some of Heaven. The poem concludes with specific advice of charity and compassion, to avoid the various trials of the afterlife.
1. Will you listen, I can sing
Of a good young man,
About Olav Åsteson,
Who was asleep for so long.
2. He lay down on Christmas Eve,
And fell into deep sleep,
He did not awake before Epiphany
When people were going to church.
And that was Olav Åsteson,
Who was asleep for so long.
3. He lay down on Christmas Eve,
And he slept for so long,
He did not awake before Epiphany,
When the birds were fluffing their wings.
And that was Olav Åsteson,
Who was asleep for so long.
4. He did not awake before Epiphany,
When the sun dawned over the heath,
Then he saddled his quick horse,
Intending to ride to church.
And that was Olav Åsteson,
Who was asleep for so long.
5. The priest stands at the altar,
Reading out long glosses,
Olav seats himself in the church door,
And tells about his many dreams.
And that was Olav Åsteson,
Who was asleep for so long.
6. Men, old and young,
Gave their attention,
While Olav Åsteson
Related his dreams.
And that was Olav Åsteson,
Who was asleep for so long.
PROLOGUE TO THE VISION
7. I lay down on Christmas Eve,
And fell into deep sleep,
Did not awake before Epiphany,
When people were going to church.
For the moon gleams,
And the paths disperse so far.
8. I have been up with the clouds
and down at the sea of darkness;
He who wishes to follow my footsteps,
Will not laugh lightheartedly.
For the moon gleams,
And the roads disperse so far.
9. I have been up with the clouds
And down at the bottom of the sea;
He who wishes to follow my footsteps,
Will not laugh from happy lips.
For the moon gleams,
And the roads disperse so far.
10. I have been up with the clouds
And down on the black moors;
I have seen the heat of hell,
And a part of the heavenly kingdom.
For the moon gleams,
And the roads disperse so far.
11. I have traveled over the hallowed water,
And over deep valleys;
I hear water, but cannot see it,
It seems to be flowing beneath the earth.
For the moon gleams,
And the roads disperse so far.
12. I am so tired and weary,
And inside me I seem to burn;
I hear water, but cannot see it,
It seems to be flowing beneath the earth.
For the moon gleams,
And the roads disperse so far.
13. My horse did not neigh,
My dogs did not bark,
The morning birds did not sing;
It seemed like a marvel to me.
For the moon gleams,
And the roads disperse so far.
14. I was in the otherworld,
For many tedious nights;
God in heaven knows
How much misery I saw.
For the moon gleams,
And the roads disperse so far.
15. I am a skilled man,
Therefore I am considered wise,
A long time I was in hell,
And I have come to know death well.
For the moon gleams,
And the roads disperse so far.
THE JOURNEY TO THE WORLD OF THE DEAD
16. The first time I went hence
I traveled over a bed of thorns,
My scarlet cloak was torn,
And I lost the nails on my feet.
For the moon gleams,
And the roads disperse so far.
17. The second time I went hence
I traveled through a circle of thorns;
My scarlet cloak was torn,
And I lost the nails on my fingers.
For the moon gleams,
And the roads disperse so far.
18. I came to the Gjallar Bridge,
Which hangs so high in the air,
The whole bridge is gold-plated
And there are spikes in both ends.
For the moon gleams,
And the roads disperse so far.
19. The serpent stings and the hound bites,
And the ox stands in the middle:
Three are the creatures on the Gjallar Bridge,
And all are grim and angry.
For the moon gleams,
And the roads disperse so far.
20. The hound bites, the serpent stings,
And the ox stands goring,
They let none over the Gjallar bridge,
Who has judged wrongly.
For the moon gleams,
And the roads disperse so far.
21. I have crossed the Gjallar bridge,
It is both steep and cumbersome;
I have also waded through the Vås moors,
But I overcame them.
For the moon gleams,
And the roads disperse so far.
22. I have waded through the mires,
They seemed bottomless to me;
Now I have walked the Gjallar bridge,
With mire soil in my mouth.
For the moon gleams,
And the roads disperse so far.
23. I have crossed the Gjallar bridge,
Fastened with hooks;
But the moors were more tiresome,
God’s bless those who must go there.
For the moon gleams,
And the roads disperse so far.
JOURNEY TO THE WORLD OF THE DEAD I
24. Then I came to those waters
Where blue flames cover the ice;
God appeared in my mind,
And directed me away from there.
For the moon gleams,
And the roads disperse so far.
25. I was in the otherworld,
I knew no one there,
Only the blessed mother of God
Who had red gold on her hands.
For the moon gleams,
And the roads disperse so far.
26. Some traveled over the Grimar mound
And others over the Skåle sands,
But those who crossed the Gjallar stream
Came out wet on the other shore.
For the moon gleams,
And the roads disperse so far.
27. Then I turned into the winter path21
On my right hand side;
There I saw paradise
Glowing over the wide world.
For the moon gleams,
And the roads disperse so far.
28. There I could again see the mother of God;
I did not know where to go:
“Go to Brokksvalin,
Where judgment will be pronounced.”
For the moon gleams,
And the roads disperse so far.
PRELIMINARY JUDGMENT
29. When I came to the pilgrims’ church23,
I knew no man there,
Only my good godmother
With red gold on her hands.
In Brokksvalin,
Where judgment would be pronounced.
30. From the north they came,
Riding thunderously;
In the front rode Grutte Greybeard24,
Behind him his large swarm.
In Brokksvalin,
Where judgment would be pronounced.
31. From the north they came,
I knew it well,
In the front rode Grutte greybeard,
The horse he rode was black.
In Brokksvalin,
Where judgment would be pronounced.
32. From the south they came,
I knew it was good;
In the front rode St. Michael,
The horse he rode was white.
In Brokksvalin,
Where judgment would be pronounced.
33. From the south they came,
Riding so quietly,
In the front rode St. Michael,
After him, Jesus Christ.
In Brokksvalin,
Where judgment would be pronounced.
34. From the south they came,
Appearing slow and calm;
In the front rode St. Michael,
Under his arm lay his horn.
In Brokksvalin,
Where judgment would be pronounced.
35. St. Michael it was,
He sounded the long horn:
“And now all souls
Will commence for judgment.”
In Brokksvalin,
Where judgment would be pronounced.
36. The souls then began to tremble,
Like aspen leaves in the wind;
And each and every soul there
Wept over its own sins.
In Brokksvalin,
Where judgment would be pronounced.
37. St. Michael of the souls
Applied his scales,
Then he weighed all sinning souls,
Towards Jesus Christ.
In Brokksvalin,
Where judgment would be pronounced.
JOURNEY TO THE WORLD OF THE DEAD II
38. I saw a man,
The first I met,
A little boy he bore in his arms;
He was in the earth to his knees.
In Brokksvalin,
Where judgment would be pronounced.
39. I came to a man,
His cloak was leaden:
This poor soul in our world
Was greedy in hard times.
In Brokksvalin,
Where judgment would be pronounced.
40. I came to several men,
They carried glowing soil:
God have mercy on the poor souls
Who moved border-stones in the woods.
In Brokksvalin,
Where judgment would be pronounced.
41. I came to several children,
They stood still on blaze:
God’s mercy to the sinning souls,
50
Who cursed their father and mother.
In Brokksvalin,
Where judgment would be pronounced.
42. I came to the toad and the serpent,
They pecked each other with their teeth:
They were sinning siblings,
Who had cursed each other.
In Brokksvalin,
Where judgment would be pronounced.
43. There I met two serpents,
They bit each other in the tails:
They were sinful cousins,
Who married each other on earth.
