ABSTRACT
On St. Stephen’s Day (26 December) 1503 a ghost appeared before three painters in Pilsen, Bohemia. Later that same day the ghost interrupted a priest right after his sermon and, without hesitation, declared, “I’m the soul of an old man with the name of Wenceslaus Haimblichen.” 1 After being asked if he needed any Masses said or alms given to ease his way out of purgatory, Wenceslaus proceeded to tell the assembled that on Christmas Day God gave purgatorial souls permission to return to earth to ask for help. He promised to return on the eve of the feast of the Three Kings (6 January), implying that he would then provide his audience with more specifics. He broke that vow, suggesting one reason he was in purgatory in the first place. Instead, he appeared on the feast day in the rooms of a young man from Schmichow who had somehow known to gather a group of fifteen people around him, including three priests. Although initially reluctant to speak before such a crowd, Wenceslaus bent to the priests’ will and described why Christ had permitted him to appear.
