A Letter From The Devil Written By A Possessed Nun In 1676 Has Finally Been Translated
When Sister Maria awoke from a supposed demonic possession in 1676, she was covered in ink, and, in her hand, she had a letter. The strange part is that she had no memory of writing the letter, only that she believed that the strange glyphs and symbols were written by Satan. No one could translate the devilish text.
Fast forward years into the future and scientists were finally able to decode the strange language. But with the translation brought new questions. Are possessions and exorcism real? Keep reading, and maybe this gray area will become more clear.
Sister Maria Crocifissa Della Concezione
This story begins with Sister Maria Crocifissa della Concezione, a 31-year-old nun living at the convent of Palma di Montechiaro in Sicily. The Italian island of Sicily is a place deeply-rooted in Christian traditions, with Saint Paul preaching there nearly two millennia ago.
Unfortunately for Sister Maria, where there is God, Satan is typically close behind. The struggle between good and evil is at the very center of the Christian religion. Even though churches and convents are meant to be sanctuaries, there is no telling what type of evil could linger in the walls.
Sister Maria Was 15 When She Joined The Convent
In 1645, Isabella Tomasi was born. She was only 15 years old when she joined the Benedictine convent in Palme di Mantechiaro, Sicily. It was there that she was baptized and reborn with the name Maria Crocifissa della Concezione.
This convent traditionally teaches work, peace, and prayer. Even with all of the support of her fellow Sisters, Sister Maria did not seem at peace with herself. She confessed that her lack of peace and clarity was because she was possessed by the Devil.
Maria Would Shriek And Lose Consciousness
Whether or not the devil actually exists, there was definitely something wrong with Sister Maria. For example, when the Sister would approach the altar, she would start shrieking before falling and losing consciousness.
She was convinced that Satan was trying to turn her away from God, putting her on the path of evil. Sister Maria was lost, frightened that one day the Devil would force her to sin against her own wishes.
Did The Devil Possess Sister Maria?
In 1676, the Devil allegedly took control of Sister Maria's body and forced her to write a letter. Her worst nightmare came to life: she had been possessed — or so she claimed. The letter was not written in any known language or familiar alphabet. It was purely "demonic" in nature.
The letter contained odd-looking glyphs that seemed to resemble archaic letters and occult symbols. When the Sister awoke, she was covered in ink with no knowledge of who or what had written the letter, nor could she read it.
Someone Broke The Code in 2017
It seems as though evil found itself in Sicily years later, with the supposed possession of Sister Maria Crocifissa della Concezione. The letter she wrote was so cryptic that no one knew what to make of it.
Her fellow Sisters believed her about the Devil, going as far as to display the ominous letter in public, hoping someone could make sense of the text. Over the centuries, many people have tried to decipher the message, but with no luck. It wasn't until 2017 that someone made any real progress decoding the "Satanic Language."
A Team Of Scientists Used Software From The Dark Web
It was in 2017 when a team of computer scientists based out of the LUDUM Science Center in Catania, Italy, was able to partially crack the code. The center was founded in 1969 and is a privately-funded institute that collaborates with multiple educational and research-based organizations.
The group of scientists used intelligence-grade code-breaking software to do a high-tech analysis of the letter. Daniele Abete, leader of the LUDUM team, found the software in the dark corners of the web, where algorithms developed by intelligence agencies have been leaked to a larger audience.
Sister Maria's Letter Was A Blend Of Ancient Languages
The group of scientists hypothesized that Sister Maria used a blend of ancient Greek, Arabic, Latin, and Runic alphabets to compose the letter. It was a good starting point, considering the nun had spent most of her life reading and studying ancient and modern texts.
Daniele Abate told The Times, "We primed the software with ancient Greek, Arabic, the Runic alphabet and Latin to unscramble some of the letters and show that it really is devilish." Their strategy worked and they were able to make out a few of the words.
The Team Decoded 15 Lines Of Text
The team was able to decode a portion of the letter, 14 lines to be exact. What they found definitely had a Devilish tone to it, mostly because of the heretical statements and ideas throughout the text. Ironically, the statements would have gotten Sister Maria in a lot of trouble if people believed her to be faking the possession.
The text had very rebellious remarks, as though Sister Maria did not believe in what the Church stands for. That, or a part of her mind, was lost, and she was going about life with a mental illness.
The Letter Denounced God
The Times reported that the portions of the letter that were decoded claimed that "God is an invention of man and that God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost are dead weights." Also, that "God thinks he can free mortals. This system works for no one."
