Elisabeth’s Visio in Bergr Sokkason’s Guðmundar saga C

Translated from Bergr Sokkason, Guðmundar saga C (1320-1350)

• Kungliga biblioteket (Stockholm). Stock. Papp. 4 4to (c. 1600-50, defective)

Elisabeth’s Vision in Bergr Sokkason’s life of Guðmundr Arason

When the esteemed Bishop Guðmundr was in Norway he heard rumors that the holy mother of God, the blessed Mary, may have revealed to a nun, Elisabeth by name, more clarity about her Assumption into glory than has previously been written.

And because the bishop felt he did not receive as much information as he wished, he asked a good clerk, his intimate friend, to write to him about that revelation when he had found proof of what she had heard, which the discerning clerk remembered at this time; he wrote a letter to the famous Guðmundr, Bishop of Hólar, concerning the glorious vision of the blessed Mary, because the clerk knew well that Bishop Guðmundr was a great lover of our lady Saint Mary, as is widely attested in his saga. The aforementioned clerk had also enjoyed the intimate friendship of the bishop, while he was away, which is in this letter proved. Here follows the letter translated into Norse.

Esteemed father, Lord Guðmundr, bishop at Hólar in Iceland with God’s mercy, your clerk, as promised, sends true greetings in the continuation of good health. The Lord God gives good things to those who help their neighbors for the sake of his love. Let this be your indissoluble reward for all that good which you bestowed on me when I was under your blessed fatherhood.

I know, good lord, that you have long remained away from the inheritance of heaven while in much burden in hard exile, particularly because you reside among uncharitable people who are rather reluctant to follow the path of God in true obedience. But whatever your subjects do against you, the heavenly father will preserve your life and soul from slipping into worldly ways.

You will remember, holy father, that we spoke of the bodily Assumption of God’s blessed mother. I am writing this letter to you to affirm what I’ve heard concerning her Assumption.

When 1,152 years had passed from the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the apostolic days of Pope Eugene the second, there was a nun, Elisabeth by name, who lived in the cloister in Schönau, which is in the diocese of Trier in Saxony. In charge over that convent was the abbot Hildelin, who watched closely what she had taken in steering from God’s hand.

The aforementioned nun Elisabeth had gone into the cloister at eleven years old and lived so honorably that the omnipotent God and his blessed mother considered her worthy to bear witness. When this nun had lived in the cloister another eleven years, at twenty-two years of age, God enriched her with such wonderful consolation that holy God’s mother Mary appeared to her often, speaking with her about the various branches and interpretations of holy writ.

With Mary was often revealed to Elizabeth one of God’s holy angels, who was able to teach Elizabeth special wisdom. She recognized that this was always the same angel coming to her as a true friend and dear companion. After she had blossomed from these gifts she was even further intent on being pleasing to God as best in all things, observing true humility with good works.

And so it happened, after she understood that that lady was God’s mother Mary who valued her enough to visit, that she mentioned it secretly to one of her holy fathers there in the cloister, who requested that she ask some questions of the queen the next time Mary appeared to her.

The sister asked what the elder wanted her to find out: He said: “I want you, my daughter, to ask her whether she has risen from death and now lives next to God in both soul and body.”

Now the next time when the most blossoming of all women, the honorable Mary, appeared to Elisabeth, they spoke with each other very dearly. That was in the octave of the feast of the Assumption of Saint Mary when God’s service was performed in the Church. Then a trance passed over the nun, and at that moment the holy maiden Mary appeared to her as was customary. Elisabeth then asked her boldly: “My dearest queen. If it pleases your Godly will, we eagerly wish to know whether you have been taken up in soul alone and rule with your son or if you rose from death, and were assumed over all the angels, with both soul and body? I ask for a distinction concerning this event through your mercy because I’ve heard that what is found written about your Assumption in the holy books of the fathers is ambiguous.”

The queen answered her question: “That which you ask may not at this time become clear. Nevertheless I intend that this information will be revealed to you.”

When this apparition turned away from her the nun made the elder aware of how the conversation had gone with the queen. That good brother suggested that the nun occupy herself with special prayers to God’s mother in honor of the remembrance of this promise and to hold them daily until the next vision.

A whole year passed. During that time the nun did not dare to ask either God’s mother Mary nor her intimate angel about those things, even though they both appeared to her as expected. Then the feast of the Assumption of Saint Mary came in the next year. Elisabeth became so sick at this time that she lay very weakened in bed during the feast.

