Íslendzk Æventýri; Hugo Gering's Icelandic Legends, Novellas and Tales, (Revised 2017)

Chapter 1. Secundus

Secundus1, son of a French knight, received due to his outstanding foundation already from early childhood a careful upbringing, first in his father’s house and then in Paris. Later he attended the best-known foreign schools (including Carthage) and word of his philosophical learning spread over the Orient.

When he returned home he learned that his father had died. He hurried to the widows’ refuge of his mother but disguised himself to test her devotion to his father’s memory. By the time of the evening meal, he was able to bring her to promise to share her accommodations with him. Finding him reserved, she sought to find the reason — and Secundus then revealed his name. The pain she felt at knowing her own son had uncovered her loose morals caused her sudden death.

Wracked with guilt of killing his mother, Secundus took an oath of silence. Accompanied by a servant with the task of translator, he traveled to Constantinople. Emperor Hadrian, who had heard much of his wisdom as a philosopher, summoned Secundus to appear before him and asked him a number of questions but received no answer.

Angered, the Emperor commanded that the obstinate Secundus be beheaded, but secretly ordered that the execution be carried out only if a promise to forego his execution would bring him to speak. When Secundus remained resolute he was again led before the Emperor who demanded that he answer in writing. Secundus requested a tablet and answered the questions put before him with such satisfaction that the Emperor kept him at his court.

1Although depicted here as of French/Frankish descent, Secundus was actually Secondo of Asti of Italy and a patrician officer in the Roman army. Due to his later conversion to Christianity, which he refused to recant, and possible involvement in preserving holy relics, he was executed by the same Emperor Hadrian in AD 119/120 and was canonized.

Chapter 2. Romanos the Legionnaire

Thanks to his good fortune in battle, the legionnaire Romanos of Constantinople2 was so well known that many foreign kings trusted him with the command of their campaigns. His way of life, however, was much criticized because he never attended religious services nor fasted.

At this time there also lived a hermit in the desert who once asked God to show him who among men was his equal in merit(3). In answer, an angel appeared and told him that he was as highly valued as Romanos of Constantinople. This unsettled the hermit, who traveled to the city to meet the legionnaire.

He arrived in Byzantium on a festival day at the time of high mass. Everyone was at church except a well-dressed man who was wandering about the public plaza. The man greeted the hermit in an honorable manner and asked him brought him there. The hermit answered that an angel had told him he would find  a man in Constantinople who God valued as much as he himself. When the man asked after his name, the hermit also asked the man’s name. I’m Romanos, the man answered. This is exactly the name the angel told me, the hermit said. Please tell me about the way you live so that I can dispel my concern.

Romanos first tried to avoid to avoid the matter and said that his way of living was quite different from that of a humble hermit, that he was the most unworthy of all and that was shown by his wandering about while the Christian community was gathered inside. But finally, moved by the hermit’s tears, he revealed what until now he had kept hidden to prevent anyone doubting his belief: in self-chastisement, he bathed each day in a seething hot well wearing a ring of armor on his naked body. He avoided religious services to avoid becoming conceited from praise and to learn to bear harmful rumors with patience. In addition, he cared for 13 poor infirm in a hidden chamber in his house. Learning this, the hermit bid Romanos a hearty good-bye and with a lighter heart returned to the desert.

Not long after this encounter, Romanos became extremely ill. Feeling that his end was near, he instructed a trusted friend to seek out the hermit. As soon as Romanos died, the friend departed to fulfill the task only to find the hermit had also died on the same day. The friend had the hermit’s body returned to Constantinople where it was buried next to Romanos.

2The original manuscript’s author gave no indication that the Romanos of this tale was one of the Byzantine emperors Romanos I/II/III/IV.

3In this and other similar tales, men ask who their equal is. This is apparently based on the belief that in Providence one keeps company with equals.

Chapter 3. Pope Marcellinus

By decree of Emperor Diocletian, Pope Marcellinus was forced to make offerings to the Roman gods, which he soon regretted 4. Escaping to lower Italy, he called a council of bishops in which he confessed his sins and required that he be pronounced penance.

All of the bishops remained silent, save one who asked Pope Marcellinus to answer a question. The Pope agreed, the bishop asked if Peter had sinned. The Pope replied that Peter had lied to Christ. The bishop asked, Did he lie once or more than once? Three times, answered Marcellinus. The bishop then asked who had heard Peter’s confession, given him absolution and had pronounced penance.

No answer was forthcoming, so the bishop himself said, no one absolved Peter, no one absolved him and no one proclaimed a penalty on him because no mortal had power over him as he was the highest of all. You should do likewise; you are the highest bishop of Christianity and should declare your own penance.

