'MOUTHLESS Part I' by Dorota Gawęda and Eglė Kulbokaitė

CHARACTERS

[...]

HAUNTING - PART I

Azur Šabić as Ghost 2 (Barbli Bodmer of Wattenwyll) /struggles reading, she stumbles over words. Her reading is disjointed. It becomes increasingly desperate as the accusation progresses. The reading voice is of uneven  tone, always changing. Conveys madness and desperation read as if frantic, overwhelmed, strong acting/

Barbli vorgemeldt ermant, die warheit zu reden, hatt bekennt, sy habe vor dryen jahren gott verlöugnet im graben der Felgen schewr. Daselbst habe sy einn warmen lufft gespirt unndt sye in ein ohnmacht gefallen.Zuvor habe sy in einnem zorn geschworren. Volgendts, da sy von diser schwachheit unndt abgang ihrer kräfften ein klein uffkommen sye, habe sy ein erschröckenli che stim gehört unndt von fernuß ein schwarzlecht hündli gesehen, so da bellete. Item eine grossen langen man, der sy gefragt, waß sy daselbst thue. Diser man sye gestalttet gsyn, samb hette er altte, zerrißne kleider. Sy habe sich gesegnet unndt er sich darvon gemacht. Daruff sye sy heimb gezogen unndt kranck gelegen. Uff die artikel deß examens er forschet, hatt bekennt, sy habe dem schnydern Veillard öpffel gäben, die sy mitt grüner salb angestrichen. Welliche salb ihren der böß geist gäben, namblichen daß er sy uff einnen stein in ihrem hauß gethan unndt sy dieselb dry mal daselbst gefunden. Der böß geist habe zu ihren gsagt, sy solle sich derselben gebrauchen in ihrer notturfft. Sy habe den bösen geist 3 mal in gemeldtem graben antroffen, er habe sy by dem lingken or geküßt unndt sy ihn ouch, er hab sy under dem lingken knew gezeichnet mit einnem pfründli, er heiße Hänßli. In einnem kyb habe sy Carle nachpures haußfrouwen böse geister gäben in byren. Das zeichen habe sy mitt gesegnetem anken vertryben wöllen, es sye aber noch ein löchli überbliben. Dem Petern Veillard habe sy zwey schwyn mitt ange salbeten schnizen verderbt. Vor dryen jahren habe sy Stephan Gaudrons khindt angeblaset, so gestorben sye halb jahr darnach. Des Keßlers uffm Brauch haußfrouwn uß kyb in schnizen böse geister gäben. Gegen gedachts Gaudrons magd geblasen, daß sy darab kranck worden sye. Sy bekennt, sy habe Gaudrons khindt uffgeholffen, aber allein daß Ave Maria uff ihm gebetten unndt das krytz gemacht. Der böß geist habe ihren zwey mal verbotten, un ser lieben frouwen meldung zu thun unndt so gottsdächtig zu syn. Sy habe Schufflers khindt kranck gemacht mitt eichlen, die sy zu vor im mundt gehabt. Der böß geist habe ihren bevolchen, böses zu thun. Sy habe mitt einnem stecken klein gutt verderbt, deren daß ein ihr, die andern Veillards waren. Sy habe gegen Tullins khindt, so gestorben ist, geblasen unndt ihn by der handt erwütscht. Wie ouch ein anders, so an dem arm erlamt ist. Sy habe m Wolffen bym Bernthor houßfrouwen dirre biren schnitz, brott, ziger gäben, darin sy züg gethan wie neßelsamen. Sy vermeinne, gedachte frow werde ihrem khindt ouch darvon gäben haben. Sy habe der grossen Clauda böse gei ster gäben in wasser, daß sy ihren zu trinken gab. Angedüttnen samen habe sy daheimb gefunden. Da sy den leutten böse geister gäben, habe sy sy angeblasen. Sy habe dem bösen geist gesagt, sy wölle ihr läben lang syn syn. Sy habe die bösen geister, idie sy den lütten gäben, hinder dem offen gfunden in einnem brieffli. Sy habe zwey mal mitt dem bösen geist unzucht getribenohne wollustj, er habe kaltte knew, ein kaltte rutten und fieß gehabt wie ein roß. Er habe sy zu dem end nider gefelt. Sy sye mitt ihrem meister in gedachts Veillards hauß by nächtlicher wyl gangen, er hab sy darinn getragen.Sy habe Petern zum Waldts haußfrouwen ein halben bazen umb bott lohn gäben, so mitt grüner salb angstrichen war. Erfragt, ob sy nitt des würts zu Tavers magd nammens Tichtli ein wehtumb angethan habe. Hatt zum bscheidt gäben nein. Einne, so man Tacconnary heißt, habe daß zugefügt, wie dan ihren gedachte Tichtli dasselbig an gezeigt. Bittet umb gnad.