In Brokksvalin,
Where judgment would be pronounced.
44. I came to the Sysle house,
There were the witches inside:
They stood in a pool of blood,
So hard was their work.
In Brokksvalin,
Where judgment would be pronounced.
45. It is hot in hell,
Hotter than anyone can imagine;
There they hang over a cauldron with tar,
And chopped a priest’s back down.
In Brokksvalin,
Where judgment would be pronounced.
REWARD FOR GOOD DEEDS
46. He is blessed in our world
Who gives his shoes to the poor:
He will not have to walk bare footed
On the bed of thorns.
The tongue speaks,
But the truth is told on judgment day.
47. He is blessed on earth
Who gives his cow to the poor:
He will not have to walk dizzily
On the high Gjallar Bridge.
The tongue speaks,
But the truth is told on judgment day.
48. He is blessed on earth
Who gives bread to the poor:
He need not fear in the otherworld
The harsh baying of hounds.
The tongue speaks,
But the truth is told on judgment day.
49. He is blessed on earth
Who gives corn to the poor:
He need not fear in the otherworld
The sharp horns of the oxen.
The tongue speaks,
But the truth is told on judgment day.
50. He is blessed on earth
Who gives food to the poor:
He need not fear in the otherworld
Neither mockery nor hatred.
The tongue speaks,
But the truth is told on judgment day.
51. He is blessed on earth
Who gives clothes to the poor:
He need not fear in the otherworld
Vast mountains of ice.
The tongue speaks,
But the truth is told on judgment day.
52. Men, old and young
Gave him their attention;
That was Olav Åsteson,
Now he has told his dreams.
THE VOYAGE OF THE HUI CORRA
This is one of the three surviving Immrama, or ancient Irish voyage tales. It tells the story of the three sons of Connall ua Corra, a landowner of Connacht, who had made a bargain with the Devil before their birth. The three sons grew up to become leaders of a notorious gang of bandits who targeted the churches of the province, until they were struck by a vision and repented their ways. The penitent three proceeded to the monastery of St. Finnian of Clonard, who instructed them to repair every church they had destroyed. As a final act of contrition, on the advice of St. Coman of Kinvara, the keeper of the last church they repaired, the three brothers set out on an Atlantic Ocean voyage on a small boat, accompanied by five others: a bishop, a priest, a deacon, a musician and the craftsman who built the boat.
The nine travelers proceeded on their fantastic ocean journey, hopping from legendary island to island, encountering different peoples and fantastic adventures along the way. The nine wanderers eventually reached the coast of Iberian peninsula, where they settled down and built a church.
A princely landholder, Hundred Herd Brugaid, was born, once upon a time, in the dear and beautiful province of Connaught, to wit, Conall the Red, descendant of Corra the Fair. Thus was that landholder: a man happy, wealthy, exceeding prosperous; and never had his house been found without Three Cries therein, to wit, the cry of the strainers a-straining ale, and the cry of the vassals over the cauldrons a-forking out joints to the hosts, and the cry of the warriors at the chess-boards a-winning games from each other. Never, too, was his house found without the Three Sacks, to wit, a sack of malt for preparing yeast, a sack of wheat for preparing the refection of the guests, and a sack of salt to make every food taste well.
This was his wife: Caerderg, daughter of the erenagh of Clogher. No want, in sooth, had they, save that they had no fitting children; and not altogether childless were they; but their children would not stay with them, and died immediately after their birth.
So one night, in his bed, the landholder said to his wife: "It is sad for us", said he,"not to have a son to be a fitting successor in our place after us."
"What wouldst thou fain do therefore?" says the wife. "This is what I would fain do," quoth the landholder, "make communion with the Devil, if perchance he would give us a son or a daughter as successor, who would take our place after us."
Then they fasted against the Devil, and the lady forthwith became with child, and she was nurturing her pregnancy till the end of her nine months. Thereafter came unto the lady great efforts and mighty birth-pangs, and she bore three sons in that great bringing-forth, to wit, a son at the beginning of the night, and a son at midnight, and a son at the end of the night. And they were baptized according to the heathen baptism, and these were their names, even Lochan, and Enne and Silvester.
Thereafter they were nourished and carefully tended until they were swift and strong on sea and on land, so that they out-went their coevals in every play and in every fair discipline; and full lips and constant tongue had every one who used to hear them or see them at that time.
One day, when they were leaning on the side-rail of the bed in their father and mother's house, wearied with charging and hurling, the people of the house said that they had found neither fault nor blemish on those smooth-delightful greatly famous sons, save only their baptism into the Devil's possession. "If," say the sons, "it is the Devil who is our king or lord, it is hard for us not to rob and plunder and persecute his enemies that is to kill clerics and to burn and wreck churches."
Then those sons arose, and they took their weapons and went to Tuam. And they wrecked and burnt the place, and committed robbery and outrageous brigandage throughout the province of Connaught upon churches and clerics, so that the evil and horror of their robbery was heard of throughout the four quarters of Ireland altogether. Till the end of a year they dealt in that wise, so that during that time they destroyed one more than half of the churches of Connaught.
At the end of a year Lochan said to his brothers: "We have been very forgetful," says he, "and our lord the Devil will not be thankful to us concerning it."
"What is this?" says the other sons.
"Our grandfather," says he, "even our mother's father; we have not killed him and burnt his church upon him."
They go to his country on the spot, without truce, without sparing.
The erenagh was there before them on the green of the church, with a great assembly of his community around him, to serve them and attend them with the choice of every food and the power of every liquor; and the secret intention of the cleric towards them was not that which they had towards him, but to kill him and to burn and wreck his church.
Then came the Hui Corra to the place wherein the cleric dwelt, and they determined not to kill the cleric, nor to burn the stead, until the night should come, and the kine and cattle of the stead should come to their byres and their proper places. The cleric comes with them to the stead, and he perceived that they had this secret intention, and he put them into the fair-sided, shining silver, and food and ale were taken to them, so that they became exhilarated and mirthful. Afterwards, couches and lofty beds were spread for them.
Then a deep slumber and sleep fell upon Lochan, and a marvellous vision has shewn to him, to wit, he was taken to see Heaven and Hell. And then he awoke. The other two also awoke and said: "Let us go," say they, "to wreck and destroy the stead."
"Me seems," quoth Lochan, "that is not that is meetest for us to do. For evil is the lord whom we have served, and good is the lord on whom we have hitherto wrought robbery and brigandage. And I beheld a vision hideous and awful, to wit, that I was borne away to see Heaven and also Hell, a place wherein were abundance of punishments on throngs of human souls and on devils. So I saw the four rivers of Hell, even a river of toads and a river of serpents, a river of fire and a river of snow. I beheld the Monster of Hell with abundance of heads and feet upon it, and all the men of the world would die of seeing it. Thereafter I perceived that I was borne away to gaze at Heaven, and I beheld the Lord Himself on His throne, a birdflock of angels making music to Him. Then I saw a bright bird, and sweeter was his singing than every melody. Now this was Michael in the form of a bird in the presence of the Creator. This is my counsel to you," says Lochan, "to quit your weapons and in future to follow God."
"What is that?" says Enne. "Will the Lord accept from us repentance for the great evils we have wrought?"
They go to their mother's father, and ask that question of him.
"God would accept it, without doubt," quoth he.
"If so," saith Lochan, "let mass be said to us out side in his stead. and let us make stacks of our spearshafts, and let us go to Finden the fosterfather of Ireland."
Thus was it done by them. They fare forward on the morrow to Clonard, to the place where Finden was biding.
There as he then, on the green of the stead.
"Whom have we here?" say the clerics who were along with the saint.
