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Dealbh den Mhaighdean Mhuire.

Bhí mé ag taghtha ar an seachtaine seo caite an leabhar nua le Seán Hatcher, "An Marbh Dubh: Stair Pearsanta." Tá sé meascra fhírinne agus finscéalíocht ann. Insíonn sé faoi sráidbhaile ina Suffolk Shasana ag timpeall 1350, nuair ag tosaithe plá ansiud.

Thosaigh Hatcher a scéal leis tiarna talún. Liam Woodbite ab ainm dó. Fuair sé bás. Thug sagart Máister Seán an Ola Dhéanach ar an teach na Liam. D'inis Liam ag dul faoistine. Caithfear sagart a bheith umhal dó.

Níor iarr Liam i dtósach, ach bhuaigh Máister Séan. Bhrúimigh an sagart go seasmach agus go díosgraiseach air. Níor thabharfaidh sagart naomh sacramintí dó Liam mura inste a chontráileacht an seanduine sé féin. Athrinne Seán an athiarracht na riachtanais go dtí go raibh ag déanta aithri í bpeacaí ó Liam.

Mar sin d'fhoglaim mé faoi faoistin an bháis ina litríocht mheanaosta Bhriotanach nuair scríobh mé tráchtas agam, tá suim a chur i seo go leor ann leis an modh 'ceart'. Sagart dó Liam sochar agus beathúnas cille a bhaint as dea-mhéin a Liam!

Bhí Liam in uacht báis. Cruinníonn clann aige ag imeall leis an uair deanach ann. Chonaic Liam leis súil go lag dealbh sobhriste den Mhaighdean Mhuire. Tugann Máister Seán in aice leis sé ag Liam. Nuair léigh mé roinnt seo, bhí cuimhne liom duais-iómhá bheag agam fadó.

Bhi mé dealbh plástair gorm nuair bhí mé óg. Ghearr mé bosca pháipéir síoda. Pheint mé air leis brat péinte ghorm fós. Chuir mé míreannaí de macarón os ard.

Ansin, d'oscail mé sin ar mo dhealbh isteach ann. Thóg mé scrínín Mhuire. Deirtear ainm difríul leis Máire nuair ag ra "An Mathair Dé," amháin as Gaeilge. Is iontas orm má dealbh phéinteala fhínealta seo agamsa go raibh cosúil le céann caillte eile sin leis Seán agus Liam.

Lady Madonna's Statue.

I came upon last week a new book by John Hatcher, "The Black Death: A Personal History." It's a medley of fact and fiction. He tells about a village in Suffolk, England, around 1350, when the plague began over there.

Hatcher starts his story with a landlord. William Woodbite is his name. Death comes to him. The priest, Master John, brings Last Rites to the house of William. William goes to confession. The priest insists on obedience to him.

William didn't want to in the beginning, but Master John won. The priest pressed firmly and unrelentingly on him. The priest would not give him the blessed sacraments unless the old man told of his wrongheadedness. John repeated the necessity for repentance until William made his renunciation of sins.

Since I learned about the deathbed confession in medieval British literature when I wrote my dissertation, I have a great interest in this 'correct' procedure. The priest from William reaped benefit and benefice from him on his deathbed!

William was at death's door. His family gathered around him there for the last time. William saw with his weak eye an easily broken statue of the Virgin Mary. Master John came near William with it. When I read this section, I remembered my prized little figurine long ago.

I had a blue plaster statue when I was young. I cut a tissue-paper box. I painted on it with a coat of blue paint also. I put bits of macaroni on top.

Then, I opened that up for my statue inside it. I built my little Marian shrine. Somebody says in Irish a different name for Mary when speaking only of the Mother of God. It's a wonder for me if this delicately painted statue of mine was similar to that other lost one with John and Liam.

Iómhá: Driftwood Dreams (It's not mine, alas; níl sé agamsa, ochón).