At that time when the cloister performed the most sublime service on that blessed day, a heavy swoon passed over her, and next she saw a stone coffin a great distance off. In the coffin she saw a woman’s body lying. On all sides of the coffin stood the servants of the heavenly kingdom. God’s bright angels gleamed with shining light. After a short while the body, which had before rested in the grave, rose up with great glory. The holy angels bowed then and came to her flying all together high up in the heavens in worshipful order sweetly proclaiming the arrival there of the heavenly curia, fair and glorious from the son of man above, the living son of God with many thousands of his host. That same Lord bore in his hand the holy cross covered in glorious markings. Then an especially heavenly and sublime processio was prepared which far exceeded what a human heart could imagine. Next that blessed queen, who had shorty before risen from the grave, went honorably into that joy. The heavenly king himself came flying to meet her. He led her up with his hand. Then the host was arranged on all sides so that she could most honorably be carried. Then this most sublime processio disappeared from the eyes of Elisabeth.

Some time passed before the blessed Mary appeared to her with the same light which was expected, so that she was able to stand well in spirit. Then the queen revealed her mild and graceful face to the nun, but did not speak with her.

And when she disappeared the intimate angel of God appeared to her. And then she spoke to him, saying: “My Lord, what does this vision that was recently revealed to me signify?”

The angel answered: “In this vision, which God gave you, it was revealed clearly how our queen, the lady Saint Mary, was resurrected to heaven with both soul and body together.”

After this vision sister Elisabeth quickly became healthy. Some time now passed from the octave of the Assumption, and on verge of the next octave the same angel appeared to her in great happiness. Immediately she asked about another thing: “My lord, can you tell me how much time passed from the Assumption of our lady before her bodily resurrection followed?”

The angel answered her very happily: “On that same day on which her Assumption is celebrated in the Catholic faith, she passed away from this life, but forty days after that, on the 23rd of September (there is a mistake here: the MS copies kalendas Septembris—so August 24th—instead of the correct reading Octobris—September 23rd), she rose from death. The holy fathers who arranged for her Assumption-day to be held as a festival in the Catholic faith had no knowledge of her bodily Assumption and thus they called her death-day her Assumption because they believed without hesitation that she was assumed with both soul and body together.”

When sister Elisabeth had heard these things and was satisfied, she was conflicted as to whether she should make this revelation public because she feared that she would be judged as the originator of a novelty concerning this matter. And so two years passed. Then during the same feast of the blessed mother of God, Mary revealed herself to this oft-named nun. Elisabeth asked the queen about this matter, which she had considered so often before, and says thus: “My Lady, we want to know whether we should make open or not that vision you revealed to me concerning your Assumption?”

Our lady, Saint Mary, answered her: “We should not start rumors among the commoners or make it public, because the world is not as benevolent as it should be, and thus they who hear this might damage their souls if they misunderstand true things and take divine miracles in mockery.”

The sister then responded: “Now then, my queen, do you wish that we scrape away what is written concerning this revelation?”

God’s mother answered: “These things were not revealed so that they may be blotted out and afterwards forgotten, but rather, so that my praise will multiply among those who particularly love me. Thus we should make this information known to my friends who are alone before your delivery. And must these things be made clear to them who exhibit me in their heart, so that they can perform special praise in my honor and receive from me a special reward in return. Many are they who will receive these words with great joy and esteem and preserve them in their works for the sake of love with me.”

After this vision the monastery at Schönau began to sing the festival in praise of God’s mother on the 23rd of September (there is a mistake here again: the MS copies kalendas Septembris—so August 24th—instead of the correct reading Octobris—September 23rd), celebrating her Assumption with exceeding honor, at first, as was commanded, in secret chapels rather than publicly in the parish churches.

Now they who sing this festival, said the clerk who wrote concerning this to Bishop Guðmundr, have that letter for a lection at Matins and another one for the office of the feast of the Assumption.

Now I ask your blessed bishopric, that you remember me and my brothers in your holy prayers, committing me under the control and merit of queen Mary, so that you and we may for eternity enjoy heavenly community with the noble joy of the divine countenance. In Christo Valete.

When that expounding letter came to the good Bishop Guðmundr he received it with great affection, and became exceedingly glad from it. He gave many thanks to God eagerly and his purest mother that such a sublime vision concerning her wonderful Assumption should be made known to these people and widely in other places during his days, to come as comfort to him and the other friends of God‘s mother. And concerning that oft-mentioned sister Elisabeth it is said that she passed from this life with surpassing chastity, revealing after death sublime miracles, wherever Christians publicly honored her as a true saint among God’s dear friends. Thus she was taken in to the catalogum sanctorum, that is the community of saints.