E02690: Gregory of Tours, in his Glory of the Confessors (72), tells of the cemetery at Autun (central Gaul) where the holy dead are heard singing psalms; two men saw these souls in the adjacent church of *Stephen (the First Martyr, S00030) and were warned by one of them to leave the town; the one who didn't do so died. Written in Latin in Tours (north-west Gaul), 587/588.
Creators: name: Kwojtalik
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2017
Subjects: History

description: Gregory of Tours, Glory of the Confessors 72<br><br>Cimiterium igitur apud Agustidunensim urbem Gallica lingua vocitavit, eo quod ibi fuerint multorum hominum cadavera funerata; inter qua quod sint quorundam fidelium dignarumque Deo animarum sepulchra, frequens occulti psallentii mysterium docet, cum plerumque multis apparent, in ipso vocum praeconio reddentes omnipotenti Deo gratiarum debitam actionem. Nam audivi, quod duo ex incolis loci, dum loca sancta orandi gratia circuire disponerent, audiunt in basilica sancti Stephani, quae huic coniungitur cimitirio, psallentium sonum. Admirantesque dulcedinem modoli, adpropinquant ad ostium templi, autumantes, a quibusdam religiosis vigilias celebrari. Ingredientes autem et orationi diutissime incumbentes, consurgunt, psallentii chorum conspiciunt, nihilque lucere per templum, nisi propria claritate cuncta prospiciunt splendere; de personis vero nullum prorsus agnoscunt. Denique attoniti, stupore perculsi, unus de psallentibus accedit ad eos, dicens: 'Exsecrabilem rem fecistis, ut nobis arcana orationum Deo reddentibus adesse praesumeretis. Discedite ergo et a domibus vestris abscedite, alioquin ab hoc mundo migrabitis'. Ex quibus unus discedens abiit, alter vero, qui in loco remansit, post multos dies a saeculo conmigravit.<br><br><br>'In Autun there is a cemetery - this is the Gallic name for such a place, because the bodies of many men have been buried there. The mystery of psalms being chanted in private is a constant indication that among these [graves] there are the tombs of certain souls that were faithful and worthy of God. As they give the thanks that they owe to omnipotent God in the proclamation of their voices, they have often appeared to many people. For I heard that while two of the inhabitants of this region were preparing to visit the holy shrines for prayer, they heard the chanting of psalms in the church of Saint Stephen that was next to this cemetery. They admired the sweetness of the melody and went to the door of the church, thinking that vigils were being celebrated by some monks. They entered and for a long time knelt in prayer. When they got up, they saw a chorus of people chanting psalms. They noted that although there were no lights in the church everything gleamed in its own brightness. Yet they recognized absolutely none of the people. They were stunned and struck by astonishment. Then one of the people chanting psalms came to them and said: ‘You have done an accursed deed when you dare to be present as we offer the secrets of our prayers to God. Therefore depart and leave your homes; otherwise you will migrate from this world.’ One of these two men departed and left, but the other, who stayed in that place, migrated from this world after many days.'<br><br>Text: Krusch 1969, 340-341. Translation: Van Dam 2004, 53, lightly modified.