"These are the Hui Corra, the marauders," says one of them.
All who were along with Finden fled and left him alone. It seemed to them that the Hui Corra had come to kill them.
"The clerics are fleeing before us," saith Lochan.
"That is so, surely," say his brothers. "Let us cast from us our states, the remains that we have of our weapons, and let us make genuflexion to the cleric." Thus they did.
"What is your desire?" says the elder.
"We are fain," say they, "to believe and be pious and to serve God, and to quit the lord with whom we have been hitherto, even the Devil."
"Good is that counsel," says the cleric. "Come over with me," says he, "into the stead, to the place where stands the assembly."
They go with him into the stead. Then the assembly made a resolve, to wit, that a son of the Church should be instructing them, that they should speak to none save their tutor, and that their instruction should continue till the end of a year. A year were they on that wise, so that they read the canonical scriptures. When they finished that, the assembly is thankful for their piety and their good manners.
At the end of a year they come to Finden, and prostrated themselves before him, and said: "It is time to pass judgment upon us for the great evils we have a wrought."
"What is that?" says Finden: "is it not enough for you to be in this assembly even as ye are?"
"It is not enough," say they.
"What are the greatest evils ye have wrought?" says the cleric.
"We have burnt one more than half of the churches of Connaught, and neither bishop nor priest got abatement of quarter at our hands."
"Ye will not succeed," says Finnen, "in putting souls into the men ye have murdered; but there is one thing ye could do, to wit, building houses in place of the churches ye have burnt, and restoring everything else ye have destroyed in those churches. And I," says he, "will put the vigor and strength of a hundred into each man of you, and I will banish from you weariness of feet and hands and small of back, and I will give you growth and profit which will never fail."
Well then, they went forward thence to Tuam, and began to work and slave there till they completed the renewal and restoration of every thing which they had destroyed in the place. By the end of the year they had been at every church throughout Connaught, restoring everything which they had previously destroyed; and then they came to speak with Finden.
"Have ye finished," asked Finden, "restoring every church which ye destroyed?"
"We have finished," say they, "save only one stead, even Kinvara."
"Sad in sooth!" quoth Finden, "that is the first stead which we ought to restore, to wit, the stead of that holy erenagh Old Camman of Kinvara. And now depart and restore that stead well; and every judgment which that holy old man shall pass upon you, execute it patiently."
Thereafter they go to Kinvara, and restored everything that they had destroyed therein.
One day, when they came forth over the edge of the haven, they were contemplating the sun as he went past them westwards, and they marveled much concerning his course. "And in what direction goes the sun," say they, "when he goes under the sea? And what more wondrous thing," say they, "than the sea without ice, and ice on every other water?"
This is the resolve they formed: to bring to them certain wright who was a friend of theirs and who was in that country, and to get him to build for them a three-skinned boat. The boat was built, so that it was ready, strong and staunch. This is the price which the wright asked for building it, that he himself should be allowed to go with them in the boat.
Now when it was time for them to embark they beheld a troop passing them, and this was the troop, a party of jesters. The jesters saw the boat being launched on the sea. "Who are the people launching this boat on the sea?" say they. Said the buffoon of the party: "I recognize them," quoth he. "Three sons of Conall the Red descendant of Corra the Fair, of Connaught, the robbers and the brigands, going on their pilgrimage and to seek the Lord on the sea and on the mighty main. Howbeit," quoth he, "by my word, they do not need more than I to go and seek for heaven."
"By my word," quoth the leader of the party, "it is long till thou shalt go on thy pilgrimage."
"Say not so; it shall be done," quoth the buffoon: "but I will go with them here on my pilgrimage, now without delay."
"We had thy word," say the jesters, "that thou wouldst not take our dresses with thee, for none of the raiment upon you is thine own."
"It is not that which will keep me with you," quoth he. So everything was stripped off him, and they let him go from them to the boat, fierce, stark-naked.
"What thing art thou, O man?" say the crew.
"A wretched man going with you on his pilgrimage," says he. "Thou shalt not come," say they, "and thou fierce, stark-naked."
"Say not that, O warriors," quoth he, "for God's sake. Refuse me not, and I will make for you merriment of mind and nature, and your act of devotion will not be the less."
They agreed to let him go with them for God's sake.
Thus were they then, after building a church and an altar to the Lord on their own heritage.
"Let us now go on board our boat," says Lochan, "since we have finished restoring the churches we destroyed, and since we have built a church to the LORD on our own heritage."
Nine, now, this was their number, and among them was a bishop, and a priest, and a deacon. One gillie they had, he was the ninth man.
Then they made fervent prayer to God in order that they might find fair weather, and that the Lord would restrain the storm of the waves and the roaring of the sea, and the many awful monsters.
Then they went on board their boat and began to row, and they were thinking whither they should go. "Whithersoever the wind shall take us," says the bishop. Thereafter they shipped their oars and offered themselves to God.
Well then, a mighty wind drove them due westward into the ocean of the great sea. And they were forty days and forty nights on the ocean, and many various marvels were shewn to them by God.
First there was shewn to them an island full of men agrieving and lamenting. One of the crew went to ask tidings of the island-folk, to know what they were about. He begins to wail and lament like every one.
They leave him there and rowed forth into the sea.
Thereafter the jester died on board and they were sad and sorry thereat. As they were there they saw the little bird on the gunwale of the boat, and then the bird said: "For God's sake, O men, tell me the cause of your sadness."
"We had a little jester delighting us, and he died a short time ago in the boat, and that is the cause of our sadness."
"I am your jester," says the bird "and be not mournful any more, for I shall now go to heaven."
Thereafter he bids them farewell.
Thereafter they row on for a long while, till another wonderful island was shewn to them, with a beautiful bright grove of fragrant apple trees therein. A very beautiful river flowed through the midst of the grove. Now when the wind would move the treetops of the grove sweeter was their song than any music. The Hui Corra ate somewhat of the apples and drank somewhat of the river of wine, so that they were straightway satisfied, and perceived not wound or disease in them.
Thereafter they began to row for a long time, and a certain island was shewn to them with four sets of various men therein. They divided the island into four, to wit, a folk sedate, fair-grey in the first place in it. royal lords in the second place: champions in the third place: servants in the fourth place. Beautiful and bright were they all. Play without resting had they. A certain one of the crew went to ask tidings of them. Black was he and hideous beside the bright folk to whom he came. He began at once to play and laugh, so that he was as gay and bright as they themselves, and he remained with them in the island, and thereat the Hui Corra were mournful. Then they sail on.
Thereafter then was shewn to then another island with one pedestal under it, supporting the island high over the great sea, and they heard above them a great cry converse of the man upon it, and they attained not to see them.
Then they leave that island and began sea-voyaging. Thereafter that a marvelous river in the form of a rainbow, which rises up into the firmament; and not a drop falls from it until it would fall at the same time again into the sea. And harsh as the noise and the sound thereof, and it appeared not from noon on Saturday till terce on Tuesday, and during that season it had the taste of honey.
Thereafter there was shewn to them on the second day a marvelous thing on the sea, a thing more wondrous than aught else, namely, a great pillar, silvern and four-cornered, in the midst of the sea, and a fishing-net drawn from its summit into the deep. Of silver, moreover, and a white bronze was that net. Lochan put by a mesh of that net, wherein were three half-ounces of silver and of white bronze. For a token of this tale he put the mesh aside, and Mael duin beheld the same thing.
