Excommunication curse no. 8, mid-10th to 11th century
This document is essentially ecclesiastical and relates to the expulsion of a person from the society of the Church. Tristram Shandy, the eighteenth-century novel by Laurence Sterne, borrows from this excommunication document found in Textus Roffensis. A section of the text was translated by Sterne for the notoriously long-winded curse of Obadiah. In no sense dull, it incorporates a passionate cursing of all parts of the excommunicated person’s body and bodily functions. It even manages to slip in an expletive or two!
Michael Wood reading from Excommunicatio VIII.
Transcription
98r (select folio number to open facsimile)
Excommunicatio
Ex auctoritate dei omnipotentis pa-
tris, et filii, et spiritus sancti, et sanctorum ca-
nonum, sanctaeque et intemeratae uirginis dei
genitricis mariae atque omnium caelesti-
um uirtutum, angelorum, archangelorum, throno-
rum, dominationum, potestatuum, cheru-
bin, ac seraphin, et sanctorum patriarcharum,
prophetarum, et omnium apostolorum et euangeli
starum, et sanctorum innocentum qui in con-
spectus agni soli digni inuenti sunt
canticum cantare nouum, et sanctorum
martyrum, et sanctorum confessorum, et sanctarum
uirginum, atque omnium simul sanctorum et
electorum dei. Excommunicamus et ana-
thematizamus hunc furem, uel
hunc malefactorem ameN. et a limini-
bus sanctae dei aecclesiae sequestramus, ut
aeternis suppliciis cruciandus man-
cipetur cum dathan et abiron, et cum his
qui dixerunt domino deo recede a nobis,
scientiam uiarum tuarum nolumus, et sicut
aqua ignis extinguitur, sic extingua-
tur lucerna eius in secula seculorum, nisi
resipuerit et ad satisfactionem uene-
rit, amen. Maledicat illum deus pater,
qui hominem creauit. Maledicat
illum dei filius, qui pro homine passus
est. Maledicat illum spiritus sanctus, qui in
baptismo effusus est. Maledicat
illum sancta crux, quam christus pro nostra salu-
te hostem triumphans ascendit. Maledicat illum sancta dei genitrix et
perpetua uirgo maria. Maledicat
illum sanctus michael animarum susceptor
sacrarum. Maledicant illum omnes angeli
et archangeli, principatus et potestates,
omnisque militia caelestis exercitus.
Maledicat illum patriarcharum et
prophetarum, laudabilis numerus.Ma-
ledicat illum sanctus iohannes precursor et
baptista christi praecipuus. Maledicat
illum sanctus petrus et sanctus paulus, atque sanctus
andreas, omnesque christi apostoli simul et caeteri
discipuli, quattuor quoque euangelistae qui
sua predicatione mundum uniuersum
conuerterunt. Maledicat illum cune-
us martyrum et confessorum mirificus,
qui deo bonis operibus placitus inuentus
est. Maledicant illum sacrarum uir-
ginum chori, quae mundi uana, causa ho-
noris christi respuenda contempserunt.
Maledicant illum omnes sancti qui ab initio
mundi usque in finem seculi, deo dilecti inue-
niuntur. Maledicant illum caeli et terra, et
omnia sancta in eis manentia. Maledictus
sit ubicunque fuerit, siue in domo, si-
ue in agro, siue in uia, siue in semita
siue in silua, siue in aqua, siue in aec-
clesia. Maledictus sit uiuendo, mo-
riendo, manducando, bibendo, esu-
riendo, sitiendo, ieiunando, dormitan-
do, dormiendo, uigilando, ambulan-
do, stando, sedendo, iacendo, operando,
quiescendo, mingendo, cacando, fle-
botomando. Maledictus sit, in totis ui-
ribus corporis. Maledictus sit, intus et
exterius. Maledictus sit, in capillis.
