The Revelations of St. Birgitta of Sweden: Volume II

360 Pages·2008·3 MB·English

by  Bridget Morris

The Revelations of St. Birgitta
of Sweden
Volume 2
figure 1.
The earliest wooden sculpture of St. Birgitta, from Skederid church,
Uppland,intheparishofherbirth,c.1375–1400.StatensHistoriskaMuseum,Stock-
holm.
The Revelations
of St. Birgitta
of Sweden
Volume 2
Liber Caelestis, Books IV–V
translated by denis searby
with introductions and notes
by bridget morris

1
2008
1
OxfordUniversityPress,Inc.,publishesworksthatfurther
OxfordUniversity’sobjectiveofexcellence
inresearch,scholarship,andeducation.
Oxford NewYork
Auckland CapeTown DaresSalaam HongKong Karachi
KualaLumpur Madrid Melbourne MexicoCity Nairobi
NewDelhi Shanghai Taipei Toronto
Withofficesin
Argentina Austria Brazil Chile CzechRepublic France Greece
Guatemala Hungary Italy Japan Poland Portugal Singapore
SouthKorea Switzerland Thailand Turkey Ukraine Vietnam
Copyright#2008byOxfordUniversityPress,Inc.
PublishedbyOxfordUniversityPress,Inc.
198MadisonAvenue,NewYork,NewYork10016
www.oup.com
OxfordisaregisteredtrademarkofOxfordUniversityPress.
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,
storedinaretrievalsystem,ortransmitted,inanyformorbyanymeans,
electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recording,orotherwise,
withoutthepriorpermissionofOxfordUniversityPress.
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Bridget,ofSweden,Saint,ca.1303–1373.
[Revelationes.English]
TherevelationsofSt.BirgittaofSweden/translatedbyDenisSearby;introductions
andnotesbyBridgetMorris.
p. cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN978-0-19-516644-6(v.1)
ISBN978-0-19-516626-2(v.2)
1. Privaterevelations. 2. Visions. I. Searby,DenisMichael. II. Title.
BX4700.B62E52005
248.209—dc22 2005047277
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
onacid-freepaper
Acknowledgments
Wewouldliketothankonceagainallourfriendsandcolleagueswho
weregratefully acknowledged in volume1, andto add to thelist the
names of Arne Jo¨nsson,Eva Odelman, Domenico Pezzini,Sara Ris-
berg,and Paula Turner,who have given information and advice on
mattersthathaveariseninconnectionwiththepresentvolume.Itis
also agreat pleasure to acknowledge ourcolleague onthis project,
StephanBorgehammar, who has readthrough theentire book in
draft,mademanyvaluablesuggestionsforimprovement,andshared
withus his learning on medievaltheology.
The completion of this volume has once again been made pos-
sible with thefinancial support oftheRiksbankens Jubileumsfond

(TheBankofSwedenTercentenaryFoundation).Wearemostgrateful
for theFoundation’s generous sponsorship,and also to Kungl. Vit-
terhetsHistorie ochAntikvitetsAkademien,Stockholm, which has
acted as thefinancial administrator of thegrant.
We are grateful to theThe Dean andChapterof York Minster
for permission to reproducethe jacket illustration.
Whilewewerecompletingthisvolume,weweregreatlysaddened
to learn ofthe death of ProfessorSten Eklundin June 2006.He
made an enormouscontribution toBirgittine Studies during the
courseof his career in the Department of Classical Languages at the
UniversityofUppsala;andhegavegenerouslyofhistimetoyounger
scholars, like ourselves, as we set out onan academic career. This
volumeis atributeto him.
This page intentionally left blank
Contents
Abbreviations,xv
The Entire Birgittine Corpus, xvii
BOOK IV
Introduction, 3
chapter 1 St.John ExhortstheKing to Lead aBetter Life, 23
chapter 2 About a Fantastic Beast and aFish, 24
chapter 3 Onthe Rights ofSuccession in theCountry, 27
chapter 4 TheStruggle betweena Good and aBad Spirit in the