Then they sail on until thereafter there appeared to them another island with one son of the Church therein. Fair indeed was that island, and wondrous the description thereof. Red flowers the size of tables therein, And they a-dropping and pouring, honey. Beautiful bright bird-flocks therein, and they a-singing plaintive melodious music. The Hui Corra were asking tidings of that cleric. "a disciple of Andrew the Apostle, am I," quoth he; "and one night I forgot my nocturn, wherefore I was sent in pilgrimage into the ocean; and here I am awaiting Doomsday; and the birds that ye see are the souls of holy human beings."
Then they bid him leave, and they rowed thence till they reached another island. Dead men in one part of it: living men in another part. They uttered great yells and awful howls whenever the enormous rollers of red flame of the fiery sea came over them. Great and vast was the plain wherein they were, and of them was a band with feet of iron under them. Thereafter the pilgrims rowed thence till they saw the heavy, fiery flagstones, and thereon a huge host burning, with red fiery spits through them. They were uttering great grievous yells. The pilgrims were asking them what were the flagstones. "This is a flagstone of the flagstones of Hell," say they "and we are souls that fulfilled not in the earthly life our judgment of repentance. And tell everyone to save himself from this flagstone, for whosoever cometh here departeth not till Doomsday."
After that there appeared to them another island, wonderful, shining, with a brazen palisade around it, and a brazen net spread on its spikes outside. They leave their boat on the sea-strand and went towards the fortress which was in the island; and when they heard the music of the wind against the net, they cast themselves into sleep till the end of three days and three nights. Thereafter they awake from their sleep, and a certain woman went to them out of the garth. She bids them welcome. Two blunt shoes of white bronze she wore, and a pitcher of brass was in one of her hands: a drinking-cup of silver in the other hand. She distributes to them food which seemed to them like soft cheeses. She dealt out to them the water of the well that was in the strand and there was no savor that they did not find therein. And the woman quoth to them: "Get you gone," quoth she, "for though your kindred is the same as ours, not here is your resurrection."
Then they bid the woman farewell, and they row the boat on the sea, till there appeared to them great, many-colored birdflocks, and vast was the number thereof. One of the birds alighted on the gunwale of the boat.
"It would be delightful," say the crew, "if this were a messenger from the Lord to bring us tidings!" With that the elder brother raises up his face. "God is able to do that," quoth he.
"It is to hold speech with you assuredly I have come," saith the bird.
Vivid was the color of that bird, to wit, in its breast were three beautiful bright rays, with a sun's radiance.
"Of the land of Erin am I," quoth the bird, "and I am the soul of a woman, and I am monkess unto thee," she saith to the elder.
"Tell me of this," saith he, "are we going to hell?"
"Ye will not go," saith the bird.
"We render thanks to God," saith the elder, "for we ourselves have deserved to go into hell in our bodies."
"Come ye to another place," saith the bird, "to hearken to yon birds. The birds that ye see are the souls that come on Sunday out of hell."
"Let us fare hence," saith the elder "We will go the way that thou wilt go," say his fellows.
As they were wending their way, they see three wondrous rivers whereout the birds would come over them, to wit, a river of otters and a river of eels, and a river of black swans. And the bird quoth: "Let not the shapes which ye see make you sad. For the birds which you behold are the souls of man enduring punishment for the sins they have committed, and there are devils in yon shapes behind them pursuing them, and the souls utter heavy and great cries as they flee from their punishment by the devils. Lo, I am leaving you," saith the bird; "and much knowledge of your goings hath not been vouchsafed to me, and someone else will relate them to you."
"Declare to us," saith the elder to the bird, "what are those three most beautiful rays in thy breasts?"
"I will tell you," saith the bird, "There was a man in the world whose wife I was, and I did not his will, and I clave not to lawful wedlock. He was sick and I was not with him. And I went three times to visit him, to wit, once to see him, another time with food for him, and the third time to attend him and to watch him. So that those three times are the three very beautiful rays in my breast; and all my color would have been like that had not I severed from lawful wedlock."
Thereafter the bird went from them and bids them farewell.
Another beautiful bright island was shewn to them. Shining grass was therein, with variety of purple-headed flowers. Abundance of birds and ever-lovely bees singing music to the heads of those flowers. A very aged grey-haired old man playing a harp in the isle. He was chanting a wonderful melody that was the sweetest of the melodies of the world. Each of them saluted the other, and the old man told them to fare forth.
So they voyage thence for a long time, till they saw a solitary man rowing, with a fiery spade in his hand. Then a huge red roller would come over him, and it aflaming. So when he emerged he was screaming and yelling miserably, suffering that punishment. "What art thou, O man?" say they.
"I am one who used to row on Sunday," he quoth; "And this is my punishment therefor; and for the sake of God make prayer with me that my punishment be lightened!" So they prayed with him, and then they fared away.
Then there was shewn to them a miller big, surly, rough, jet-black, tanned, hideous. Nothing under his fork was manifest to them, and they saw nothing over it. It seemed to them that, in the present world, there were no jewels or treasures or kine which he had not, casting them into the mouth of the mill.
"Why art thou doing that, O man?" say they.
"I will tell you," quoth he. "Everything as to which niggardliness is shewn in the world, that is what I put into the mouth of this mill, and I am the Miller of Hell."
Then they fare forth.
Thereafter was shown to them a huge horseman on the sea. At one time a wave would overwhelm him, and at another time he was screaming.
"What causes that, O man?" say they.
"I will tell you," quoth he. "I stole a horse from a brother of mine, and I rode it on a Sunday, and I am being punished therefor, with a horse of fire between my legs continually; and that is the punishment of everyone who rides on a Sunday."
They go thence afterwards.
There was shewn to them an island full of men, and they a-wailing and shrieking and making great moan. Jet black birds with beaks of fire and real, fiery talons a-mangling them and burning them, and taking the full of their beaks and talons out of them.
"What be ye, O men?" say the pilgrims.
"Dishonest braziers and smiths are we," they reply; "and our tongues are blazing in our heads as a penalty for every one's shame by reason of our handiwork."
Thereafter was shewn to them a huge giant, black, fuliginous, vast; and as big as a wether's fleece was every lake of fire that came out of his gullet. In his hand an iron staff, which was as large as a mill-shaft. A bundle of firewood on his back, the load of a team of six oxen therein. Every now and then the bundle would blaze. He would fling himself under the sea to escape the flame. But it was an increase of punishment which he would get from the sea-wave of fire rising over him. Then he would scream, enduring the agony that would come upon him.
"What art thou, O wretched man?" say they.
"I will tell you," saith he. "On every Sunday I used to carry on my back a bundle of firewood, and this is the retribution that is inflicted upon me."
Thereafter there appeared to them a fiery sea, and men's heads in abundance therein, and each of the heads was dashing against another. "That which we see is an abode of death" says one of his brothers.
The worms that lived in the sea pierced through one of the two lower hides of the boat.
"Let not that trouble you," saith the elder. "God is able to save us though we be in only the one hide; and even though yon worms desire to destroy us, they cannot go against His will."
Thereafter there appeared to them another island, bright and beautiful. A smooth wood therein, and it full of honey. A heath, green-grassed and soft in its center. A lake therein, sweet-tasted, shining. They remained a week is that island, putting their weariness from them. Now as they were going away from it, a monster rose out of the lake, and it seemed to each of them that on him the monster would make an attack. So they trembled greatly before it, till afterwards it plunged down again in the same place.
From that island they went to sea and rowed for a long time till they found an island, with the community of Ailbe of Emly therein. At midnight they arrived there. On the strand they found a spring, but it was turbid. They found another spring, and this was clear and bright. The gillie desires a drink from the spring. "It is better to get leave," saith the elder, "if there is any one in the island." Thereafter they saw a great light, and they come under that radiance till they beheld the twelve men making their prayer, and these had no light save the sunny countenance of each towards the other. One of them comes to the pilgrims, and bids them welcome, and asks tidings of them. They tell him their adventures, and entreated a drink out of the well. So he said to them: "Ye have permission," quoth he, "to fill your vessels with the water that is the clearest of them, when your elder shall bid you to do so."
