Poor, poor Crecilian! On a dark night, when there is not a star in the sky, when it is raining, or snowing, or hailing, when the wind is blowing with all its might and long lightning is tearing the black clouds apart, and the earth is shaking from thunder, every creature of God finds shelter from the weather. Only he alone cannot find shelter. He feels like he was thrown into the fire. Feeling an unbearable burning sensation in every bone of his skeleton, he writhes in agony and cries out in vain for help.
Horrible are Crecilian's sufferings!
He appeared on the edge of the forest, between the village of Granvillar and the Daad chapel, not far from the road, where a large iron cross now stands on a stone pedestal. It was once erected on the site of an ancient wooden cross that stood on top of a huge pile of cobblestones.
The ghost of Kretsilian haunted the inhabitants of the surrounding villages. His appearance terrified any daredevil. In a voice full of despair, he endlessly repeated: “Oh, if I had known then! If I only knew! I want to be buried there! Bury me there!
But nothing could relieve his pain and melancholy. Crecilian's mournful complaints were constantly heard between Granvillard and Daada. His screams and moans struck fear into peaceful travelers. People turned off the road and walked sideways. As a result, a path was trodden across the field, and everyone walked only along it, so that, God forbid, they would not meet an unfortunate ghost.
People to this day remember the terrible story of Crecilian, and every good Christian, passing by a cross erected on the side of the road, is sure to entrust his soul to the Lord. The poor ghost has long ceased to scare people with terrible moans. He found eternal peace. But this happened only thanks to the prayers, pilgrimages and generous donations of the devout residents of Granvillar.
The peasants of the charming village of Granvillers always loved to laugh, sing and dance. But at the same time, they fulfilled their Christian duty perfectly - they prayed fervently and did not forget the Word of God.
In those ancient times, there were still services in the ancient church of Daad, and everyone went there to mass. Only one man from Granvillar had ever prayed in church. It was an old fellow named Kretsilian.
It cannot be said that Crecilian did not believe at all. He was more of an eccentric, an original. There was not an iota of piety in him. He never did what everyone else did and amazed people with his ignorance. Every Sunday he went to Daada, but he always went last. Having reached a place where both the church and the village were visible at the same time, Kretsilian slowed down his pace. Turning onto the edge of the forest, he lazily lay on the ground and cooled off until the end of the mass. And then he was the first to return to the village. For twenty or even thirty years, Crecilian fulfilled his Christian duty in such an unimaginable way. Neither the warnings of the priest, nor the good advice of neighbors, nor the gossip of old women, nor the intervention of authorities, nor the evil jokes of young people - nothing could force Kretsilian to go to church with the parishioners...
One night, the neighbors of this eccentric ran to the priest in a hurry. They were awakened by noise in Kretsilian's house. The old man was thrashing about on the bed, gasping for breath and shouting that he wanted to take communion. But when the priest arrived, it was already too late. The patient lost consciousness and breathed his last a few moments later. The next day, the coffin with Kretsilian's body was carried to Daada, to the cemetery. When the sad procession reached the place where the old man usually waited for mass, the coffin became incredibly heavy. The four men who carried him on their shoulders dropped their burden at the edge of the road. Six, ten of us tried to lift the coffin... It was no use! It was as if he was rooted to the ground. Bulls and horses were brought from Granvillars. But the animals never wanted to carry Kretsilian’s coffin. They roared, mooed, neighed and showed such anxiety and impatience that they had to be urgently taken back to the village. It became clear to everyone that the matter could not have happened without the intervention of higher powers...
Then people dug a deep hole, and Crecilian’s coffin rolled to the damp bottom. The old man found himself buried in the very place where he had neglected the Word of God for so many years. Each one threw a stone and a shovelful of earth onto this pathetic grave. Then the people dispersed in sadness. And from that day on, year after year, everyone who passed by Crecilian's grave threw a stone at it. A big hill grew up. He reminded of the punishment that can befall anyone who laughs at church rituals. But that's not all... On fast days, Kretsilian began to appear in the form of a sobbing ghost sitting on a pile of hot coals. He mournfully complained that he could not sleep eternally at the walls of Daada and had to atone for his sins in the place where he committed them.
Wanting to get rid of the terrible ghost at all costs, the residents of Granvillar, led by the parish priest, came to the forest edge to excavate Kretsilian's grave and transfer his remains to the cemetery. But their search was in vain - they did not find the bones of the poor sinner. People again erected a burial mound, and Crecilian continued to return from the underworld to earth and frighten good Christians. Then a large wooden cross was erected on the grave, and the ghost began to appear less frequently. His moans became quieter, and the coals on which he sat seemed to gradually go out.
Soon the inhabitants of Granvillars, together with many clergy and pilgrims from other villages, made a procession to Crecilian's tomb.
And since then Kretsilian has not appeared.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru