In this special episode of Medieval Roots, Dr Godelinde Gertrude Perk, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow in the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages (University of Oxford) reads four spine-chilling stories for Halloween.
The first story is from the vita of Trude of Beveren (d.1428) ("Concerning Sister Trude van Beveren"), found in the sister book of Diepenveen. Godelinde is reading from the translation by David F. Johnson, kindly provided by Wybren Scheepsma. The translation will form part of Scheepsma's forthcoming edition of DV “Hier Beghint dat Leven en Starven Onses Eerwerdighen Vaders Heer Johan Brinckerinck” (Deventer, Athenaeumbiblotheek, 1524), https://athenaeumcollecties.nl/collecties/topstukken/detail/0be4351e-3487-11e6-9603-b3eb7ac8b442/media/e0f6a70b-de61-4fa7-d219-19639b351f07, Athenaeumbibliotheek, ms. 101 E 26 KL. Commonly referred to as DV, this manuscript witness was composed by sixteenth-century Sister Griete Essinches. Godelinde is deeply grateful to Wybren Scheepsma for his scholarly generosity providing to her with a transcript of DV, which will form the basis of his forthcoming edition and English translation.
The second story is taken from the vita of Alijt Plagen (d.1428) from the Deventer sister-book. The Deventer sister-book recounts the lives of the sisters from the Master Geert’s House (†1428), a community of Sisters of the Common Life, laywomen living a nun-like life, freelance nuns). I rely on Dirk de Man’s early twentieth-century’s edition of the Deventer sister-book. Dirk de Man, ed., Hier Beginnen Sommige Stichtige Punten van Onsen Oelden Zusteren (’s-Gravenhage: Nijhoff, 1919). The translation is taken from the sister-book play by Lieke Smits, Marly Terwisscha van Scheltinga, and yours truly.
See, Terwisscha van Scheltinga, Marly, Lieke Smits, and Godelinde Gertrude Perk. “Dead Sisters Do Tell Tales: A Theatrical Reading of Modern Devout Sisterbooks.” Presented at the Leeds International Medieval Congress, Leeds, July 4, 2018.
The Third story is from the Diepenveen sister-book, from the narrative concerning Hilwartshausen ("How Hilwartshausen was first founded and the sisters of Diepenveen were sent there by Sister Stine des Groten"). Translation by David F. Johnson.
The final story is from the vita of Daya Dierkens ("Concerning Sister DAYA DIERKENS") from the Diepenveen sister-book. Translation by David F. Johnson.
Credits:
"Dramatic Organ, B.wav" by Inspector