"Who are ye?" says the gillie.
"The community of Ailbe of Emly" quoth he, "and we are the crew of Ailbe's second boat ; and we are alive here till Doomsday as God has permitted, singing requiems for every one who is dead on the sea. And get ye out of this land," quoth he, "before the morning, for not here will be your resurrection. And unless ye depart before morning it will be the worse for you, for it will be torment of mind and nature to you to sever from this island if ye see it in the day. So that it is better for you to go forth from it in the night."
They fulfilled all things, even as he quoth to them.
"Shall we take with us some of the stones of the beach?" say they.
"It is better to get permission," says the elder.
The gillie again gets permission.
"It is the better to get permission," says the elder who was in the church. "Howbeit," saith he, "they who shall take them will be mournful; and mournful, too, will be they who shall not take them."
Some of them take one stone: some two stones: some three stones. When it was morning on the morrow they drank draughts of the water of the island, and it cast them into heavy sleep from one hour to another. On rising out of their sleep they all took their stones, whereof one was crystal, another was silver, another was gold. Mournful was he who took any of them with him, and mournful was he who took none, to wit, he who took somewhat was mournful because of the smallness of his taking: so thus the words of the old man were fulfilled.
Thereafter a wondrous island was shewn to them. A psalm singing venerable old man, with fair, builded churches and beautiful bright altars. Beautiful green grass therein. A dew of honey on its grass. Little ever-lovely bees and fair, purple-headed birds chanting music therein, so that merely to listen to them was enough of delight.
Then they rowed onwards till they sighted another beautiful island. Therein was a church hidden, secluded. A solitary ecclesiastic, very aged, grey-haired, a-chanting his prayers therein. They struck the clapper in the doorway. A bright bird comes to commune with them, and they tell it their tidings. The bird tells that to the elder. "Open to them!" says the elder. The bird opened the door before them, and each saluted the other, and they sleep there that night. A messenger comes to them from heaven with his ration for each of them. On the morrow the elder told them to depart, for their resurrection was not destined to take place there; and he related to them their adventures from that time forth.
They came thence to an island wherein dwelt one of Christ's disciples. Marvelous, moreover, was the island. A cell and a church were therein. They chanted their paternoster to God before the church. quoth the elder who was in the church: "Welcome is the prayer of our tutor Jesus!" "What is that?" said the sage who was in the doorway: "in what place hast you seen Him?" "One of His disciples am I," saith he, "and I failed Him, and fled from Him on the sea, till I chanced upon this island, and I ate some of the herbs of the island and also of its fruit, till an angel came to me from heaven and quoth to me: "Not rightly hast you done," quoth he: "howbeit you shall bide in this life without death till doomsday." So I stand in that wise till today, and through him there comes not to me a meal at every none."
Thereafter they all went into one house and besought food from heaven for them. When they had prayed that a meal should be given to them all at the same time, the angel comes to them and leaves their meal on a flagstone before them on the strand, to wit, a cake for each man of them, and upon it a piece of fish wherein was every savor that each of them severally would desire.
Thereafter they bade farewell, and the old man related to them their future wanderings and the order of life And he said to them: "Ye shall go," saith he, "from me over the sea to the Point of Spain, and a boat's crew will meet you oh the sea a-fishing, and they will take you with the to land. And when thou," he said to the bishop, "shalt go out of the boat on shore, make prostration thrice unto God, and around the sod whereon you shalt set thy face the host shall assemble on every side. They will establish a church and community there. And thy fame shall reach to Rome, and Peter's successor shall bring you eastwards to Rome, and thou shall leave yon priest in that place, and thou shalt leave the deacon as a sacristan, and that place shall be upheld in use till Doomsday. You shall leave the gillie in Britain, and he shall remain there so long as he shall be alive."
Then they bid farewell to the old man and leave the island, and all was fulfilled from beginning to end, even as he had told them. The bishop came from Rome as we said before, and the gillie told all those tales to him. Thereafter the gillie died, and those tales remained with the bishop. He related them to Soerbrethach bishop of his community, and he related them to Mo-Cholmoc a son of Colman in Aran. Wherefore the bishop uttered these words:
We the Hui-Corra of Connaught
Without fear against banks of billows,
Over the gravel of the mightily-roaring sea
For knowledge of the wonderful folk,
In a boat lasting, blessed,
On a course satisfying, firm,
We went on our pilgrimage
At the blast of the whistling wind.
To obtain forgiveness of our sins,
There is the cause of asking.
We have finished this act of devotion.
I give thanks to the Mighty One,
Though we have deserved malediction
We have not destroyed our ...
They bowed their heads,
This clan, the Hui Corra.
So far the Voyage of the Hui Corra's Boat.
The nine travelers proceeded on their fantastic ocean journey, hopping from legendary island to island, encountering different peoples and fantastic adventures along the way. The nine wanderers eventually reached the coast of Iberian peninsula, where they settled down and built a church.
A princely landholder, Hundred Herd Brugaid, was born, once upon a time, in the dear and beautiful province of Connaught, to wit, Conall the Red, descendant of Corra the Fair. Thus was that landholder: a man happy, wealthy, exceeding prosperous; and never had his house been found without Three Cries therein, to wit, the cry of the strainers a-straining ale, and the cry of the vassals over the cauldrons a-forking out joints to the hosts, and the cry of the warriors at the chess-boards a-winning games from each other. Never, too, was his house found without the Three Sacks, to wit, a sack of malt for preparing yeast, a sack of wheat for preparing the refection of the guests, and a sack of salt to make every food taste well.
This was his wife: Caerderg, daughter of the erenagh of Clogher. No want, in sooth, had they, save that they had no fitting children; and not altogether childless were they; but their children would not stay with them, and died immediately after their birth.
So one night, in his bed, the landholder said to his wife: "It is sad for us", said he,"not to have a son to be a fitting successor in our place after us."
"What wouldst thou fain do therefore?" says the wife. "This is what I would fain do," quoth the landholder, "make communion with the Devil, if perchance he would give us a son or a daughter as successor, who would take our place after us."
Then they fasted against the Devil, and the lady forthwith became with child, and she was nurturing her pregnancy till the end of her nine months. Thereafter came unto the lady great efforts and mighty birth-pangs, and she bore three sons in that great bringing-forth, to wit, a son at the beginning of the night, and a son at midnight, and a son at the end of the night. And they were baptized according to the heathen baptism, and these were their names, even Lochan, and Enne and Silvester.
Thereafter they were nourished and carefully tended until they were swift and strong on sea and on land, so that they out-went their coevals in every play and in every fair discipline; and full lips and constant tongue had every one who used to hear them or see them at that time.
One day, when they were leaning on the side-rail of the bed in their father and mother's house, wearied with charging and hurling, the people of the house said that they had found neither fault nor blemish on those smooth-delightful greatly famous sons, save only their baptism into the Devil's possession. "If," say the sons, "it is the Devil who is our king or lord, it is hard for us not to rob and plunder and persecute his enemies that is to kill clerics and to burn and wreck churches."
Then those sons arose, and they took their weapons and went to Tuam. And they wrecked and burnt the place, and committed robbery and outrageous brigandage throughout the province of Connaught upon churches and clerics, so that the evil and horror of their robbery was heard of throughout the four quarters of Ireland altogether. Till the end of a year they dealt in that wise, so that during that time they destroyed one more than half of the churches of Connaught.
