OK, I guess enough people have asked...
This curse was levied against the "Border" families--those clans of the
"Disputed Lands" between Scotland and England after umpteen years of raids
and cattle rustling and who knows what-all...(Note: I don't think the
Campbells--or Stewarts--were among these clans, tho I'm sure many of you will
enjoy it anyway! The names that come quickly to mind are Rutledge, Armstrong
and Nixon--I can direct you to a website if you like...)
Sean is a member of our line and our list (Rutledge) who lives "across the
pond" and volunteered to write to the curennt Bishop of Glasgow to rescind
our curse. So far (imagine!), no response! I found it amazingly easy to
read aloud (must be my Celtic blood!--or maybe years of reaing Dr Seuss to my
kids!) Here goes--enjoy!!
Sean Ruttledge wrote:
Dear Sir
500 years ago the Archbishop of Glasgow cursed collectively all of the
Reiver families of the Anglo Scots borders, a transcript of said curse may
be seen below.
The Reiver families were at that time renowned for their lawness but no
longer practice banditry as a way of life, To my knowledge the curse has
never been rescinded , lifted or replaced with a blessing
The descendants of these border families would be most grateful if you would
kindly find it within your hearts to forgive our forefathers for there
misdeeds and replace the curse with your blessing
Thanking you in advance for your kind consideration
We Remain
Yours faithfully
The Rut(t)ledge family and all other border descendants
Transcript of curse follows
"Gude folks, heir at my Archibischop of Glasgwis letters under his round
sele, direct to me or any uther chapellane, makand mensioun, with greit
regrait, how hevy he beris the pietous, lamentabill, and dolorous complaint
that pass our all realme and commis to his eris, be oppin voce and fame, how
our souverane lordis trew liegis, men, wiffis and barnys, bocht and redeimit
be the precious blude of our Salviour Jhesu Crist, and levand in his lawis,
are saikleslie (innocently) part murdrist, part slayne, brynt, heryit,
spulziet (spoiled) and reft, oppinly on day licht and under silens of the
nicht, and thair takis (farms) and landis laid waist, and thair self banyst
therfra, als wele kirklandis as utheris, be commoun tratouris, ravaris,
theiffis, dulleand in the south part of this realme, sic as Tevidale,
Esdale, Liddisdale, Ewisdale, Nedisdale, and Annandereaill; quhilis hes bene
diverse ways persewit and punist be the temperale swerd and our Soverane
Lordis auctorite, and dredis nocht the samyn.
And thairfoir my said Lord Archbischop of Glasgw hes thocht expedient to
strike thame with the terribill swerd of halykirk, quhilk thai may nocht
lang endur and resist; and has chargeit me, or any uther chapellane, to
denounce, declair and proclame thaim oppinly and generalie cursit, at this
market-croce, and all utheris public places.
Hairfor throw the auctorite of Almichty God, the Fader of hevin, his Son,
our Saviour, Jhesu Crist, and of the Halygaist; throw the auctorite of the
Blissit Virgin Sanct Mary, Sanct Michael, Sanct Gabriell, and all the
angellis; Sanct John the Baptist, and all the haly patriarkis and prophets;
Sanct Peter, Sanct Paull, Sanct Andro, and all haly appostillis; Sanct
Stephin, Sanct Laurence, and all haly mertheris (martyrs); Sanct Gile, Sanct
Martyn, and all haly confessouris; Sanct Anne, Sanct Katherin, and all haly
virginis and matronis; and of all the sanctis and haly company of hevin; be
the auctorite of our Haly Fader the Paip and his cardinalis, aned of my said
Lord Archibischop of Glasgw, be the avise and assistance of my lordis,
archibischop, bischopis, abbotis, priouris, and utheris prelatis and
minesteris of halykirk.
I denounce, proclamis, and declaris all and sindry the committaris of the
said saikles murthris, slauchteris, brinying, heirchippes, reiffis, thiftis
and spulezeis, oppinly apon day licht and under silence ofnicht, alswele
within temporale landis as kirklandis; togither with thair partakeris,
assitaris, supplearis, wittandlie resettaris (knowing receivers) of thair
personis, the gudes reft and stollen be thaim, art or part thereof, and
their counsalouris and defendouris, of thair evil dedis generalie CURSIT,
waryit (execrated), aggregeite, and reaggregeite, with the GREIT CURSING.
I curse their heid and all the haris of thair heid; I curse thair face,
thair ene, thair mouth, thair neise, thair tongue, thair teeth, thair crag,
thair shoulderis, thair breist, thair hert, thair stomok, thair bak, thair
wame*, thair armes, thais leggis, thair handis, thair feit, and everilk part
of thair body, frae the top of their heid to the soill of thair feet, befoir
and behind, within and without.
I curse thaim gangand (going), and I curse them rydland (riding); I curse
thaim standand, and I curse thaim sittand; I curse thaim etand, I curse
thaim drinkand; I curse thaim walkand, I curse thaim sleepand; I curse thaim
risand, I curse thaim lyand; I curse thaim at hame, I curse thaim fra hame;
I curse thaim within the house, I curse thaim without the house; I curse
thair wiffis, thair barnis, and thair servandis participand with thaim in
their deides. I way thair cornys, thair catales, thair woll, thair scheip,
thjair horse, thair swyne, thair geise, thair hennes, and all thair quyk
gude (livestock). I wary their hallis, thair chalmeris (rooms), thair
kechingis, thair stanillis, thair barnys, thair biris (cowsheds), thair
bernyardis, thair cailyardis (cabbage-patches)....
thair plewis, thair harrowis, and the gudis and housis that is necessair for
their sustentatioun and weilfair.