Sister Maria's letter also references the mythological river Styx that is said to lie on the edge of the underworld. "Perhaps now, Styx is certain." Is the nun alluding to her own death and damnation because of her "possession?" Curiously, the only phrase not written with symbols was "Ohime," meaning "Oh, me."
Storytelling Runs In The Family
Daniele Abate told Live Science, "When working on historical decryption, you cannot ignore the psychological profile of the writer. We needed to know as much as possible about this nun." This approach allows the team to examine Sister Maria's personality separately from the actual letter.
What they learned was that the nun had a good command of languages and was actually an ancestor of famous Italian author, Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa. Storytelling and an understanding of ancient languages make for one (perhaps) fictitious letter.
The Devil in Britain and America Has An Authentic Writing Sample
Like the Loudon, France, nun possessions, Sister Maria's letter is not the only known case of devilish writing. An 1896 book by John Ashton, titled The Devil in Britain and America claims to contain a copy of "the only known specimen of the Devil's writing."
The sample itself was sourced from a 16th-century book by Teseo Ambrogio degli Albonesi. The title of the book is Introduction to the Languages of Chaldean, Syrian and Armenian and the Ten Other Languages. Considering the nature of the book, it's hard to say if the sample is authentic.
An Italian Conjurer Originally Recorded The Text
It's said that the "authentic handwriting" was originally recorded by Italian conjurer Ludovico Spoletano. Ironically, not much is known about the man, and he remains a mystery to even modern-day historians.
What has been concluded is that Albonesi may have first heard about Spoletano through Guillaume Postel, a French intellectual who also had an interest in languages. Unfortunately, Postel was not the most reliable source, having been sentenced to house arrest for the last 11 years of his life because he was thought to be insane.
Legend Says That Spoletano Summoned Satan
As the story goes, the conjurer Spoletano summoned Satan and asked him some questions. However, instead of possessing Spoletano in order to write the answers, Satan caused the pen to float mid-air. The legend claims he wrote the answers down right then and there.
Ashton believed that the script may have been derived from Amharic. "According to a legend, [Amharic] was the primeval language spoken in Eden," he claimed. Many contemporary experts now believe that Eden is nothing more than a mythological place. But that doesn't stop scholars from being intrigued by the writing sample.
The Text Doesn't Mean Anything...Yet
Modern-day academics and code breakers seem to believe that the sample in Asthon's book is nothing more than symbols. No one has been able to decipher the text and the notion that it is the "Devil's handwriting" might be nothing more than an elaborate prank at the expense of Postel and Albonesi's reputations.
At least the text has some symbols that could potentially be considered devilish. A few of the characters look like pitchforks, after all!
She Might Have Been An Undiagnosed Schizophrenic
Despite the religious content of Sister Maria's Devil letter, it seems like the science team has other ideas about the force behind the text. Abate claims that it is unlikely that the Devil wrote anything, telling The Times, "I personally believe that the nun had a good command of languages, which allowed her to invent the code. And [Sister Maria] may have suffered from a condition like schizophrenia, which made her imagine dialogues with the Devil."
The diagnosis, albeit not given by a medical professional, could explain some of Sister Maria's strange behavior.
Schizophrenia Might Produce Delusions That Reflect Culture
The symptoms of schizophrenia can appear to closely resemble demonic possession. In the case of Sister Maria, the episodes she faced could have been auditory hallucinations and strange fantasies about the Devil. The mental illness causes some people to produce "word salads," which are jumbles of words without any comprehensive meaning.
Also, it's been documented that people who suffer from schizophrenia appear to have delusions that reflect their culture. For example, in Christian societies, those with the illness might believe themselves to be a prophet or possessed by the Devil.
Some Academics Believe In Sister Maria's Possession
It's also said that religion itself may be a reason for a psychotic breakdown, due to all of the demonic themes and otherworldly imagery. It seems significant that Sister Maria had a breakdown regarding conflict within her faith and spirituality.
Despite seeking refuge at the convent at a young age, she was never able to find peace. Instead, the nun was apparently consumed with the demons that the Bible preaches to people to resist. But not all academics think the nun's possession was in response to mental illness. Some believe she was actually possessed.
Dr. Richard Gallagher Believes In Exorcism
Dr. Richard Gallagher of Columbia University claims to have seen a few demonic possessions in his day. According to the doctor, demons are real and they speak strange languages. Although it's unusual that a man of science believes in and has helped exorcise demonic possession, Dr. Gallagher is highly respected in the field.
According to CNN, "[Gallagher has become]: the go-to guy for a sprawling network of exorcists in the United States. He says demonic possession is real. He's seen the evidence: victims suddenly speaking perfect Latin; sacred objects flying off shelves; people displaying 'hidden knowledge' or secrets about people that they could not have possibly have known."
