Of a similar occurrence at Berwick
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| Berwick upon Tweed and the Tweed river |
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| Berwick upon Tweed and Tweed estuary |
Here’s another episode from
William of Newburgh’s History of English Affairs. Though a historic document, I
imagine it could have made a good pulp horror short story from the Twenties.
Cue Frank Belnap Long, Clark Ashton Smith or Fritz Leiber Jnr.
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| Zombie |
In the northern parts of
England, also, we know that another event, not unlike this and equally
wonderful, happened about the same time. At the mouth of the river Tweed, and
in the jurisdiction of the king of Scotland, there stands a noble city which is
called Berwick. In this town a certain man, very wealthy, but as it afterwards
appeared a great rogue, having been buried, after his death sallied forth (by
the contrivance, as it is believed, of Satan) out of his grave by night, and
was borne hither and thither, pursued by a pack of dogs with loud barkings;
thus striking great terror into the neighbours, and returning to his tomb
before daylight. After this had continued for several days, and no one dared to
be found out of doors after dusk -- for each dreaded an encounter with this
deadly monster -- the higher and middle classes of the people held a necessary
investigation into what was requisite to be done; the more simple among them
fearing, in the event of negligence, to be soundly beaten by this prodigy of
the grave; but the wiser shrewdly concluding that were a remedy further
delayed, the atmosphere, infected and corrupted by the constant whirlings
through it of the pestiferous corpse, would engender disease and death to a
great extent; the necessity of providing against which was shown by frequent
examples in similar cases. They, therefore, procured ten young men renowned for
boldness, who were to dig up the horrible carcass, and, having cut it limb from
limb, reduce it into food and fuel for the flames. When this was done, the
commotion ceased. Moreover, it is stated that the monster, while it was being
borne about (as it is said) by Satan, had told certain persons whom it had by
chance encountered, that as long as it remained unburned the people should have
no peace. Being burnt, tranquillity appeared to be restored to them; but a
pestilence, which arose in consequence, carried off the greater portion of
them: for never did it so furiously rage elsewhere, though it was at that time
general throughout all the borders of England, as shall be more fully explained
in its proper place.
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| Being burnt, tranquillity restored! |
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