Marcillenus then said that he was a worshipper of false idols and being unworthy of a Christian burial, no one should bestow such a service upon him under penalty of excommunication. He then returned to Rome, presented himself before Emperor Diocletian and proclaimed himself a Christian.

The Emperor had Marcillenus beheaded, leaving the body unburied for 30 days during which time God protected his remains from animals and birds. One night in a dream, Peter appeared to Marcellus, Marcellinus’ successor, and asked, Why haven’t you buried my body, brother Marcellus? Astounded, Marcellus answered that Peter’s body was long ago interred in Rome. My body is the body of my brother Marcellinus, replied the apostle.

When Marcellus explained that because of Diocletian’s ban on burying Marcellinus’ body, no one dared attempt the burial. Referring to Christ’s word, he who lowers himself shall be raised, Peter commanded that Marcellinus’ body be interred next to him in Rome.

And it was done.

4Marcellinus, bishop of Rome and later Pope at the time of Emperor Diocletian, was forced to make offerings to Roman gods when Diocletian began persecuting Christians. He later recanted and suffered martyrdom ca. 304.

Chapter 4. Aglae and Boniface

At the time of Emperor Diocletian there lived a wealthy widow in Rome named Aglae. She kept numerous servants and appointed as housemaster a young man, Boniface (Bonifacius). The two lived in an intimate relationship but concealed it from the public. Boniface treasured the joy of love and drink but also had three worthy traits: he was mild-mannered, hospitable and just in business relationships, being strict about weights and measures.

At this time, Diocletian began persecuting Christians in southern Italy, many of whom earned their eternal crown through martyrdom. When Aglae learned of this from her patrons, she summoned Boniface and told him that she had decided to give up her sinful life and to convert her household to a Christian church. To this purpose, she required reliquaries of Christian martyrs and that Boniface should obtain them from southern Italy.

The young man chose companions for his trip, provided them with the needed money and bid his mistress goodbye. Will you likely accept me into your church if I return as a pious man? Give up your nonsense and alcohol and command yourself to the Lord so that he leads you by his will, answered Aglae.

Boniface traveled to southern Italy, went directly to Diocletian and dared to confront him about his horrors against the Christians. He was then captured, a hot iron placed in his mouth into which molten lead was poured. Laughing, he endured the torture and died. His companions took his body to Rome.

The day before they arrived, a heavenly apparition appeared to Aglae, commanding her to retrieve the remains of the martyrs with celebration and to entomb them in the house she intended to dedicate to God. She obeyed the command and remained an eager and faithful servant of God until her death.

Chapter 5. The Founding of Constantinople

Following the conversion of Emperor Constantine to Christianity by Pope Sylvester and the renouncing of Judaism by the Emperor’s mother Helen, the Emperor battled the Persians, giving them a resounding defeat.

On his return trip, he entered Byzantium where he had an unusual dream in which an old, dead woman was brought to him and the Pope told him to pray for her to restore her to life. Constantine obeyed the Pope’s order, causing the old woman to rise as a young, attractive girl. She pleased Constantine so much that he gave her his cloak and placed a valuable crown on her head. Then his mother spoke to him: She will be your wife and the Empress, dying at day’s end. Since no one could interpret the dream Constantine decided to fast until God himself revealed the meaning.

Seven days later in another dream, Pope Sylvester appeared again to him and said, The resurrected woman you saw is the city in which you now are. Her walls have collapsed, but in the morning mount the same horse on which you rode to your baptism in the Church of The Apostle. Release the reins and let it go wherever God’s angel leads it while letting your staff drag behind. On the track that it leaves behind, build the new city wall. Adorn with your name the newly walled city and make it the queen of all others. Let a beautiful church be built in it and your sons will reign there.

When Constantine awoke he thanked God, told the bishop Sisinnius of his dream and carried out what it had told him. He called the city Constantinople, known to the people of the north as Mikklaborg.

Chapter 6. Emperor Constantine and the Priest

While on a casual ride, Emperor Constantine came to a small village.  Ever since his baptism he had attended daily mass, so he requested that the local priest perform his duties. During the service, the Emperor noticed that the priest was small and had a rather unpleasant expression. He wondered why God selected such unappealing people to his service.

At exactly the same moment, the priest recited the verse, Be ye sure that the Lord He is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves . From this the Emperor believed that as the result of a divine impulse the priest had guessed and then answered his thoughts. Following the mass, the Emperor sought out the priest and introduced himself. But he found that the priest didn’t have a divine gift, and that his answer to Constantine’s thoughts was just a coincidence.