ON SCREEN TEXT:

The Salem trials were also explained by the local authorities on this ground, with the argument that the New Englanders had settled in the land of the devil. As Cotton Mather wrote, years later, recalling the events in Salem:

as conversed with the demons.

ON SCREEN TEXT:

It is significant, in this context, that the Salem trials were sparked by the divinations of a West Indian slave - Tituba - who was among the first to be arrested, and that the last execution of a witch, in an English-speaking territory, was that of a black slave, Sarah Bassett, killed in Bermuda in 1730. By the 18th century, in fact, the witch was becoming an African practitioner of obeah, a ritual that the planters feared and demonized as an incitement to rebellion.

Leila Hassan as Amadeus Vogelsang as Ghost 1 (Puszcza)  /  reads in whisper, menacing /

Virski drebule tu, 

visais lapais drebėk. 

Paukštis joks nenutūps, 

prie tavęs nečiulbės.  

Jums nelemta sūnai, 

augt berneliais dailiais. 

Jus užkeikiu nūnai- 

virskit medžiais žaliais. 

Ir vienodai tamsi, 

vasarėlė, žiema,

mėlynam liūdesy, 

rymosiu laukdama.

 / pause/

And when the ax came into the forest, the trees said: the handle is one of us.

Niklas Draeger as Julia Moritz as Ghost 3 (Catherine Quicquat, of Vevey)  / reads in whisper, mysteriously, disjointed, slowly but with conviction with pauses/

In response to the frightening traumatic fragmentation of the coherent self, the idea of trauma provides explanatory narratives that, by offering one telling of how the subject achieved its ruination, support fantasies of an original time before the fall..  

Leila Hassan as Amadeus Vogelsang as Ghost 1 (Puszcza)   / reads in whisper, mysteriously, disjointed, slowly, with pauses, gradually growing and declining intensity/

Whereas the medieval economy had been based on organic and renewable energy sources—wood, water, and wind—the emerging capitalist economy taking shape over most of western Europe was based not only on the nonrenewable energy source—coal—but on an inorganic economic core—metals: iron, copper, silver, gold, tin, and mercury—the refining and processing of which ultimately depended on and further depleted the forests. Over the course of the sixteenth century, mining operations quadrupled as the trading of metals expanded. Large commercial banking organizations such as the Fugger Company of Augsburg owned and operated silver mines in Tyrol, gold mines in Silesia, mercury in Spain, copper in Hungary. The Fuggers had twenty-five different offices and made profits of up to 50 per cent on their investments, ten times greater than the Medicis, who in 1460, just a century before, had operated eight offices. The commercial bankers represented a high degree of capitalist organization and were extremely powerful. But, based on the mining industry, they ultimately depended on the forests for charcoal used in the smelting of ores. The metallurgical industries, which processed iron, lead, tin, and copper required enormous stretches of timber just to make one ton of charcoal. The prevalence of trees and wood influenced the location of the smelting and refining operations; it was cheaper to move the ore to the forest than vice versa. 

An integral part of the colonization process entailed the campaign waged by the Church to destroy indigenous religion. Although the clerics who accompanied the first conquistadors and administrators might have engaged in disputes over the nature of the indigenous soul, and over the theological justification of conquest, almost all agreed that the devil was flourishing in the Andes. How else to explain the devotion displayed by these people toward the hills, trees, stones, the sun, the moon, rivers and springs.

