I've always liked the idea of book plates and often wished I had some to paste into my favorite books. But what about placing a curse on someone who doesn't return a book? That's probably a little far-fetched in this day of massmarket paperbacks and public libraries. [I do recall a fellow book lover who used to handwrite a "curse" in the books he loaned out... oh, the things we end up remembering!]
But think back to the days when books were individually hand written, when there were no public libraries and only the wealthy could afford books. Even after the printing press was invented, not many copies of books were made. People saved up money in order to buy one. That helps us understand the desperation behind this "curse on book thieves" found in the monastery of San Pedro in Barcelona, Spain:
"For him that stealeth, or borroweth and returneth not,
this book from its owner, let it change into a serpent in
his hand and rend him.
Let him be struck with palsy, and all his members blasted.
Let him languish in pain, crying aloud for mercy, and let
there be no surcease to this agony till he sing in dissolution.
Let bookworms gnaw his entrails... and when at last he
goeth to his last punishment, let the flames of hell consume
him for ever."
Now who needs to return one of my books?
3 comments:
At least three of us would have died from snake-bite if you resorted to this! Creative way to ask for your books back...a simple email would have sufficed! ;)
Isn't this hysterical? I guess I can understand the sentiment when you consider the high cost and unavailability of books when it was written. I haven't gotten this bad, have I?
(1) You definitely should have book plates made with this.
(2) I promise to return your books in a more timely manner.
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