Conscience ofa Lady, 30
chapter 5 St.PeterBemoans the State of Rome, 34
chapter 6 St.Paul Speaks ofthe Conversion ofSt.Stephen the
Martyr, 35
chapter 7 A Soul in Judgment;and aDescriptionof
Purgatory,36
chapter 8 Further onthe Revelationabove,and theSufferings
ofPurgatory, 41
chapter 9 OnSix Agesof Purgatory forthe Soul Mentioned
above,and His Voicesof Woe; How His Time
in PurgatoryMayBeShortened, 42
chapter 10 A Complaint about theInhabitants ofRome,44
chapter 11 St.Agnes Describes the‘‘Wedding’’ of theVirgin;
Birgitta’s Renunciation ofHerChildren; theWorld Is
LikeaCookingPot, 46
viii contents
chapter 12 Adviceto God’sFriends,and to Birgitta, with theImages
of aFist and aShepherd, 47
chapter 13 OnTears and Almsgiving, 48
chapter 14 TheDevilIs Like a Snake, aLion, anda Dog,50
chapter 15 A Parable about a Mother and TwoSons,and about
God’sProphecies, 51
chapter 16 TheChurch and God Are Like aGooseand aHen;
and aboutIndulgences in Rome,54
chapter 17 St.Agnes Describesa Proud Lady in aCarriage andElaborates
on theSymbolism of theWheels, 56
chapter 18 Birgitta PraisestheVirgin,and Is Preparedby the Apostles
to Go to Christ on Behalf of All theFaithful, 59
chapter 19 Onthe Virgin’s Beauty; She Is Compared to aGoldsmith, 61
chapter 20 St.Agnes Encourages Birgitta to StandFirm,and Alludes
to a CorruptWoman; God Is Like an Eagle, 62
chapter 21 Birgitta Is Encouraged to Keep Teaching and Converting
Others, 64
chapter 22 Various Messages about Present-Day Sinners, 66
chapter 23 St.John and theVirginDiscussaSinful Cleric; theDevil
as Coin-Maker;and of Seven Signs; andthe Man Is Identified
in the Explanation as aCistercian Who Repented,68
chapter 24 TheBrewingof Beer Is Likened to the Swellingof People’s
Hearts, 71
chapter 25 A Comparison of aBride before a Bed-Curtain andAdvice
to a Man WhoWas Steadfast,72
chapter 26 Virtues,Especially Obedience, AreLike Flowers ona Tree, 73
chapter 27 A Man’s Counterfeit Devotion Is Comparedto aPoorly
Equipped Squire inBattle, 74
chapter 28 OnThree Types ofBread,74
chapter 29 Spiritsof th eDevilHoldInstruments ofTorture, 75
chapter 30 Onthe Needfor Fine Apparel,75
chapter 31 Conversion Is Like a Grainof Gold in Sand, 76
chapter 32 Reassurancefor theComposer ofthe Prayer of Praise, 77
chapter 33 A Descriptionof theWretchedState ofRomeand
of ItsClerics,78
chapter 34 About the Imminent Tortureof aMan, 82
chapter 35 AnExcessof Material Possessions Is Discouraged, 83
chapter 36 About Degenerate Monks andKnights, 86
chapter 37 God’sAngertowardthe World, WhichIs Like
an Open Sack, 85
chapter 38 Birgitta ShouldNot Place Her Trust in Dreams,
Which Can BeHappy or Sad, 86
chapter 39 OnaLamb in aLion’s Mouth, 87
chapter 40 Onthe Meaningof aChristian Death, 88
chapter 41 EvenSinful Priests Can Administer theSacraments, 89
chapter 42 God’sFriendsAreCompared to Door Posts, 90
contents ix
chapter 43 Bad Pastors AreLike a GnawingWorm, 90
chapter 44 The Body Is Like aShip, 91
chapter 45 Four Virtuous Sisters AreUsurpedby Four
Worthless Ones, 91
chapter 46 A Man Is Upbraidedfor AcquiringPossessions
Unlawfully, 92
chapter 47 People AreLike Goats,and Christ Is Like aHenProtecting
Her Chickens,93
chapter 48 A King Must HonorGod More, or Else His Kingdom
Will BeDivided, 95
chapter 49 Voices from TwoPulpitsExhort thePope to Improve
theSituation ofthe Church, 95
chapter 50 Many People before theSeatofJudgment, 97
chapter 51 OntheSoul of aYoung Woman in Judgment, 98
chapter 52 OntheBestial Featuresofa MarriedCouple in Judgment,100
chapter 53 AnAnswer to Birgitta’sPrayerfor Her Sons, 103
chapter 54 About theRebirthof a‘‘Son ofTears,’’ 104
chapter 55 A Boy WillBeBrought Upto Be aGood Soldier, 105
chapter 56 A Father Sometimes Has to BeatHis Son,106
chapter 57 Rome Is Like a Field ofTares, 106
chapter 58 OnPriestsWhoAdminister theSacraments, andon Seven
Steps,SevenVestments, andSevenVices, 107
chapter 59 OnthePriest’s Three Duties, 110
chapter 60 A Prayer to the Lord,WhoIs Like aDoctor,111
chapter 61 A Discussion about theReal Presencein the Eucharist,112
chapter 62 About aSinful Priest Who Buries aMan,115
chapter 63 The Devil and Christ Argue about theReal Presencein the
Eucharist,116
chapter 64 Christ Is Like a Poor PeasantCarrying Brushwood, 119
chapter 65 Birgitta Sho uldBe Like aVessel;ChristIs Like aRuler
in aCastle, 120
chapter 66 Good Intention Is Exemplifiedby aWaterMill, 121
chapter 67 OnChrist’s Foreknowledgeaboutthe Immutable
Arrangement of theWorld,122
chapter 68 The Devil Is LikeaFox, 123
chapter 69 Springwater RepresentstheConduct of Priests, 124
chapter 70 A Vision of theCrucifixion, 125
chapter 71 A Discussion about Marriage,128
chapter 72 About Mary andMartha, 131
chapter 73 About aKnightWho Is Presumed Dead,132
chapter 74 OntheKnight’s Armor, 133
chapter 75 OntheLikeness of aBride andGroom,141
chapter 76 OnPeople’s Fickle Nature,144
chapter 77 Birgitta Is Given Reassurance, 147
chapter 78 A Letter Addressed toa Prelate,149
chapter 79 A Letter to aPriest in Rome, 151