Medieval Ghost Stories

Ghost In The Machine

Ghost In The Machine

Justified & Ancient
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We've been going to Byland Abbey a fair bit recently - it's English Heritage but open access. Often go in the evening so there is no-one else around.

I had a bit of a weird experience there a month or so back - couldn't bring myself to write about it here, at the time because it was only a matter of seconds, and I just don't feel ready to go on about it yet but no doubt will in time.

However, that got me curious about whether there are any accounts of ghosts at Byland. So I Googled. And intriguingly, found mention of a dozen brief stories scrawled by a Byland monk around 1400, in the margins of a manuscript he must have been scribing. I had never heard of this before. There are 12 brief stories, written in Latin, and I found a website (below) with translations. Much of it is shapeshifting and weird shit and the stories are thought to be local to the area.

Not sure if monks were meant to believe in ghosts, and the stories aren't couched in the usual monkish terms as cautionary tales. None are anything to do with my super brief, weird experience whatsoever, btw, I just stumbled on them looking for an explanation.

http://www.bylandghosts.com

Stories are linked to at the lefthand side, there. About as batshit as you'd imagine a medieval ghost story to be.

Apparently, M.R. James wrote a scholarly thing about them. I haven't been able to find it online. Twelve Medieval Ghost-Stories' The English Historical Review, Vol. 37, No. 147 (Jul., 1922), pp. 413-422.

IMG_3129.JPG
 
Ghost In The Machine said:
... Apparently, M.R. James wrote a scholarly thing about them. I haven't been able to find it online. Twelve Medieval Ghost-Stories' The English Historical Review, Vol. 37, No. 147 (Jul., 1922), pp. 413-422. ...
Click to expand...

James' article consists of an introduction and transcriptions of the the 12 stories (in Latin). The original article can be accessed via Google Books:

https://books.google.com/books?id=d6LRAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA414#v=onepage&q&f=false

The only things the original article adds to the accounts at the bylandghosts link (above) are James' English introduction and his own footnotes (also in English).
 
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I find this quite impressive: "he formed his words in (his) intestines and was not speaking with (his) tongue."
Thank you for posting, Ghost in the Machine!
 
gordonrutter said:
Isn’t that pretty much the literal meaning of ventriloquism? Stomach speaking?
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My stomach often makes strange sounds at night (I'm not talking about farting - calm down at the back) - and very often the associated rumbles, and even some odd weird squeaking sounds, appear to be coming from other side of the room.

In the early hours, I often find myself wondering whether some alleged haunting activity is down to the process of horizontal digestion. Although, I suppose there's a possibility that I am actually being haunted by an energetic digestive system, long since separated from its earthly home. (In fact doesn't Tibetan, and I think maybe the Greek culture, among others, claim paranormal entities that are basically just stomachs?)
 
Spookdaddy said:
My stomach often makes strange sounds at night (I'm not talking about farting - calm down at the back) - and very often the associated rumbles, and even some odd weird squeaking sounds, appear to be coming from other side of the room.

In the early hours, I often find myself wondering whether some alleged haunting activity is down to the process of horizontal digestion. Although, I suppose there's a possibility that I am actually being haunted by an energetic digestive system, long since separated from its earthly home. (In fact doesn't Tibetan, and I think maybe the Greek culture, among others, claim paranormal entities that are basically just stomachs?)
Click to expand...
I have this too. Quite a lot of gurgling for no apparent reason.
 
EnolaGaia said:
James' article consists of an introduction and transcriptions of the the 12 stories (in Latin). The original article can be accessed via Google Books:

https://books.google.com/books?id=d6LRAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA414#v=onepage&q&f=false

The only things the original article adds to the accounts at the bylandghosts link (above) are James' English introduction and his own footnotes (also in English).
Click to expand...
Aw thanks. I looked on Books as well and couldn't find it. Brain fart. Thanks so much, though, I will read it later. Looking at the weird monsters etc in monks' marginalia, I just knew medieval ghosts would be trippy as all hell.
 
Spookdaddy said:
My stomach often makes strange sounds at night (I'm not talking about farting - calm down at the back) - and very often the associated rumbles, and even some odd weird squeaking sounds, appear to be coming from other side of the room.

In the early hours, I often find myself wondering whether some alleged haunting activity is down to the process of horizontal digestion. Although, I suppose there's a possibility that I am actually being haunted by an energetic digestive system, long since separated from its earthly home. (In fact doesn't Tibetan, and I think maybe the Greek culture, among others, claim paranormal entities that are basically just stomachs?)
Click to expand...

Peter from Family Guy can talk using his farts which I believe is factual.
 
I read (possibly on'ere) many years ago that ancient Egyptians hoping to move into a new house would consult a ventriloquist for guidance.
The ventriloquist would walk around the place making sounds with his stomach and replying to them as if conversing.

Like,
rumble rumble rumble
The spirits say this is a very lucky room.
rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble
However, THIS room is not so fortuitous and you may have to install a large-sized Ankh charm in the east window to attract good spirits. Luckily I stock these at a competitive price.
rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble
The sink is blocked.
 
Ghost In The Machine said:
Not sure if monks were meant to believe in ghosts, and the stories aren't couched in the usual monkish terms as cautionary tales...
Click to expand...

I don't think they were - or at least, they would not have been supposed to see them as anything other than the expressions of some form of devilry; there may have been an underlying folk belief in ghosts recognisably similar to the one we have now, but it probably wouldn’t have been the official line, and would not normally have made it into written works.

I have a copy of Twelve Medieval Ghost Stories, included in a 1979 publication called M R James Book of the Supernatural. The article is illustrated with various pictures, one of which is the frontispiece of a book which is described as 'perhaps the earliest book on ghostly phenomena, published in 1572.'

...being (takes deep breath):

Of Ghostes and Spirites, Walking by Night And of Straunge Noyses, Crackes, and Sundrie Forewarnings, Which Commonly Happen Before the Death of Men: Great Slaughters, and Alterations of Kingdoms - by Lewes Lauaterus of Tigurine.

There are not far off two centuries between the two documents, and I don't think that the fact that the two publications sit either side of the English Reformation is insignificant. (Although, of course, advances in printing technology, increased access to printed material, and the dropping of Latin as the official language of everything played roles so influential that they might completely obscure other undercurrents).

It still seems to me to be the case that Catholic areas of Europe generally have a very different attitude to ghosts and ghost stories than the Protestant north. (When I lived for a while in Spain it was rare to find traditional – or even modern - ghost stories that did not have some association with the religion woven into their fabric. The devil gets a lot of airtime.)

That said, the later book also firmly places ghosts in the realms of hell. It took a long time for new alternatives to old narratives to take shape, and until that shift took place the loss of purgatory as an option meant that Protestants were limited to a choice of heaven and hell as homes for the departed, and the likelihood that the dead would voluntarily eschew the delights of everlasting bliss was considered unlikely.

Still, I think the simple fact that the book was published at all might indicate some lightening up of attitudes, although it would probably be the golden age of the pamphlet before we really let ourselves rip on the ghost stories.
 
"Which Commonly Happen Before the Death of Men: Great Slaughters ..."

Very interesting that their take was that ghostly apparitions were a prelude or precursor to dreadful events, rather than the more commonly accepted contemporary view that ghosts appear in the aftermath of such occurrences.
 
Spookdaddy said:
I don't think they were - or at least, they would not have been supposed to see them as anything other than the expressions of some form of devilry; there may have been an underlying folk belief in ghosts recognisably similar to the one we have now, but it probably wouldn’t have been the official line, and would not normally have made it into written works.

I have a copy of Twelve Medieval Ghost Stories, included in a 1979 publication called M R James Book of the Supernatural. The article is illustrated with various pictures, one of which is the frontispiece of a book which is described as 'perhaps the earliest book on ghostly phenomena, published in 1572.'

...being (takes deep breath):

Of Ghostes and Spirites, Walking by Night And of Straunge Noyses, Crackes, and Sundrie Forewarnings, Which Commonly Happen Before the Death of Men: Great Slaughters, and Alterations of Kingdoms - by Lewes Lauaterus of Tigurine.

There are not far off two centuries between the two documents, and I don't think that the fact that the two publications sit either side of the English Reformation is insignificant. (Although, of course, advances in printing technology, increased access to printed material, and the dropping of Latin as the official language of everything played roles so influential that they might completely obscure other undercurrents).

It still seems to me to be the case that Catholic areas of Europe generally have a very different attitude to ghosts and ghost stories than the Protestant north. (When I lived for a while in Spain it was rare to find traditional – or even modern - ghost stories that did not have some association with the religion woven into their fabric. The devil gets a lot of airtime.)

That said, the later book also firmly places ghosts in the realms of hell. It took a long time for new alternatives to old narratives to take shape, and until that shift took place the loss of purgatory as an option meant that Protestants were limited to a choice of heaven and hell as homes for the departed, and the likelihood that the dead would voluntarily eschew the delights of everlasting bliss was considered unlikely.

Still, I think the simple fact that the book was published at all might indicate some lightening up of attitudes, although it would probably be the golden age of the pamphlet before we really let ourselves rip on the ghost stories.
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Ooh really interesting, thanks!

Your post reminded me of a comment someone made in a podcast I was listening to recently about that haunted council house in Pontefract (haunted by a monk, apparently). I forget the podcast but it is a US one, and someone remarked that ghostly monks are - apparently - a peculiarly English phenomenon. Had never struck me before and I dunno if it's true?

I think the Catholic church was more tolerant of things like 'the Old Religion'.Owen Davies' book on cunning folk captures this really well:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Popular-Magic-Cunning-folk-English-History/dp/184725036X

And maybe the weird shapeshifting ghosts fit in more with that pre Reformation world view now I think of it - they are very like the made-up animals in bestiaries, gargoyles, etc - just the weird stuff carved into the very fabric of cathedrals. Also the idea of Purgatory - you can see it in a couple of the stories there, I think - ghosts motivated to haunt the living to put right some wrong so they can get to heaven.

As an aside, I wonder when exorcism became a thing? What century, I mean, and where in Europe?

All fascinating stuff. The force that smashed the monasteries also changed the cultural view of what ghosts were, I guess.

Was there again tonight but only stayed briefly as a sheep dog decided to jump the wall and follow us round and my dog is scared of other dogs. It was perfectly friendly It kept bringing me stones and twigs to throw for it to retrieve, and shadowed us the entire way round. Then ran off to present a random woman in the car park with an apple.
 
blessmycottonsocks said:
"Which Commonly Happen Before the Death of Men: Great Slaughters ..."

Very interesting that their take was that ghostly apparitions were a prelude or precursor to dreadful events, rather than the more commonly accepted contemporary view that ghosts appear in the aftermath of such occurrences.
Click to expand...
Interesting that - thinking of the bean sidhe - which was still a thing upto modern times in predominantly RC Ireland.

In England, sometimes the black shucks were associated with portents of death - and I wonder if they were commoner in the areas that held on to Catholicism for longer (ie: up north)..?
 
Ghost In The Machine said:
Was there again tonight but only stayed briefly as a sheep dog decided to jump the wall and follow us round and my dog is scared of other dogs. It was perfectly friendly It kept bringing me stones and twigs to throw for it to retrieve, and shadowed us the entire way round. Then ran off to present a random woman in the car park with an apple.
Click to expand...
:rollingw:
 
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