The case of the Illfurt Children

This case was very famous in his time for the events that took place during the five years in which a family was afflicted by demonic manifestations. The exorcisms were allowed three years after the start of the strange manifestations: delay even providential, because otherwise he would not have had that abundant collection of phenomena, giving the event a real Illfurt primacy in matters and did much good in his time and continues to produce impressive who reads the narrative.
On the episode was written a book: "The devil. Their words and actions in the possessed of Illfurt, Alsace, as historical documents", written by Father Sutter in Turin, 1935).
On the authenticity of fact can not reasonably doubt, these unbelievers of that time invented several hypotheses, but did not deny the phenomena, that everyone could watch repeatedly.
Transcribe some pieces to give an idea of ​​what happened. These are two of the five children of the spouses Burner, Theobald and Joseph, respectively 9 and about 8 years old when he began the strange situation.
"Lying on his back, turned and writhed with the dizzying speed of a top, or vented pounding relentlessly, and with surprising strength, the bed and other furniture, named this operation 'dreschen' - hit the wheat - without express minimum stress, however long the hitting (p. 18).
The belly swelled excessively and gave them the impression that they were turning the ball into his stomach, or a beast alive were moving inside. Her legs are joined to each other, as intertwined, and no human force could separate them.
At that time Theobald had about thirty times the extraordinary appearance of a ghost whom he called his teacher. His beak of a duck, a cat's paws, horse hooves, and body completely covered with dirty feathers. In each instance the ghost hovering over the bed of Theobald, who threatened to strangle him, the child, in their terror, they threw at him, invisible to others, and tore out handfuls of feathers, then threw them to stunned viewers.
All this in broad daylight, and in presence of hundreds of witnesses, among whom were men serísimos, for nothing gullible, very suspicious, and members of all classes of society, and was unanimously recognized the impossibility of any deception. The feathers produced a foul odor, and - most singular thing! - Not incinerated when the burning "(pp. 18-19).
Manly voice always spoke without moving his lips, which caused huge impression (cf. pp. 42-43). "Sometimes the poor little body swelled so that seemed about to burst and spewed foam, feathers and moss, while his clothes were covered with the same feathers that stank the whole house (p. 83).
In the room were occasionally tormented by excruciating heat waves, unbearable even in winter, and who marveled at this, the devil shouted laughing: 'Am I a good fireman, right? If you come to my house, I will not suffer from the cold: you can be sure! '"(P. 83).
Many were the times and ways of expressing hatred of the sacred, even with names and nicknames offensive and insulting. However, in this atmosphere of hate and singular an interesting thing was the attitude of respect for the Virgin.We read on page 40: "While the devil insulted and mocked the most holy things, without exception or even God Himself, never dared to insult the Virgin, and someone asked him why, he replied briefly 'I have the right. the puppet on the cross has forbidden me. "

His fury ... came to a head when someone threw holy water "(p. 140).

Once the mayor threw in the fingers of Tybalt "a few drops of holy water, and was immediately attacked by strong shaking, falling on the floor, crawling, go hide under the table, when he saw that he could not escape by any part "(p. 114).

Mr. Andres says: "When the nun who takes food dropped on them a drop of holy water, or touch them with a sacred object, Theobald immediately realizes, though this has been done in the kitchen where he never goes. In that case, approaches the plate with suspicion, look carefully the foods you have been, and always rejects them saying, 'I have no hunger! There's rubbish in there' or: 'it's poison'. Y for him to eat, you have to take something else. Ditto with drinks "(p. 137).

"A solid crucifix someone tried to put on the neck of Joseph squirmed immediately and took the form of an X holding it while in the child's chest: a scapular and placed on their backs immediately flew overhead, and describing a highest circle fell on the helmet of a policeman, Werner, who coincidentally had entered the room. the child had not even moved "(pp. 34-35).

Later it says: "The children were sitting in a chair. This was lifted into the air by invisible hands, and then fell sharply. Chair flew on one hand and on the other child. Burner's mother had to suffer the same Hopefully, one day when he was about one of his children and did not feel the least bad, falling ... the children climbed trees like cats, and could hang delas smaller twigs without fear of breaking "(p. 83).

"Sometimes invisible hands tore the curtains of the windows, and they opened wide with lightning speed, but were firmly closed, and sometimes the evil lie down and dragged here and there in the room tables, chairs and other furniture: sometimes the whole house was shaken as by a violent earthquake "(pp. 84-85).

It is easy to imagine that news of such extraordinary and impressive facts are quickly disseminate everywhere and Illfurt acudiese to a growing number of spectators larger (cf. p. 21 and 22), which were then eliminated with serious purpose of a better life.

Interesting conversion Werner guardian, completely incredulous, and then made ​​an exact account of many events (cf. p. 19ff).