At the end of a year Lochan said to his brothers: "We have been very forgetful," says he, "and our lord the Devil will not be thankful to us concerning it."
"What is this?" says the other sons.
"Our grandfather," says he, "even our mother's father; we have not killed him and burnt his church upon him."
They go to his country on the spot, without truce, without sparing.
The erenagh was there before them on the green of the church, with a great assembly of his community around him, to serve them and attend them with the choice of every food and the power of every liquor; and the secret intention of the cleric towards them was not that which they had towards him, but to kill him and to burn and wreck his church.
Then came the Hui Corra to the place wherein the cleric dwelt, and they determined not to kill the cleric, nor to burn the stead, until the night should come, and the kine and cattle of the stead should come to their byres and their proper places. The cleric comes with them to the stead, and he perceived that they had this secret intention, and he put them into the fair-sided, shining silver, and food and ale were taken to them, so that they became exhilarated and mirthful. Afterwards, couches and lofty beds were spread for them.
Then a deep slumber and sleep fell upon Lochan, and a marvellous vision has shewn to him, to wit, he was taken to see Heaven and Hell. And then he awoke. The other two also awoke and said: "Let us go," say they, "to wreck and destroy the stead."
"Me seems," quoth Lochan, "that is not that is meetest for us to do. For evil is the lord whom we have served, and good is the lord on whom we have hitherto wrought robbery and brigandage. And I beheld a vision hideous and awful, to wit, that I was borne away to see Heaven and also Hell, a place wherein were abundance of punishments on throngs of human souls and on devils. So I saw the four rivers of Hell, even a river of toads and a river of serpents, a river of fire and a river of snow. I beheld the Monster of Hell with abundance of heads and feet upon it, and all the men of the world would die of seeing it. Thereafter I perceived that I was borne away to gaze at Heaven, and I beheld the Lord Himself on His throne, a birdflock of angels making music to Him. Then I saw a bright bird, and sweeter was his singing than every melody. Now this was Michael in the form of a bird in the presence of the Creator. This is my counsel to you," says Lochan, "to quit your weapons and in future to follow God."
"What is that?" says Enne. "Will the Lord accept from us repentance for the great evils we have wrought?"
They go to their mother's father, and ask that question of him.
"God would accept it, without doubt," quoth he.
"If so," saith Lochan, "let mass be said to us out side in his stead. and let us make stacks of our spearshafts, and let us go to Finden the fosterfather of Ireland."
Thus was it done by them. They fare forward on the morrow to Clonard, to the place where Finden was biding.
There as he then, on the green of the stead.
"Whom have we here?" say the clerics who were along with the saint.
"These are the Hui Corra, the marauders," says one of them.
All who were along with Finden fled and left him alone. It seemed to them that the Hui Corra had come to kill them.
"The clerics are fleeing before us," saith Lochan.
"That is so, surely," say his brothers. "Let us cast from us our states, the remains that we have of our weapons, and let us make genuflexion to the cleric." Thus they did.
"What is your desire?" says the elder.
"We are fain," say they, "to believe and be pious and to serve God, and to quit the lord with whom we have been hitherto, even the Devil."
"Good is that counsel," says the cleric. "Come over with me," says he, "into the stead, to the place where stands the assembly."
They go with him into the stead. Then the assembly made a resolve, to wit, that a son of the Church should be instructing them, that they should speak to none save their tutor, and that their instruction should continue till the end of a year. A year were they on that wise, so that they read the canonical scriptures. When they finished that, the assembly is thankful for their piety and their good manners.
At the end of a year they come to Finden, and prostrated themselves before him, and said: "It is time to pass judgment upon us for the great evils we have a wrought."
"What is that?" says Finden: "is it not enough for you to be in this assembly even as ye are?"
"It is not enough," say they.
"What are the greatest evils ye have wrought?" says the cleric.
"We have burnt one more than half of the churches of Connaught, and neither bishop nor priest got abatement of quarter at our hands."
"Ye will not succeed," says Finnen, "in putting souls into the men ye have murdered; but there is one thing ye could do, to wit, building houses in place of the churches ye have burnt, and restoring everything else ye have destroyed in those churches. And I," says he, "will put the vigor and strength of a hundred into each man of you, and I will banish from you weariness of feet and hands and small of back, and I will give you growth and profit which will never fail."
Well then, they went forward thence to Tuam, and began to work and slave there till they completed the renewal and restoration of every thing which they had destroyed in the place. By the end of the year they had been at every church throughout Connaught, restoring everything which they had previously destroyed; and then they came to speak with Finden.
"Have ye finished," asked Finden, "restoring every church which ye destroyed?"
"We have finished," say they, "save only one stead, even Kinvara."
"Sad in sooth!" quoth Finden, "that is the first stead which we ought to restore, to wit, the stead of that holy erenagh Old Camman of Kinvara. And now depart and restore that stead well; and every judgment which that holy old man shall pass upon you, execute it patiently."
Thereafter they go to Kinvara, and restored everything that they had destroyed therein.
One day, when they came forth over the edge of the haven, they were contemplating the sun as he went past them westwards, and they marveled much concerning his course. "And in what direction goes the sun," say they, "when he goes under the sea? And what more wondrous thing," say they, "than the sea without ice, and ice on every other water?"
This is the resolve they formed: to bring to them certain wright who was a friend of theirs and who was in that country, and to get him to build for them a three-skinned boat. The boat was built, so that it was ready, strong and staunch. This is the price which the wright asked for building it, that he himself should be allowed to go with them in the boat.
Now when it was time for them to embark they beheld a troop passing them, and this was the troop, a party of jesters. The jesters saw the boat being launched on the sea. "Who are the people launching this boat on the sea?" say they. Said the buffoon of the party: "I recognize them," quoth he. "Three sons of Conall the Red descendant of Corra the Fair, of Connaught, the robbers and the brigands, going on their pilgrimage and to seek the Lord on the sea and on the mighty main. Howbeit," quoth he, "by my word, they do not need more than I to go and seek for heaven."
"By my word," quoth the leader of the party, "it is long till thou shalt go on thy pilgrimage."
"Say not so; it shall be done," quoth the buffoon: "but I will go with them here on my pilgrimage, now without delay."
"We had thy word," say the jesters, "that thou wouldst not take our dresses with thee, for none of the raiment upon you is thine own."
"It is not that which will keep me with you," quoth he. So everything was stripped off him, and they let him go from them to the boat, fierce, stark-naked.
"What thing art thou, O man?" say the crew.
"A wretched man going with you on his pilgrimage," says he. "Thou shalt not come," say they, "and thou fierce, stark-naked."
"Say not that, O warriors," quoth he, "for God's sake. Refuse me not, and I will make for you merriment of mind and nature, and your act of devotion will not be the less."
They agreed to let him go with them for God's sake.
Thus were they then, after building a church and an altar to the Lord on their own heritage.
"Let us now go on board our boat," says Lochan, "since we have finished restoring the churches we destroyed, and since we have built a church to the LORD on our own heritage."
Nine, now, this was their number, and among them was a bishop, and a priest, and a deacon. One gillie they had, he was the ninth man.
Then they made fervent prayer to God in order that they might find fair weather, and that the Lord would restrain the storm of the waves and the roaring of the sea, and the many awful monsters.
Then they went on board their boat and began to row, and they were thinking whither they should go. "Whithersoever the wind shall take us," says the bishop. Thereafter they shipped their oars and offered themselves to God.
Well then, a mighty wind drove them due westward into the ocean of the great sea. And they were forty days and forty nights on the ocean, and many various marvels were shewn to them by God.
