Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana - 01.06.2003, Qupperneq 166

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Michael Chesnutt
holy man innocently answered and said: “Brother, whence comes this question
and where is it leading? Who else does Denmark belong to than your father and
my uncle? So it is and so it shall be as long as it pleases Him by whose agency
all kings reign!” Then Magnus said: “Not so! All men follow you; you take our
land and people from us, and a division between us can be better made in this
way!” At these words the duke, like an innocent lamb led to the slaughter,
looked around him, saw the armed men, and said: “Brother, God the omniscient
knows that I have never said or performed anything that might prejudice you and
yours! Why then have you done this? Where is our pact, where is our trust,
where is our true brotherhood? Let Him judge between us who rewards all ac-
cording to their deserts.” At this point the saint tried to stand up, but the traitor
dishonourably pulled him back by the hood on his cape, drew his sword, and
split his head from the left ear to the right eye, thus impiously uncovering the
martyr’s brain. Then Henrik whom we mentioned earlier ran forward, making
himself a party to the slaying, and ran the innocent victim’s body through with
his spear. After that the other accomplices to this crime, keeping faith by faith-
lessness, stuck their spears in the duke’s sides. And thus by a glorious martyr-
dom the just man paid the due price of the flesh. So he suffered death, that pious,
upright, and innocent man, Duke Knud of Denmark, offspring of King Erik and
father of the venerable King Valdemar, on the seventh day before the Ides of
January [i.e. January 7], the day after Epiphany, a Wednesday in the eleven hun-
dred and thirtieth year after the incarnation of Our Lord [i.e. 1131], to whom be
honour and glory throughout endless ages! Amen.
Eighth respond (§ 2b:2:4:2). This fortunate one benefited from the changes
wrought by his father; the hiding-places of his enemies were closed up on every
side. * The duke bestows on Denmark timely laws.
Prudent in deed and honest in his words, he was truly pleasing to God and
gentie to men. * The duke bestows, etc.
Glory be to the Father, etc. * The duke bestows, etc.
Ninth lesson of the Passion (§ 2c:2:l:l). A reading from the Holy Gospel ac-
cording to John. In those days Jesus said to his disciples: “Truly, truly I say to
you, unless a grain of wheat falling on the ground shall die, it shall remain
alone.” And so forth.
Homily on this reading: He who knows the nature of all things shows us here
that from the weakness of mortal substance proceeds the grace of virtue, and that
the death of the seed causes the fertility of its fruit. The Gospel continues: “If the
grain dies it brings forth much fruit.” Mention is made here of a single grain, but
three are to be understood. The first is material, the second mystical, and the
third assuredly proceeds from merit. He who sows, waters, and gives increase to
these is God, who works all things in all men. Behold, when the sod is poured