All the malesouns and waresouns (curses) that ever gat warldlie creatur sen
the begynnyng of the world to this hour mot licht on thaim. The maledictioun
of God, that lichtit apon Lucifer and all his fallowis, that strak thaim
frae the hie hevin to the deip hell, mot licht apon thaimr. The fire and the
swerd that stoppit Adam far the yettis (gates) of Paradise, mot stop thaim
frae the gloire of Hevin. quhill (until) thai forbere and mak amendis. The
malesound that lichtit on cursit Cayein, quhen his slew his bruther just
Abell saiklessly, mot licth on thaim for the saikles slauchter that thai
commit dailie. The maledictioun that lichtit apon all the warlde, man and
beist, and all that ever tuk life, quhen all was drownit be the flude of
Noye, except Noye and his ark, mot licht apon thame and drouned thame, man
and beist, and mak this realm cummirless (free) of thame for thair wicked
synnyes. The thunnour and fireflauchtis (lightning) that set doun as rane
apon the cities of Zodoma and Gomora, with all the landis about, and brynt
thame for thair vile sunnys, mot rane apon thame, and birne thaim for oppin
synnis. Tha malesoun and confusion that lichtit on the Gigantis for thair
oppressioun and pride, biggand (building) the tour of Bablloun, mot confound
thaim and all thair werkis, for thair opppin reiffs and oppressioun. All the
plagis that fell apon Pharao and his pepill of Egipt, thair landis, cornse,
and cataill, mot fall apon thaim, thair takkis, rowmys (places) and
stedingis, cornys and beistis. The watter of Tweid and utheris watteris
quhair thair ride mot droun thaim, as the Reid Say drownit King Pharoao and
his pepil of Egipt, sersewing Godis pepill of Israell. The erd mot oppin,
riffe and cleiff (cleave), and swelly (swallow) thaim quyk to hell, as it
swellyt cursit Dathan and Abiron, that genestude (withstood) Moeses and the
command of God. The wyld fyre that byrnt Thore and his fallowis to the
nowmer of twa hundredth and fyty, and utheris 14000 and 7000 at anys,
usurpand aganis Moyses and Aaron, servandis of God, not suddanely birne and
consume thaim dailie genestandand the commandis of God and halykirk. The
malediction that lichtit suddanely upon fair Absalon, rydant contrair his
fader, King David, servand of God, throw the wod, quhen the branchis of ane
tre fred (parted) him of his horse and hangit him be the hair, mot lie apon
thaain trew Scottis men, and hang thaim siclike tha all the warld may se.
The Maledictioun that lichtit apon Olifernus, lieutenant to Nabogodonooser,
makand weair (war) and heirchippis apon trew cristin men, the maledictioun
that lichtit apon Judas, Pylot, Herod and the Jowis that chucifyit Our Lord,
and all the plagis and trublis that lichtit on the citte of Jherusalme
thairfor, and upon Simon Magus for his symony, bludy Nero, cusit Ditius
Makcensisu, Olibruis, Julianus Apostita and the laiff (rest) of the cruell
tirrannis that slew and murthirit Crits haly servandis, mot licth apon thame
for thair cruel tiranny and murthirdome of cristin pepill.
And all the vengeance that evir was takin sen the warlde began for oppin
synnys, and all the plagis and pestilence that ever fell on man or beist,
mot fall on thaim for thair oppin reiff, saiklesse slauchter and schedding
of innocent blude. I disserver and pairtis thaim fra the kirk of God, and
deliveris thaim quyk to the devill of hell, as the Apostill Sanct Paull
deliverit Corinthion. I interdite the places thay cum in fra divine service,
minitracioun of the sacramentis of halykirk, except the sacrament of
baptissing allenerlie (only); and forbiddis all kirkmen to schriffe or
absolbe thim of theire synnys, quhill they be firs abolyeit of this cursing.
I forbid all cristin man or woman till have ony company with thaime, etand,
drynkand, spekand, prayand, lyand, gangand, standand, or in any uther deid
doand, under the paine of deidly syn. I discharge all bandis, actis,
contractis, athis (oaths) and obligatiounis made to them by ony persounis,
outher of lawte (out of loyalty), kyndenes or manrent (personal fealty),
salang as thai susteined this cursing, sub that na man be bundin to thaim,
and that this be bundin till all men. I tak fra thame and cryis douned all
the gude dedis that ever thai did or sall do, quhill thai rise froae this
cursing. I declare thaim partles (excluded) of of all matynys, messis,
evinsangis, dirigeis or utheris prayeris, on buke or beid; of all
pilgrimagis and almouse deids done or to be done in halykirk or be cristin
pepill, enduring this cursing.
And, finally, I condemn thaim perpetualie to the deip pit of hell, the
remain with Lucifer and all his fallowis, and thair bodeis to the gallows of
the Burrow Mure, first to be hangit, syne revin and ruggit (then ripped and
torn) with doggis, swyne, and utheris wyld beists, abhominable to all the
warld. And their candillis gangis frae your sicht, ast mot their saulis gang
fra the visage of God, and thair gude faim fra the warld, quhill thai
forbeir thair oppin synnys foirsaidis and ryse frae this terribill cursing,
and mak satisfaction and pennance."
How about that?! Is that not the mother of all curses? Put a chill in your
bones? We're thinking about applyng to the Vatican for medical insurance...
(Hope you don't take any offense--none meant. From US at least)
Cyndi o' the cursed Rutledge Clan