Philippe Descola writes that among the Achuar, a population living in the upper part of Amazonia, "the necessary condition for effective gardening depends on direct, harmonious, and constant conunerce with Nunkui, the tutelary spirit of gardens". This is what every woman does by singing secret songs "from the heart" and magical incantations to the plants and herbs in her garden, urging them to grow.

HAUNTING - PART II
 

Niklas Draeger as Julia Moritz as Ghost 3 (Catherine Quicquat, of Vevey)  / reads starting in whisper, mysteriously, disjointed, slowly, with pauses, voice breaking at times, desperate, growing derangement, strong acting /

The figures, who ought to appear one in front of the other, are piled up on top of each other, and the tapestry weaver’s horror vacui, the compulsion to fill every inch of the surface, destroys the ambient atmospheric space by crowding it with foliage and animals of every kind. Monkeys, slags, deer, pheasants, rabbits, even beasts of prey.

Côno Godin, suicide, burned body,  Katharina, wife of Jean Coppelin, seigneury of Aigremont (Val d'Ormont), burned, Sůmy, von Rechthalten, Burned, Greda Büsen, Magd von Sůmy, from Rechthalten, burned, Itha Stucki, from Äschlenberg, burned, Peter Stucki (Sohn), from Äschlenberg, Anguilla Hortschina, Alix Buchser, burned, Antonia du Cloz, from Cugy, burned, Johanneta, widow of Etienne Lasne, burned, Gredi Collerey, former vagabond, from Avry-devant-Pont, "sentenced to be burned", Woman from Bendicht Spack, Büchslen, performed, Elsi Cochat, of Saint-Aubin, banned, Huguette Osalet, from Orbe, banned for life, Jean-François Borgognon, of Vesin, beheaded, Marguerite Grimaux, from Echarlens, burned alive, Jaquema Grimaux (daughter), from Echarlens, beheaded "at a young age", Jacques Grimaux (son), from Echarlens, released, François Sautier, decapitated, burned, Jenon Bardet, beheaded, burned, Suzanne Monnin, banned, Jean du Praz, old Catholic man, Bottens, decapitated, Jean Germond, from La Tour-de-Trême, sliced ​​head, the body thrown into the flames……..

—a lion, a wolf, a leopard—

have gathered in the woods for purely decorative purposes. Indeed, the intensity of the scene is overwhelming, with humans, animals, and plants embedded in a highly processed forest environment. 

Leila Hassan as Ghost  5 (Tituba) / reads in whisper, reads knowingly, confidently, strong/

We look back, we go behind; we conjure what is missing from the face. This backward glance is also an openness to the future, as the imperfect translation of what is behind us. Lines accumulate through repeated gestures, the lines that gather on skin, already take surprising forms.

The living dead, the dead living, the decaying living, those living slow deaths.

  

/pause/

Leila Hassan as Ghost  5 (Tituba) / reads in whisper, reads knowingly, confidently, strong/

Once or twice while wandering through the forest I met some of the villagers bending awkwardly over herbs and plants, their deceitful faces revealing the schemes in their hearts. I got great amusement from this. The art of doing evil is a complex one. If it is based on the knowledge of plants, this must be combined with the power to act on the unseen forces, which are rebellious by nature, transient as air, and need to be invoked.

/pause/

Leila Hassan as Ghost 1 (Puszcza)  / reads in whisper, mysteriously, disjointed, slowly, with pauses. Premonitious. /

Emotion seemed to attach itself more particularly to the bushes, to these lengths and lengths of trees, crowding, so thickly growing there, swarming everywhere the eye could reach, pressing upon the river as though to suffocate it, standing in dense array, width after width beneath the sky, watching, waiting, listening.

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Fribourg State Archival material; 

Mariola mirologi; 

The Woodcutter and the Trees by Aesop.

Museum Murten, CH, research;  

Paranoid Reading and Reparative Reading, or, You’re So Paranoid, You Probably Think This Essay Is About You by Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick.