#buttering

Among the most ubiquitous preoccupations of medieval literature is an insistent concern to detail the activities of the devil. In popular and theological belief alike, demons were everywhere ready to pounce upon the souls and bodies of the unwary, to deceive and trick even the most saintly. (Jennings 1977.)

⛪️The Espoo Cathedral is the oldest existing building in City of Espoo, Finland. The Espoo Cathedral is a medieval grey granite church at the shore of Espoo river. It has been been around for more than 500 years.

The church's oldest parts date back to the 1480s. The architect was an unknown "Espoo master". Together with the 🇫🇮Hattula and Lohja churches, the Espoo church is a significant monument of medieval murals.

😈As a warning to the people, the wall mural depicts the works of the devil and witches, e.g. churning butter (buttering the butter) with the help of demonic familiars or minor demons (Para or Piru in 🇫🇮).

😈Tutvillus (Titivillus or Tutivillus) : was a demon said to work on behalf of Belphegor, Lucifer or Satan to introduce errors into the work of scribes. However in Finland (Sweden-Finland) the demon had unique features.

“Certain people, however, think idle things during sermons and speak idle words in church when they should be putting their hearts to those things being said. Wherefore at a great solemnity, when a certain holy priest saw a devil stretching parchment with his teeth, he demanded of him why he was doing so. To whom the devil answered: "I am writing down the idle words said in this church which because of the solemn feast today have been remarkably increased, and seeing that the piece which I brought was not sufficient, I have attempted to stretch that parchment with my teeth. (Jennings 1977.)”

🇫🇮Finnish version continues: Laughing in church was forbidden. It happened that the parchment was already completely full when the churchman entered. The demon wanted this name on paper and began to stretch the cow skin parchment. However, it lost its balance and fell to the floor of the church. The churchman laughed at this, and the demon finally got his name on the list of sinners.🙂

Sko-Ella (Shoe Ella) is the titular protagonist villain of Scandinavian folk tale, who is known as the woman who terrified even the devil.

🗻Blockula (Blåkulla in modern Swedish, translated to "Blue Hill") was a legendary island where the Devil held his Earthly court during a witches' Sabbath.

Most helpful Sources:

Fält, K. (2017). Women and Demons in the Late Medieval Wall Paintings in the Church of Espoo (Finland). Mirator, 18 (1).

Tutivillus: The Literary Career of the Recording Demon

Author: Margaret Jennings

Source: Studies in Philology, Vol. 74, No. 5, Texts and Studies, 1977. Tutivillus: The Literary Career of the Recording Demon (Dec., 1977), pp. 1-83+85-87+89-91+93+95 Published by: University of North Carolina Press.

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