A Latin translation of Jeremias Gotthelf’s novella „The black spider“ (1842).
In
a narrow, but friendly mountain valley, on Ascension Day, people
prepare a child’s baptism: The nature is in full bloom and the
humans are in a state of happy excitement. During the banquet there are
talks about the qualities of men and women and about house building. A
black beam standing in the new house causes the grandfather to tell the
following story:
600
years ago, the farmers of the valley are enslaved and exploited by Hans
von Stoffel a Teutonic knight: After the farmers during two years had
to neglect their economy and to build a castle, now in May they have to
build an alley of 100 beech trees. In this desparate situation a
certain Green Hunter offers his help – for an unbaptized child as
the wage. The farmers flee. The working for the alley begins and stands
under an unlucky star. On the third day, when the Green under thunder
and lightening is suggests his offer again, the farmers flee, but
Christine, the woman of Lindau, makes this pact arbitrarily: The Green
kisses her cheek and she feels a burning fire.
The
devilish woman calms down the farmers and they agree with her. The
alley is perfected by means of some wizardry within the period
prescribed. The farmers are relieved.
The
first newborn child is baptized by the courageous priest immediately
after the birth, the farmers rejoice, but on Christine’s cheek is
growing a stabbing mark.
It
grows out to a black spider, the pain becomes intolerable and when the
next child is born and baptized, the spider bears many small black
spiders, which now swarm out and kill the cattle.
A
great need is spreading, and the knight gets angry because of the dead
cows. The farmers plan to satisfy the devil, under Christine’s
leadership a conspiracy against the next mother-to-be is coming about.
In
a thundery night by Christine the third child is snatched from its
mother and carried to the devil. But the priest suspecting evil
hastens to the meeting place, a terrible fight breaks out, in which
Christine shrinks becoming the spider, the devil flees from the holy
water, the child is saved and baptized. After that it dies, but the
priest too, marked by black spots, is taken home by God.
Now the dreadful spider is raging in the valley, sparing nobody, neither the knights...
Even
today, Gotthelf’s tremendous power of speech in the „Black
Spider“ has nothing lost of its fascination. The side-by-side of
horror and idyl, the delightful description of the christening
celebration in the rich Emmental farm and the dreadful tale about the
Black Spider’s rage, by its suggestive strength may be is
unmatched even in the modern horror literature.
To our Latin translation is added a detailed glossary.
Edited by the Foundation Melissa, Brussel 1998
Erstausgabe des Originals: 1842
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