Guillaume Edelin
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
|
"In 1458 Guillaume Edelin, Prior of S. Germain-en-Laye, signed a compact with the Devil, and this was afterwards found upon his person." --The History of Witchcraft (1926) On the Sunday preceding Christmas- day in this year, master Guillaume Edelin, doctor of divinity, prior of St Germain en Laye, formerly a monk of the order of St Augustin, and of other orders, was publicly reprimanded on a scaffold in the city of Evreux, and condemned to perpe- tual imprisonment in the prisons of the bishoprick, for having given himself up to the temptations and power of the enemy of mankind, that he might accomplish his carnal desires. He was particularly charged with cohabiting with a lady of birth, and, to accomplish this, had bound himself in such servitude to Satan that he was obliged to attend him whenever called upon by him. When such meetings were appointed he had only to bestride a broom, and was instantly transported to their consis- torial meeting. Master Guillaume frankly confessed that he had done homage to the enemy, under the form of a sheep, by kissing his posteriors, — and that he had perse- vered for many years in this damnable de- basement, and had been aided by the enemy whenever he required it of him, until the time of his arrest ; when, having been duly convicted by the law, he was detained prisoner, and the power of the enemy was without effect. He therefore remained, according to his sentence, closely confmed in a dungeon, fed on bread and water. The inquisitor of the laith frequent- ly remonstrated with him on the dege- neracy of his conduct from Avhat it \^'as formerly, when he went about preaching so well to the people the faith of Jesus Christ. During the reprimands of the in- quisitor, the prisoner was placed on a scaffold, in the presence of great crowds of people. At the end of these remonstrances, master Guillaume, knowing how infa- mously he had relinquished our Creator and Redeemer, began to groan and re- pent aloud of his sins, asking mercy of God, the bishop, and Justice, and recom- mending himself to the prayers of the audience. He was then chained, and conducted to his dungeon to do pe- nance for the horrible sins he had committed. --The Chronicles of Enguerrand de Monstrelet by Enguerrand de Monstrelet. |
|
Related e |
|
Featured: |
Guillaume Edelin Template:Post-nominals, was a confessed male witch, convicted in 1453, and the first person to confess to have flown on a broom.
Life
He was the Prior of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, an Augustinian and a DD. He promulgated the idea that it was impossible for the Devil to make pacts or witches to fly on brooms. and to having gone to the Sabbath "mounted on a balai", the first reference to the use of a broomstick in connection with witchcraft.
After his capture, he repented and was imprisoned for the rest of his life in the city of Évreux.