First there was shewn to them an island full of men agrieving and lamenting. One of the crew went to ask tidings of the island-folk, to know what they were about. He begins to wail and lament like every one.
They leave him there and rowed forth into the sea.
Thereafter the jester died on board and they were sad and sorry thereat. As they were there they saw the little bird on the gunwale of the boat, and then the bird said: "For God's sake, O men, tell me the cause of your sadness."
"We had a little jester delighting us, and he died a short time ago in the boat, and that is the cause of our sadness."
"I am your jester," says the bird "and be not mournful any more, for I shall now go to heaven."
Thereafter he bids them farewell.
Thereafter they row on for a long while, till another wonderful island was shewn to them, with a beautiful bright grove of fragrant apple trees therein. A very beautiful river flowed through the midst of the grove. Now when the wind would move the treetops of the grove sweeter was their song than any music. The Hui Corra ate somewhat of the apples and drank somewhat of the river of wine, so that they were straightway satisfied, and perceived not wound or disease in them.
Thereafter they began to row for a long time, and a certain island was shewn to them with four sets of various men therein. They divided the island into four, to wit, a folk sedate, fair-grey in the first place in it. royal lords in the second place: champions in the third place: servants in the fourth place. Beautiful and bright were they all. Play without resting had they. A certain one of the crew went to ask tidings of them. Black was he and hideous beside the bright folk to whom he came. He began at once to play and laugh, so that he was as gay and bright as they themselves, and he remained with them in the island, and thereat the Hui Corra were mournful. Then they sail on.
Thereafter then was shewn to then another island with one pedestal under it, supporting the island high over the great sea, and they heard above them a great cry converse of the man upon it, and they attained not to see them.
Then they leave that island and began sea-voyaging. Thereafter that a marvelous river in the form of a rainbow, which rises up into the firmament; and not a drop falls from it until it would fall at the same time again into the sea. And harsh as the noise and the sound thereof, and it appeared not from noon on Saturday till terce on Tuesday, and during that season it had the taste of honey.
Thereafter there was shewn to them on the second day a marvelous thing on the sea, a thing more wondrous than aught else, namely, a great pillar, silvern and four-cornered, in the midst of the sea, and a fishing-net drawn from its summit into the deep. Of silver, moreover, and a white bronze was that net. Lochan put by a mesh of that net, wherein were three half-ounces of silver and of white bronze. For a token of this tale he put the mesh aside, and Mael duin beheld the same thing.
Then they sail on until thereafter there appeared to them another island with one son of the Church therein. Fair indeed was that island, and wondrous the description thereof. Red flowers the size of tables therein, And they a-dropping and pouring, honey. Beautiful bright bird-flocks therein, and they a-singing plaintive melodious music. The Hui Corra were asking tidings of that cleric. "a disciple of Andrew the Apostle, am I," quoth he; "and one night I forgot my nocturn, wherefore I was sent in pilgrimage into the ocean; and here I am awaiting Doomsday; and the birds that ye see are the souls of holy human beings."
Then they bid him leave, and they rowed thence till they reached another island. Dead men in one part of it: living men in another part. They uttered great yells and awful howls whenever the enormous rollers of red flame of the fiery sea came over them. Great and vast was the plain wherein they were, and of them was a band with feet of iron under them. Thereafter the pilgrims rowed thence till they saw the heavy, fiery flagstones, and thereon a huge host burning, with red fiery spits through them. They were uttering great grievous yells. The pilgrims were asking them what were the flagstones. "This is a flagstone of the flagstones of Hell," say they "and we are souls that fulfilled not in the earthly life our judgment of repentance. And tell everyone to save himself from this flagstone, for whosoever cometh here departeth not till Doomsday."
After that there appeared to them another island, wonderful, shining, with a brazen palisade around it, and a brazen net spread on its spikes outside. They leave their boat on the sea-strand and went towards the fortress which was in the island; and when they heard the music of the wind against the net, they cast themselves into sleep till the end of three days and three nights. Thereafter they awake from their sleep, and a certain woman went to them out of the garth. She bids them welcome. Two blunt shoes of white bronze she wore, and a pitcher of brass was in one of her hands: a drinking-cup of silver in the other hand. She distributes to them food which seemed to them like soft cheeses. She dealt out to them the water of the well that was in the strand and there was no savor that they did not find therein. And the woman quoth to them: "Get you gone," quoth she, "for though your kindred is the same as ours, not here is your resurrection."
Then they bid the woman farewell, and they row the boat on the sea, till there appeared to them great, many-colored birdflocks, and vast was the number thereof. One of the birds alighted on the gunwale of the boat.
"It would be delightful," say the crew, "if this were a messenger from the Lord to bring us tidings!" With that the elder brother raises up his face. "God is able to do that," quoth he.
"It is to hold speech with you assuredly I have come," saith the bird.
Vivid was the color of that bird, to wit, in its breast were three beautiful bright rays, with a sun's radiance.
"Of the land of Erin am I," quoth the bird, "and I am the soul of a woman, and I am monkess unto thee," she saith to the elder.
"Tell me of this," saith he, "are we going to hell?"
"Ye will not go," saith the bird.
"We render thanks to God," saith the elder, "for we ourselves have deserved to go into hell in our bodies."
"Come ye to another place," saith the bird, "to hearken to yon birds. The birds that ye see are the souls that come on Sunday out of hell."
"Let us fare hence," saith the elder "We will go the way that thou wilt go," say his fellows.
As they were wending their way, they see three wondrous rivers whereout the birds would come over them, to wit, a river of otters and a river of eels, and a river of black swans. And the bird quoth: "Let not the shapes which ye see make you sad. For the birds which you behold are the souls of man enduring punishment for the sins they have committed, and there are devils in yon shapes behind them pursuing them, and the souls utter heavy and great cries as they flee from their punishment by the devils. Lo, I am leaving you," saith the bird; "and much knowledge of your goings hath not been vouchsafed to me, and someone else will relate them to you."
"Declare to us," saith the elder to the bird, "what are those three most beautiful rays in thy breasts?"
"I will tell you," saith the bird, "There was a man in the world whose wife I was, and I did not his will, and I clave not to lawful wedlock. He was sick and I was not with him. And I went three times to visit him, to wit, once to see him, another time with food for him, and the third time to attend him and to watch him. So that those three times are the three very beautiful rays in my breast; and all my color would have been like that had not I severed from lawful wedlock."
Thereafter the bird went from them and bids them farewell.
Another beautiful bright island was shewn to them. Shining grass was therein, with variety of purple-headed flowers. Abundance of birds and ever-lovely bees singing music to the heads of those flowers. A very aged grey-haired old man playing a harp in the isle. He was chanting a wonderful melody that was the sweetest of the melodies of the world. Each of them saluted the other, and the old man told them to fare forth.
So they voyage thence for a long time, till they saw a solitary man rowing, with a fiery spade in his hand. Then a huge red roller would come over him, and it aflaming. So when he emerged he was screaming and yelling miserably, suffering that punishment. "What art thou, O man?" say they.
"I am one who used to row on Sunday," he quoth; "And this is my punishment therefor; and for the sake of God make prayer with me that my punishment be lightened!" So they prayed with him, and then they fared away.
Then there was shewn to them a miller big, surly, rough, jet-black, tanned, hideous. Nothing under his fork was manifest to them, and they saw nothing over it. It seemed to them that, in the present world, there were no jewels or treasures or kine which he had not, casting them into the mouth of the mill.
"Why art thou doing that, O man?" say they.
"I will tell you," quoth he. "Everything as to which niggardliness is shewn in the world, that is what I put into the mouth of this mill, and I am the Miller of Hell."
