A mysterious letter penned by a nun in the 17th century has finally been deciphered, shedding light on a captivating historical tale.
Back in 1676, Sister Maria Crocifissa della Concezione, a nun residing in the convent of Palma di Montechiaro in Sicily, found herself at the center of a bizarre incident. It was believed she was possessed by evil forces when she composed the letter. On the fateful day of August 11, Sister Maria was found lying on the stone floor of her chamber, ink smeared across her face, and gripping a letter composed of peculiar symbols and characters. Historical documents recount that Sister Maria claimed the letter was the work of the devil himself, trying to steer her away from her devotion to God and redirect her toward darkness.
For centuries, the cryptic 14-line letter mystified both scholars and historians. However, modern advancements have recently made remarkable progress in unraveling its meaning.
Daniele Abate, who serves as the director of Ludum, shared with Live Science, “Historical decoding requires understanding the individual behind the writing. We needed a comprehensive profile of this particular nun.”
Sister Maria devoted herself to a religious life at the tender age of 15, joining the Benedictine convent. Abate elaborated, “The letter appeared to be written in a form of shorthand. We theorized that Sister Maria invented a new lexicon using ancient alphabets she might have been familiar with.”
Utilizing software designed to analyze shorthand from various historical languages, researchers uncovered elements from venerable alphabets such as Greek, Latin, Runic, and Arabic within the letter. Abate noted, “By examining the repetition of syllables and symbols within the text, we identified patterns and formulated a refined decryption approach. Initially, we aimed to extrapolate a handful of meaningful words. Yet, it turned out that Sister Maria was quite proficient with languages, resulting in a much more extensive message than anticipated.”
Among the translated lines, the letter refers to the Holy Trinity as “dead weights” and states: “God believes he can liberate humans. No system benefits anyone. Perhaps now, Styx is assured.” Notably, in ancient Greek and Roman mythology, Styx is the mythological river marking the boundary between the abode of the living and the realm of the deceased.
Abate posits that the letter gives evidence of Sister Maria’s mental health struggles. He remarked, “The likeness of the devil is frequently found in such psychological conditions. Historical annals tell of her nightly battles, as she reportedly screamed and contested with the devil.”
