‘Devil Letter’ Written By Possessed Nun in 1676 Finally Translated

Religion is a complex topic with varying beliefs, including those regarding a person who is seemingly possessed by an evil spirit or entity. It’s a popular subject in horror movies and books, and each culture has unique ideas. However, they’re mostly considered made-up stories and superstitions, except in the case of a 17th-century nun, who was thought to have been plagued by something evil, and it took historians centuries to make sense of the events.

A Sinister Encounter

Movies in which a subject becomes possessed are among the most popular for horror lovers. Although there are numerous reasons for the thrill, one of the most prominent is likely uncertainty. Most people struggle to grasp that someone could be possessed in real life, yet that doesn’t make them any less terrifying. When Sister Maria Crocifissa della Concezione was 31, she evidently became possessed by something dark and sinister, living a real-life horror movie. A movie in which she claimed the devil had written her a note.

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Mysterious Events

Born Isabella Tomasi, she became a nun at 15, changing her name and devoting her life to religious studies. She was living at the Benedictine Convent in Palma di Montechiaro, Sicily. However, 16 years later, on Aug. 11, 1676, she was found on the floor of her room. Furthermore, she was covered in ink after writing a letter, shrouded in mysterious symbols and letters. The letter is just 14 lines, but those 14 lines would confuse and perplex scholars for centuries. Fortunately, researchers made some headway in 2017, using new software to decipher what they believe to have been the true story.

Purportedly, the letter had been written by the devil. He possessed her, attempting to get her to turn her back on God, and choose a life of evil. Nonetheless, this discovery left researchers with another missing puzzle piece. They were uncertain of who Sister Maria was, or her mental state. According to a researcher and Director at Ludum, Daniele Abate, there was a need to understand “the psychological profile of the writer.” Abate further explained: “The letter appeared as if it was written in shorthand. We speculated that Sister Maria created a new vocabulary using ancient alphabets that she may have known.”

Testing a Theory

Researchers tested this theory by running software that contained standard shorthand symbols from numerous languages. The results reflected multiple alphabets had been used to pen the possessed nun’s letter. Arabic, Latin, Greek, and Runic all matched the text in the letter. “We analyzed how the syllables and graphisms [or thoughts depicted as symbols] repeated in the letter in order to locate vowels, and we ended up with a refined decryption algorithm,” Abate said.

Possessed or Poor Mental Health

Abate noted Sister Maria had a “good command of languages,” explaining the “message was more complex than [the team] expected.” However, researchers believe the nun may have had schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, based on the evidence. “The image of the devil is often present in these disorders. We learned from historical records that every night she screamed and fought against the devil,” Abate shared.

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Deeming the Woman Possessed

Abbess Maria Serafica, a woman who’d regularly encountered the possessed nun, wrote an account for the church sharing shortly after the incident. The Abbess shared how Sister Maria struggled against “innumerable evil spirits,” and was “forced to sign the letter.” Scientists have further concluded that the letter made little sense, merely compiling a list of insults to God and religion.

Deciphering the Possessed Letter

Some lines that have been deciphered include:

• Initially, the letter references the Holy Trinity as “dead weights”
• Then it states: “God thinks he can free mortals”
• And: “The system works for on one”
• Lastly, “Perhaps now, Styx is certain“

For reference, Styx is a river of the underworld in Greek Mythology. It separates the borders of the underworld from the living world. Additionally, souls are “ferried” across the river and Hades requires payment for the souls to enter the underworld. However, without payment, a soul is set to drift along the shore for a century.

Science Clears up the Confusion

Although these are chilling statements that seemingly leave people believing in the possibility that the nun was indeed possessed, science has been a voice of reason. Science has proposed a more logical and likely cause of the nun’s sinister letter.

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