The Cockatrice
The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
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The Church Excommunicated the Living Dead
The mediaeval church had the power of god to excommunicate people. They could be beaten, robbed and even killed without moral or legal penalty. A swallow that took a shit in a cathedral was anathematized by bishop egbert of trier. According to legend, the offending bird dropped dead on the spot. In the early twelfth century, a swarm of flies took hold in the abbey church of fwenny until saint bernard of clairvaux excommunicated them.
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