Maledictus sit in cerebro. Maledictus
sit in uertice, in temporibus, in fronte,
in auriculis, in superciliis, in oculis, in ge-
nis, in maxillis, in naribus, in dentibus
mordacibus, in labris, siue molibus, in la-
biis, in gutturae, in humeris, in har-
mis, in brachiis, in manibus, in digitis,
in pectore, in corde, et in omnibus interi-
oribus stomachotenus, in renibus, in in-
guinibus, in in femore, in genitalibus, in
coxis, in genibus, in cruribus, in pedibus,
in articulis, et in unguibus. Maledi-
ctus sit in totis compaginibus membror-
um, a uertice capitis usque ad plantam
pedis, non sit in eo sanitas. Maledi-
cat illum christus filius dei uiui toto
suae maiestatis imperio, et insurgat ad-
uersus eum caelum cum omnibus uirtuti-
bus quae in eo mouentur ad damnandum
eum nisi poenituerit, et ad satisfacti-
onem uenerit, amen.
Fiat. Fiat. AMEN.
Translation
Excommunication:
By the authority of omnipotent God the Father, and of the Son, and of the spirit of the holy, and of the holy canons, Holy and the spotless of the Virgin Mary Mother of God and that of all of the celestial powers, the angels, archangels, thrones, dominions, powers, of the cherubim, and seraphims, and the saints of the patriarchs, prophets, and all the apostles and evangelists, a work of the soil, and of the holy innocents, who in the sight of the lamb, have been found to be worthy to sing the new song, and the saintly martyrs, and saintly confessors, and holy virgins, the saints, and at the same time all the elect of God. Excommunicate and anathematise this thief, or criminal, and for the threshold of the holy church to sequester the eternal punishment with Dathan and service, with those who said the god away from us, knowledge of your ways, such as water and fire it is extinguished, so let the light of him, forever and ever, unless it shall repent him and make satisfaction to these evil-doers are - they must be tortured and enslaved.
May he be cursed by God the Father, who created man.
May he be cursed by the Son of God, he who suffered for us.
May he be cursed by the Holy Spirit, who is in baptism discharged to us.
May he be cursed by the holy cross, which Christ for our salvation, triumphing over his enemies, went up.
May he be cursed by the Holy Mother and perpetual virgin. May he be cursed by the souls St. Michael advocated.
May he be cursed by all the angels and archangels, principalities and powers, and all the army of the warriors of heaven.
May he be cursed by the patriarchs and the prophets, praised their number.
May he be cursed by Saint John the first and the baptiser of Christ. May he be cursed by Saint Peter and Saint Paul, and by Saint Andrew, and all the disciples of Christ, and the rest of the apostles at the same time, and the evangelist, who preached over the entire world. May he be cursed by the martyrs and confessors pleasing to God.
May he be cursed by the Holy virgin choir, after futile things of the world, for the sake of honor, Christ rejected and despised.
May he be cursed by all the saints who from the beginning of the world until the end of the world, are found to be beloved of God.
May he be cursed by the heaven and the earth, and all the holy saints remaining therein.
May he be cursed wherever he is, whether in the house, or in the field, or on the road, or in the path, in the wood, or in the water, or in the church. May he be cursed in living, and in dying, in eating, drinking, in hunger and thirst, in fasting, sleeping; in slumbering, in walking, standing, sitting, lying, working, resting, in pissing, in shitting, and in bloodletting. May he be cursed by all the faculties of his body. May he be cursed inwardly and outwardly. May he be cursed in the hair in his head.
May he be cursed in the brains.
May he be cursed in his vertex[?], in his temples, in his forehead, in his ears, in his eyebrows, in his cheeks, in his jawbone, in his nostrils, in his foreteeth and in his grinders, his arms, his hands, his fingers, down to the very stomach, may he be cursed in his reigns, in his groin, in his thghs, in his genitals, in his hips, in his knees, in his legs, in his feet, and in his toenails.
May he be cursed in all the joints of the limbs, from the top of his head to the sole of the foot, even unto the head until there is no sanity in him.
May he be cursed by Christ the son of the living God, with all the powers of heaven at the command of his majesty, and let heaven rise up against him. Unless all the virtues that are move in him to condemn him, he repents, and comes to atonement, so be it.
Let it be done.
Let it be done.
So be it.