Kloster Lüne, Hs. 15, Lage 13, fol. 5r

Lateinisch und Niederdeutsch

Vgl. Briefe 146; 147; 148; 149; 155; 173; 183.

Die Absenderin dankt ihrer Tante von Herzen für alle erwiesene Wohltat, vor allem für die Geschenke und Briefe, die sie nach dem Fest St. Peter in Ketten (1. August) geschickt hatte. Sie sind ihr so lieb, als ob ihre leibliche Mutter sie geschickt hätte. Sie fragt nach, wie es der Empfängerin gesundheitlich geht, da das aus dem Trostbrief nicht hervorging. Sie könne das Schreiben nicht ohne Tränen lesen, wegen ihrer erkennbaren Fürsorge, aber auch, weil ihre Tante Elisabeth Viskule so lieb war. Sie vertraut auf die Gottesmutter, auch als Krankenpflegerin der Empfängerin. Sie bittet um Anteil an den Gebeten am Kirchweihtag und sendet mit Genehmigung der Priorin einen goldenen Vogel, drei zubereitete Birnen zur Stärkung des Herzens und Fußlappen, um die Winterkälte fernzuhalten.

The writer thanks her aunt, possibly Elisabeth Viskule, a nun of Ebstorf, from the bottom of her heart for all the kindness that she has shown her, above all for the presents and letters which she had sent her after the feast of St Peter’s Chains. The sender writes that these presents and letters are as dear to her as if they had been sent by her own late mother. However, she asks with concern about the state of her aunt’s health, as this was not clear from the letter that she had written. She refers to her aunt’s letter from before Easter in which she exhorts the sender to choose the Virgin Mary as her mother, which she cannot read without great emotion because of her aunt’s great kindness and her love for her aunt. The sender writes that she has put her trust in the Mother of God, praying that she will intercede for her aunt’s wellbeing. She asks for crumbs from her aunt’s prayers on the day of the dedication of the church, which alludes to the account of the Canaanite woman’s prayer for her daughter in Matthew 15. This request probably refers to the consecration ceremony for the church in the convent of Ebstorf, which may have been celebrated on the eve of the feast day of St Maurice, the patron saint of Ebstorf, on 22 September, just as it was celebrated in Lüne on the eve of the feast day of its own patron saint, St Bartholomew, on 23 August. This would fit in well with the date of the letter, but no evidence survives to suggest that this was definitely the case. The consecration ceremony is also alluded to in the salutation by references to Acts and Hebrews to present the new church as a prefiguration of the New Jerusalem in Heaven. With the permission of the prioress, she sends her aunt a golden bird, possibly a pastry; three ‘pira apothecalia’ to strengthen her heart; and footwraps to keep away the winter cold. The valediction of the letter contains a formulation commending the recipient to the protection of the Virgin Mary which is similar to that used in various blessings at the end of church services, asking Mary to preserve, protect, visit and defend the recipient everywhere she goes.