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Chronicon Terrae Prussiae (Chronicle of the Prussian Land)/Book 4 · Tercia pars: De bellis fratrum domus Theutonice contra Pruthenos
Chapter 9ChrP.4.9

12De edificacione ccistri de Redino et visione mirabili cujusdam fratris ibidem.

The Founding of Redino Castle

In 1234, Brother Hermann builds the castle at Redino between Pomesania and Kulm after driving out the Prussians.

In the year of the Lord 1234, Brother Hermann, the master—with the Prussians already driven out, born from the land of Kulm—gathered an army of brothers and armed men and built a castle at Redino before the wilderness, which lay between the land of Pomesania and Kulm, in that place where there had been continuous assault by the Prussians and access to the land of Kulm.

A Brother Deceived by the Devil

A brother at Redino, deceived by the devil, believes he cannot save his soul in the Teutonic Order and desires to enter a stricter religious life.

In this castle there was a certain brother who, deceived by the devil's deceit, truly believed that in the order of the Teutonic house he could not save his own soul, intending in his own mind that he wanted to enter a stricter order.

The Vision of the Holy Founders

In a dream the brother sees Saints Bernard, Dominic, Francis, and Augustine with their brothers, but each order refuses to receive him.

When this had happened, he saw in a dream blessed Bernard, Dominic, Francis, and Augustine with their own brothers going before him, whom he asked with tears and begged to receive him as a fellow brother, but they each refused.

Mary and the Wounded Brothers of the Teutonic House

The Blessed Virgin Mary appears with Teutonic brothers, rebukes the brother for thinking his order too lax, and reveals the martyr-wounds of those who died for Christ.

At last the blessed Virgin Mary came with many brothers of the Teutonic house, whom he began to humbly implore, asking that she would at least allow him to remain in the fellowship of their brothers. To whom the blessed Virgin said: 'It is not expedient, because it seems to you that your order is so lax that there is nothing in it by which you can suffer according to your desire.' And lifting the cloaks of each of the brothers, she showed the wounds and blows by which they had been killed by unbelievers for the defense of the faith, and she said: 'Does it seem to you that these your brothers have suffered something for the name of Jesus Christ?'

The Vision Ends and the Brother's Public Confession

The vision vanishes; the brother awakens, retracts his rash desire before the chapter, and publicly shares what he has seen.

And with this said, the vision vanished. And that brother, awakening and returning to himself, proceeded to the chapter house where the brothers had gathered, and what he had earlier rashly revealed about his own intention to them, he now humbly retracted—like a wise and experienced man—as if it were erroneous, and made public the vision he had seen to all.

The Brother's Martyrdom

The brother perseveres in God's service and is soon after killed by unbelievers.

This brother, persevering in the service of God, was not long afterward killed by unbelievers.

Read the original Latin

Anno domini mccxxxiiii frater Hermannus magister, Pruthenis jam elimi- <r natis a terra Colmensi, congregato exercitu fratrum et armigerorum edificavit castrum de Redino ante solitudinem, que fuit inter terram Pomesanie et Co]- mensem, in illo loco, ubi continuus insultus fuerat Pruthenorum, et introitus ad terram Colmensem. In hoc Castro fuit quidam frater, qui illusus fraude dyaboli estimabat veraciter, quod in orcline domus Theutonice non posset animam suam salvare, proponens in animo suo, quod vellet ingredi ordinem strictiorem. Quo facto, vidit in somnis beatos Bernardum, Dominicum, Franciscum, Augustinum, cum suis fratribus precedere, quos cum lacrimis rogans petivit, ut eum in confratrem assumerent, at illi singuli denegabant. Postremoa venit beata virgo Maria cum fratribus domus Theutonice pluribus, quam ipse cepit humiliter implorare, rogans, ut eum saltem in consorcio fratrum suorum permitteret remanere. Cui virgo beata: non expedit, quia tibi videtur, quod ordo tuus sit adeo laxus, quod nihil sit in eo, in quo secundum desiderium tuum possisb pati. Et elevans singulorumc fratrum palia, ostendit vulnera et plagas, quibus fuerant ab infidelibus interfecti pro defensione fidei, et ait: num videtur tibi, quod isti fratres tui sint aliquid passi pro nomine Jesud Christi? Et hoc dicto disparuit visio. Et ille frater evigilans reversus ad se, processit ad capitulum, ubi fratres fuerant congregati, et quod prius temere de proposito suo illis denudavit, hoc modo tanquam sapiens et expertus humiliter revocans tanquam erroneum, visionem, quam viderat, omnibus publicavit.

Qui frater in dei servicio perseverans non longe postea ab infidelibus est occisus.

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