The medieval tablet that invokes the devil

It is a strange and mysterious piece. Researchers believe they know something important about the discovery. The medieval tablet invoking the devil from the 15th century, inscribed with satanic spells, targeted two lovers. The first theory suggests that it could be due to jealousy and unrequited love. The second claims that it could be an attempt to separate the couple.

German archaeologists unearthed a “curse tablet.” Specifically it is a coiled lead fragment with inscriptions to conjure Beelzebub, i.e. Satan. This discreet object was initially mistaken for scrap metal. It was discovered at the bottom of a latrine at the construction site of a town hall in Rostock, northern Germany. It is reported in official city documents.

The medieval tablet that invokes the devil contained a curse, apparently.
The medieval tablet that invokes the devil contained a curse, apparently.

Cursing and jealousy

After further testing, the tablet, which dates back to the 15th century, revealed engraved text. It is in tiny, barely legible Gothic characters. It read: “sathanas taleke belzebuk hinrik berith.” This cryptic writing was translated as a curse against a woman and a man named Taleke and Hinrik. He invoked the names of Beelzebub, a pseudonym for Satan, and Berith, a demonic entity.

«Did someone want to break up Taleke and Heinrich’s relationship? Was it about scorned love and jealousy? “Should someone be moved out of the way?” researchers speculated about the reason for the curse. Jorg Ansroge is a senior researcher at the University of Greifswald. He stated that the discovery is exceptional for its historical chronology. It is true that similar curse tablets are known from the Greek and Roman periods, ranging from 800 BC to 600 AD. But a find of this type in the 15th century is rare.

It appeared in an old medieval latrine.
It appeared in an old medieval latrine.

Well hidden

«Our discovery can be dated to the 15th century. “This is a very special find,” he declared. The location of the medieval tablet that invokes the devil in a latrine has an explanation. It is consistent with historical practices of hiding curse objects in hard-to-find places. They hoped to hide them from the target of the curse.

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