Saint's Prison - Chapter 56

Remnant of Yosuga

Orthodoxy and heresy.

In medieval Europe, this was an issue that could never be avoided.

For example, religions other than the legitimate Christianity were considered heretical.

For example, in the compilation of the Bible, legitimate Gospels and other apocryphal Gospels were excluded.

For example, the Christian idea of misogyny, where men are orderly and legitimate, and women are heretical and chaotic.

If you look for “examples,” they will be endless. Among these examples, what is particularly interesting is the orthodoxy and heresy of language.

Nowadays, spoken language and written language are unified, but in medieval Europe, they were clearly separated.

Latin and the vernacular.

Sacred and secular.

In the era when the authority of Christianity was rampant, all official documents were written in Latin. This is similar to the situation in Japan, where Classical Chinese was the official language until the early modern period.

In other words, whether it was Latin or Classical Chinese, they both played the role of status symbols for the upper class and intellectuals. It may be fair to say that one of the factors contributing to the low literacy rate in medieval Europe was the gap between the upper and lower classes.

The term “written language” here refers to Latin, while “spoken language” refers to vernacular. The vernacular refers to the colloquial languages that people used daily, other than Latin. Even French and German, which are now used as official languages, were in the position of vernacular in medieval Europe.

This can be clearly seen in the trial and execution of Joan of Arc. Joan of Arc… Needless to say, she is one of the most famous women in France’s history.

When Joan was tried and executed, of course, her testimony was recorded. The content of Joan’s speech was first written down in French, the vernacular (after all, she must have been speaking French).

However, the church then re-translated the French text into Latin. This was not a special case, but a universally practiced one. It was only by translating it into Latin that it could become an official document.

The problem is how accurate the translation is. In fact, there were differences between the original French text and the record of the trial. And it was in favor of the church.

As a result, Joan was executed, which is the best proof of all. Often, the so-called sacred church was corrupt and full of decay.

Orthodoxy and heresy, which one was truly sacred?

***

“I’m quite late…”

I grumble as I walk down the hallway.

I was so absorbed in tending to the vineyard that I didn’t notice it was dusk. Lately, Amal has been clinging to me more when it gets late. Well, it’s been like that for a while, but it’s getting stronger.

She asks for deep kisses where our tongues intertwine, and she won’t let go of me for a long time. That’s just the beginning – she tempts me to hold her without even eating dinner, or tries to come with me to the bathroom. I feel like her dependence on me is growing.

In other words, it’s growing.

I walk out into the corridor.

A faint evening glow filters in.

Sunset is near.

It’s twilight.

Thinking so, I remember a forgotten memory. It was the twilight like today when I was walking home with a friend from college who majored in folklore.

***

“Today’s sunset is beautiful…”

I look up at the sky.

The evening and indigo colors mix, and night is closing in.

“Yeah, it’s twilight. Well, the correct term is ‘tasokare.’ Who is that guy over there? It’s the time when the setting sun shines, and the backlight makes it impossible to see even the face of the person next to you. Do you really know who that person is? Or is it something else? That’s why, who are you? Who is that guy? It’s also called the ‘demon encounter time,’ when it’s easy to meet non-human demons. Well, it means it’s a time when the boundaries between here and there are blurred. By the way, am I really the me you know?”

His face is not visible due to the backlight.

A face in complete darkness stares back at me. My heart races. My throat dries up. As I remain silent, he says it’s a joke, and he exhales with a soft laugh.

***

– Chirin

I’m brought back to reality by the sound of a bell ringing.

Looking in the direction of the sound, I see the door leading to Amal’s room and that chapel.

Trying to calm myself down, I close my eyes and sigh. Then, when I open my eyes and look back at the door, my heart throbs in pain. Calm down. What’s the big deal? As I try to calm myself down, I can’t take my eyes off the scene in front of me.

A woman with long black hair stands in front of the door. She wasn’t there a moment ago. I blinked for just a few seconds. What is going on? Am I having another daydream?

The woman has her back to me, and I can’t see her face.

But I know her.

“…No way, that’s impossible. Absolutely not. Because…”

You are supposed to be dead.

Author’s Note : Folklore is romantic, that’s what I think. With that said, thank you all for your bookmarks and ratings. I will continue to do my best!