Chapter XLII.
On the apparitions of spirits who imprint their hands on clothes or on wood.
Within a short time, a work composed by a Father Premontre, of the Abbey of Toussaints, in the Black Forest, has been communicated to me. His work is in manuscript, and entitled, “Umbra Humberti, hoc est historia memorabilis D. Humberti Birkii mira post mortem apparitione, per A.G.N.”
This Humbert Birck was a burgess of note, in the town of Oppenheim, and master of a country house called Berenbach; he died in the month of November, 1620, a few days before the feast of St. Martin. On the Saturday which followed his funeral, they began to hear certain noises in the house where he had lived with his first wife; for at the time of his death he had married again.
The master of this house, suspecting that it was his brother-in-law who haunted it, said to him, “If you are Humbert, my brother-in-law, strike three times against the wall.” At the same time they heard three strokes only, for ordinarily he struck several times. Sometimes, also, he was heard at the fountain where they went for water, and he frightened all the neighbourhood; he did not always utter articulate sounds, but he would knock repeatedly, make a noise, or a groan, or a shrill whistle, or sounds as a person in lamentation; all this lasted for six months, and then it suddenly ceased.
At the end of a year he made himself heard more loudly than ever. The master of the house, and his domestics, the boldest amongst them, at last asked him what he wished for, and in what they could help him? He replied, but in a hoarse low tone, “Let the cure come here next Saturday with my children.” The cure being indisposed, could not go thither on the appointed day, but he went on the Monday following, accompanied by a good many people.
Humbert received notice of this, and he answered in a very intelligible manner. They asked him if he required any masses to be said? He asked for three. They then wished to k now if alms should be given in his name? He said, “I wish them to give eight measures of corn to the poor, and that my widow may give something to all my children.” He afterwards ordered that what had been badly distributed in his succession, which amounted to about twenty florins, should be set aside.
They asked why he infested that house rather than another? He answered, that he was forced to it by conjuration and maledictions. Had he received the sacraments of the Church? “I received them from the cure, your predecessor.” He was made to say the Pater and the Ave; he recited them with difficulty, saying, that he was prevented by an evil spirit, who would not let him tell the cure many other things.
The cure, who was named Premontre, of the abbey of Toussaints, came to the monastery on Tuesday the 12th of January, 1621, in order to take the opinion of the Superior on this singular affair; they let him have three monks to help him with their counsels. They all repaired to the house wherein Humbert continued his importunity; for nothing that he had requested had as yet been executed.
A great number of those who lived near were assembled in the house. The master of it told Humbert to rap against the wall; he knocked very gently: then the master desired him to go and fetch a stone and knock louder; he deferred a little, as if he had been to pick up a stone, and gave a stronger blow upon the wall: the master whispered in his neighbour’s ear as softly as he could that he should rap seven times, and directly he rapped seven times.
He always showed great respect to the priests, and did not reply to them so boldly as to the laity; and when he was asked why – “It is,” said he, “because they have with them the Holy Sacrament.” However, they had it no otherwise than because they had said mass that day. The next day the three masses which he had required were said, and all was disposed for a pilgrimage, which he had specified in the last conversation they had with him; and they promised to give alms for him the first day possible. From that time Humbert haunted them no more.
The Phantom World: or, the philosophy of spirits, apparitions, etc. By Augustine Calmet. edition of 1751, published with introduction and notes by Rev Henry Christmas, 1850.