Then they fare forth.
Thereafter was shown to them a huge horseman on the sea. At one time a wave would overwhelm him, and at another time he was screaming.
"What causes that, O man?" say they.
"I will tell you," quoth he. "I stole a horse from a brother of mine, and I rode it on a Sunday, and I am being punished therefor, with a horse of fire between my legs continually; and that is the punishment of everyone who rides on a Sunday."
They go thence afterwards.
There was shewn to them an island full of men, and they a-wailing and shrieking and making great moan. Jet black birds with beaks of fire and real, fiery talons a-mangling them and burning them, and taking the full of their beaks and talons out of them.
"What be ye, O men?" say the pilgrims.
"Dishonest braziers and smiths are we," they reply; "and our tongues are blazing in our heads as a penalty for every one's shame by reason of our handiwork."
Thereafter was shewn to them a huge giant, black, fuliginous, vast; and as big as a wether's fleece was every lake of fire that came out of his gullet. In his hand an iron staff, which was as large as a mill-shaft. A bundle of firewood on his back, the load of a team of six oxen therein. Every now and then the bundle would blaze. He would fling himself under the sea to escape the flame. But it was an increase of punishment which he would get from the sea-wave of fire rising over him. Then he would scream, enduring the agony that would come upon him.
"What art thou, O wretched man?" say they.
"I will tell you," saith he. "On every Sunday I used to carry on my back a bundle of firewood, and this is the retribution that is inflicted upon me."
Thereafter there appeared to them a fiery sea, and men's heads in abundance therein, and each of the heads was dashing against another. "That which we see is an abode of death" says one of his brothers.
The worms that lived in the sea pierced through one of the two lower hides of the boat.
"Let not that trouble you," saith the elder. "God is able to save us though we be in only the one hide; and even though yon worms desire to destroy us, they cannot go against His will."
Thereafter there appeared to them another island, bright and beautiful. A smooth wood therein, and it full of honey. A heath, green-grassed and soft in its center. A lake therein, sweet-tasted, shining. They remained a week is that island, putting their weariness from them. Now as they were going away from it, a monster rose out of the lake, and it seemed to each of them that on him the monster would make an attack. So they trembled greatly before it, till afterwards it plunged down again in the same place.
From that island they went to sea and rowed for a long time till they found an island, with the community of Ailbe of Emly therein. At midnight they arrived there. On the strand they found a spring, but it was turbid. They found another spring, and this was clear and bright. The gillie desires a drink from the spring. "It is better to get leave," saith the elder, "if there is any one in the island." Thereafter they saw a great light, and they come under that radiance till they beheld the twelve men making their prayer, and these had no light save the sunny countenance of each towards the other. One of them comes to the pilgrims, and bids them welcome, and asks tidings of them. They tell him their adventures, and entreated a drink out of the well. So he said to them: "Ye have permission," quoth he, "to fill your vessels with the water that is the clearest of them, when your elder shall bid you to do so."
"Who are ye?" says the gillie.
"The community of Ailbe of Emly" quoth he, "and we are the crew of Ailbe's second boat ; and we are alive here till Doomsday as God has permitted, singing requiems for every one who is dead on the sea. And get ye out of this land," quoth he, "before the morning, for not here will be your resurrection. And unless ye depart before morning it will be the worse for you, for it will be torment of mind and nature to you to sever from this island if ye see it in the day. So that it is better for you to go forth from it in the night."
They fulfilled all things, even as he quoth to them.
"Shall we take with us some of the stones of the beach?" say they.
"It is better to get permission," says the elder.
The gillie again gets permission.
"It is the better to get permission," says the elder who was in the church. "Howbeit," saith he, "they who shall take them will be mournful; and mournful, too, will be they who shall not take them."
Some of them take one stone: some two stones: some three stones. When it was morning on the morrow they drank draughts of the water of the island, and it cast them into heavy sleep from one hour to another. On rising out of their sleep they all took their stones, whereof one was crystal, another was silver, another was gold. Mournful was he who took any of them with him, and mournful was he who took none, to wit, he who took somewhat was mournful because of the smallness of his taking: so thus the words of the old man were fulfilled.
Thereafter a wondrous island was shewn to them. A psalm singing venerable old man, with fair, builded churches and beautiful bright altars. Beautiful green grass therein. A dew of honey on its grass. Little ever-lovely bees and fair, purple-headed birds chanting music therein, so that merely to listen to them was enough of delight.
Then they rowed onwards till they sighted another beautiful island. Therein was a church hidden, secluded. A solitary ecclesiastic, very aged, grey-haired, a-chanting his prayers therein. They struck the clapper in the doorway. A bright bird comes to commune with them, and they tell it their tidings. The bird tells that to the elder. "Open to them!" says the elder. The bird opened the door before them, and each saluted the other, and they sleep there that night. A messenger comes to them from heaven with his ration for each of them. On the morrow the elder told them to depart, for their resurrection was not destined to take place there; and he related to them their adventures from that time forth.
They came thence to an island wherein dwelt one of Christ's disciples. Marvelous, moreover, was the island. A cell and a church were therein. They chanted their paternoster to God before the church. quoth the elder who was in the church: "Welcome is the prayer of our tutor Jesus!" "What is that?" said the sage who was in the doorway: "in what place hast you seen Him?" "One of His disciples am I," saith he, "and I failed Him, and fled from Him on the sea, till I chanced upon this island, and I ate some of the herbs of the island and also of its fruit, till an angel came to me from heaven and quoth to me: "Not rightly hast you done," quoth he: "howbeit you shall bide in this life without death till doomsday." So I stand in that wise till today, and through him there comes not to me a meal at every none."
Thereafter they all went into one house and besought food from heaven for them. When they had prayed that a meal should be given to them all at the same time, the angel comes to them and leaves their meal on a flagstone before them on the strand, to wit, a cake for each man of them, and upon it a piece of fish wherein was every savor that each of them severally would desire.
Thereafter they bade farewell, and the old man related to them their future wanderings and the order of life And he said to them: "Ye shall go," saith he, "from me over the sea to the Point of Spain, and a boat's crew will meet you oh the sea a-fishing, and they will take you with the to land. And when thou," he said to the bishop, "shalt go out of the boat on shore, make prostration thrice unto God, and around the sod whereon you shalt set thy face the host shall assemble on every side. They will establish a church and community there. And thy fame shall reach to Rome, and Peter's successor shall bring you eastwards to Rome, and thou shall leave yon priest in that place, and thou shalt leave the deacon as a sacristan, and that place shall be upheld in use till Doomsday. You shall leave the gillie in Britain, and he shall remain there so long as he shall be alive."
Then they bid farewell to the old man and leave the island, and all was fulfilled from beginning to end, even as he had told them. The bishop came from Rome as we said before, and the gillie told all those tales to him. Thereafter the gillie died, and those tales remained with the bishop. He related them to Soerbrethach bishop of his community, and he related them to Mo-Cholmoc a son of Colman in Aran. Wherefore the bishop uttered these words:
We the Hui-Corra of Connaught
Without fear against banks of billows,
Over the gravel of the mightily-roaring sea
For knowledge of the wonderful folk,
In a boat lasting, blessed,
On a course satisfying, firm,
We went on our pilgrimage
At the blast of the whistling wind.
To obtain forgiveness of our sins,
There is the cause of asking.
We have finished this act of devotion.
I give thanks to the Mighty One,
Though we have deserved malediction
We have not destroyed our ...
They bowed their heads,
This clan, the Hui Corra.
So far the Voyage of the Hui Corra's Boat.