| Keywords |
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| ID |
5068 |
| Text |
Chronicon (Thietmarus Merseburgensis) (1012 - 1018) Thietmar of Merseburg |
| Quotation |
Percepi quoque a relatu predicti hominis Sewaldi factum miserabile ac idcirco memorabile, quod perfida Northmannorum manus duce ad hoc Thurkilo Cantarae civitatis egreium antistitem Dunsten nomine cum caeteris caperent et vinculis et inedia ac ineffabili poena more suo nefando constringerent.
...
(43) Talia loquentem profanorum agmen vallavit et diversa hunc ad interficiendum arma congerit.
Quod cum eorum dux Thurcil a longe vidisset, celeriter accurens: 'Ne, queso, sic faciatis!' infit.
'Aurum et argentum et omne, quod hic habeo vel ullo modo acquirere possum, excepta navi sola, ne in christum Domini peccetis, libenti animo vobis omnibus trado.'
Tam dulci affatu infrenata sociorum ira ferro et saxis durior non mollitur, sed effuso innocenti sanguine placatur, quem communiter capitibus boum et imbribus lapidum atque lignorum infusione protinus effundunt.
Inter tot frementium impetus potitus est caelesti iucunditate, ut signi sequentis efficatia protinus testatur.
Unus namque inter primicerios membris effectus debilis agnovit in semet ipso, quod deliquit in Christi electo, sicut scriptum est: Mihi vindictam, et ego retribuam, dicit Dominus. |
| Translation |
I have also received a report from Sewald, whom I have already mentioned, of a lamentable and therefore memorable event. Led by Thurkil, a band of heathen Northmen captured, among others, the illustrious Archbishop Dunstan of Canterbury whom they kept in chains, hungry and in unspeakable pain, as is their wicked custom.
...
(43)
As he [the Archbishop] said these things, he was surrounded by a crowd of the heathen who took up various weapons with the intention of killing him. Seeing this at a distance, their leader, Thurkil, rushed over to them and said: 'Do not do this, I beg you! I will gladly give you everything I possess or can in any way acquire. Only refrain from harming this one who has been chosen by the Lord'. Such sweet words could not mollify the unbridled anger of his companions, more unyielding than iron or stone. Indeed, their anger could only be satisfied by the innocent blood, which they caused to flow freely by hitting Dunstan with the skulls of cattle, showering him with stones, and striking him with sticks. After being struck down, amid such a great clamour, he obtained the joy of heaven. This was immediately confirmed through a most efficacious sign. For one of the leaders was suddenly crippled, thereby revealing through his own body that he had harmed the chosen one of Christ. So it is written: 'Revenge is mine, and I will exact retribution, says the Lord'. (Trans. Warner, pp. 336-7) |
| Quotation source |
vii.42-43 (pp. 448-450) |
| Temporal Coverage |
1016 - 1016 |
| Associated use case(s) |
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| Comment |
Thietmar reports the martyrdom of Archbishop Ælfheah of Canterbury (1005-1012, here wrongly called Dunstan, Archbishop 959-988). Ælfheah at first promises to ransom himself, then repents of this desire and offers himself up to death. |