Though the priest therefore was not exceptional, the Emperor nonetheless elevated the priest to the office of bishop. Sometime later, the same bishop called out a man unfaithful to his wife to appear on the day of St. John the Baptist’s before the pope’s seat of judgment, but the man refused to heed the bishop’s warning. Soon thereafter the bishop died and the sinful man rejoiced, believing that the condemnation was arrogant. But when St. John’s Day arrived, the man suddenly fell to the floor, dead.

Chapter 7. Emperor Tiberius

In the year 578 AD, Tiberius was made Byzantine emperor. His predecessor Justinian II5, to whose imperial guard Tiberius belonged, had praised Tiberius´ outstanding character to reign. Although Tiberius had stated that he had no desire to be Emperor, divine advice caused him to accept the title.

Tiberius immediately showed that he differed from Justinian. While the latter was a formidable warrior and had amassed unmeasurable wealth, Tiberius sat on the throne in peace and distributed the amassed wealth freely to the needy.

His wife Sophia6 criticized him for his squandering, claiming that the wealth would soon be exhausted. But Tiberius countered that God would provide counsel.

This trust was not ill placed because one day as Tiberius strolled the palace, he noticed that the sign of the cross was buried in the floor. He immediately had the stone floor taken up and found beneath three stone tiles bearing the same sign. Beneath the tiles was a huge treasure of gold and silver that, when weighed, was valued at 100,000 marks7.

Through an old man it was discovered that King Narcissus Patricius8 had the treasure buried, which no one had begrudged him. As a result Tiberius was able to continue his good deeds.

5(Translator’s note: Tiberius was the adoptive son and friend of Justinian II.)

6(Translator’s note: Sophia, wife of Justinian II, was actually to become Tiberius’ wife to preserve her station. But he was already married to Ino Anastasia and so refused. History shows that Sophia actually conspired to overthrow Tiberius, but unsuccessfully.

7The coin standard under Tiberius was the gold solidus of Justin II. The correlation to a mark is unclear.

8In reality, this probably refers to Narcissus the Patrician. There is no record regarding his kingship.

Chapter 8. Bishop Augustine

Bishop Augustine of Damascus had once excommunicated a rich knight who refused to tithe. One holy day, the bishop entered the church and before the mass ordered all those who had been excommunicated or otherwise outlawed to leave the church and its grounds during the mass. As soon as the mass had begun, many of the graves in the churchyard opened, their skeletal remains gathered together and fled the churchyard.

The living who were attending the mass were terrified, and with cries and a great tumult took refuge in the church. Learning of this, Augustine went outside and demanded from the risen remains, one of which was unusually large, what in the name of Christ and the holy virgin was the meaning of this miracle.

The largest risen entity replied that those who had left their graves were during their lifetimes outlawed by the church and had died before their ban had been lifted; they therefore were obliged to follow the order of the bishop, whose holiness was held in highest honor.

Augustine asked the entity who he was in life, to which the entity replied that he had been a knight and who because of his failure to tithe had been banned. At the same moment the living knight who had been found guilty for the same reason entered the churchyard gate and fell before the bishop, eyes raining with tears of regret, begging for forgiveness.

Augustine lifted the ban on the dead as though they were still alive, and the dead remains returned to their graves, which closed over them.

Chapter 9. Sindulf and his Wife

At the time of Pope Paul I (757-767), in the Burgundian kingdom9 of western Italy there lived a farmer named Sindulf. He himself was righteous and god-fearing but his wife was so shameful that she maintained a relationship with a clergyman.

The farmer heard of this, and one day while they sat by the garden fountain he confronted her with the matter. She denied it in the strongest terms, and he replied that while he didn’t feel he was the equal of her glib words and cleverness, he would let God’s judgment put an end to the disagreement. If you think you are not guilty, he said, throw your gold ring into the spring. If it sinks then you’ve been slandered. If it floats as a leaf floats, then God himself will pronounce your shame.

She followed his instruction, and the ring floated as a feather on the water. Sindulf declared that from that hour on, he would never go near her bed. His wife became so enraged with hate against her husband that she decided to murder him with the help of her courtesan. They carried out the bloody deed and the body was buried in the garden. To avoid inquiries, the wife told everyone that her husband was on a long trip.

However, God decided to make their crime public knowledge. Appearing in the dream of another farmer in the village who was a close friend, Sindulf told him how he had been murdered. The garden in which I was murdered, he added, is cursed. The beautiful fountain in the garden is to be moved to your garden as payment for your true comradeship and neighborliness.

The neighbor carried out the task as Sindulf had said. The body was found and reburied nearby in holy ground; no sooner was it done than miracles occurred over Sindulf’s grave. The wife also heard about the miracles and cynically said that if they were true, her own behind could also do miracles. But for these contemptible words she quickly incurred God’s wrath; ever since that day whenever she opened her mouth to speak, she