Dr. Gallagher Says That A Belief In Demons Is Uncomfortable To Many People
In June 2018, Gallagher told The Daily Mail that "[Demons are] fallen angels. They're extremely bright, much brighter than humans. They’ve been around for millennia, so they speak all languages." If you believe in heaven and hell, it makes complete sense that demons are intellectual since they've been on Earth for so long.
But a belief in demons is not something most people are willing to accept. Aside from Dr. Gallagher, multiple mental health professionals agree that an individual's spiritual beliefs probably play a role in possession.
Two Psychiatrists Agree With Dr. Gallagher
According to Dr. Mark Albanese, some psychiatrists believe that a person's spiritual beliefs have a role to play in their mental illness. In August 2017, he told CNN that "there's a certain openness to experiences that are happening that are beyond what we can explain by MRI scans, neurobiology or even psychological theories."
Psychologist Dr. Stephen Diamond explains that exorcism may represent an archaic form of psychotherapy. And Jesus Christ was even reported to have cast out demons from sick individuals. The practice of exorcism has a long history and spans many religions.
There Are Similarities Between Psychotherapy And Exorcism
In 2012, Dr. Diamond expressed the distinct similarities between exorcism and psychotherapy in a Psychology Today article. "Psychotherapy, like exorcism, commonly consists of a prolonged, pitched, demanding, soul-wrenching, sometimes tedious bitter battle royale with the patient's diabolically obdurate emotional 'demons.’ [This is] at times waged over the course of years or even decades rather than weeks or months – and not necessarily always with consummate success."
Dr. Diamond goes on to explain the differences between the two forms of therapy, stating that psychotherapy is a treatment for figurative, metaphorical "demons," whereas exorcism takes the existence of demons literally.
Belief In Demonic Possessions Is Still Common
The concept of demonic possession is still common in some modern societies. For example, in 2018, a passenger on a Mexico City metro was seemingly possessed. An impromptu exorcism then occurred in the middle of the day, in full view of the public. It was videotaped and watched online more than a million times.
The clip shows a well-dressed man saying, "In the name of Jesus, leave...You need to leave in the name of Jesus. You need to go!" The possessed woman proceeds to attack him with an umbrella. According to media sources, sights like these are not all that uncommon.
Some Believe That Reading Harry Potter Can Conjure Evil Spirits
Religious convictions can be so strong in some people that they cause moral panic in themselves and the community. For instance, in September 2019, St. Edward Catholic School in Nashville suddenly banned Harry Potter because the school pastor was advised by exorcists.
In his letter to parents explaining his actions, Reverend Dan Reehil said, "[the] books present magic as both good and evil – which is not true but in fact a clever deception. The curses and spells used in the books are actual curses and spells which, when read by a human being, risk conjuring evil spirits into the presence of the person reading the text."
Kennedy Ife thought There Was A Serpent Inside His Body
Unfortunately, in situations where moral panic outweighs rational thought and action, the consequences can be tragic. While banning Harry Potter doesn't do much but deny children to a fantastic book series, in London in 2016, a "possession" of 26-year-old Kennedy Ife resulted in his death.
It started with a sore throat and sleeping problems. Ife's condition worsened from there and he became delusional, claiming to have a serpent inside him. According to one of Ife's brothers, he started to become very aggressive.
He Was Moaning In Pain
The Christian family went as far as to hide all of the kitchen knives and restrain the 26-year-old with rope and handcuffs. Supposedly, they went on to perform an at-home exorcism but their "cure" didn't work.
According to reports, Ife's breathing became labored and he started to moan in pain. The young man eventually passed away, even though his brother tried to perform a ritualistic "resurrection." Unfortunately, this is one of those cases where those involved should have called some health professionals.
Theatricality Or Truth?
As people are still going as far as banning popular novels from school libraries, it's safe to say that the belief in demonic possession is still present in society. It's been reported that the Roman Catholic church is considering training a new generation of exorcists. Even some Protestant churches have begun to "cast out demons."
This all begs the question of whether or not their efforts are an extremely theatrical version of psychotherapy, or if they're actually ridding someone of an evil spirit.
The Devil Letter Is A Gray Area
Traveling back to 17th-century Sicily and Sister Maria, could her experience have been anything other than metaphysical? A theatrical display of a mental illness that went undiagnosed? And what about the nuns of Loudon? Was their experience anything other than what has been recorded in history? Who knows, maybe they all had a vendetta against the Father and that was their way of getting even.
Whatever the reality is, Sister Maria's Devil letter is strange enough to have us guessing its meaning even hundreds of years later. It's those gray areas between fact and fiction that intrigue humans the most.
