THE SHROUD
by Bernardino de Senna Fernandes d’Assumpção
Edited extract from an unpublished book of anecdotes
The following is a well-known tale, probably told for generations among the Portuguese in Macau and Hongkong.
In the olden days a doctor’s certificate of death could not be completely relied upon; to ensure that no one was buried alive, the cadaver, wrapped in a shroud in its coffin, was usually taken to the cemetery’s chapel for burial the following day.
Such was the case when an avaricious old bachelor died without leaving a will. It was common knowledge in Macau that he had a hoard of gold hidden somewhere in his house. Anxious to search thoroughly for the gold, his relatives hurriedly removed the body to the cemetery’ chapel.
This old man must have died with his eyes open but his relatives, in their haste, had not, as was customary, placed copper coins on the eyelids to keep them closed.
On the afternoon of the death, five young good-for-nothing jokers bet one of their group that he would not dare to break into the chapel at midnight, open the coffin and steal this miser’s shroud. Never realising how dark, lonesome and eerie a cemetery could be at midnight, the young fool accepted the challenge.
From his father’s house he took a screw-driver and a hammer and went to meet his friends at the gate of the cemetery just before midnight as they had agreed.
It was not at all bad at first, surrounded by his comrades at the gate; there was a bit of light cast by the street’s kerosene lamps and the moon was also quite bright that night.
But when he had to leave his friends and walk towards the chapel, he must have felt his progress between the many tombs becoming longer and lonelier; yet his pride kept him going.
He found the chapel’s door unlocked as expected and on entering would have felt much more comfortable to discover two thick, lighted candles at the foot of the coffin.
The coffin had been nailed shut, so using his hammer and the screw-driver he pried open and removed the lid.
One can imagine his terror in finding the corpse glaring at him. Unfortunately for him, he had left the doors of the chapel fully opened; a gust of wind blew out both candles, leaving him in utter darkness.
It would seem that he had attempted to drag the sheet upwards with both hands, causing the body to roll over to one side of the coffin but no matter how hard he tried, in desperation, to retrieve the shroud, something resisted his efforts. He was so frightened that he dropped dead a few yards from the coffin.
When he failed to reappear, his waiting friends at first thought that he had returned home to hide, but they had not seen him coming out of the chapel and noticing that the candles had gone out, they decided to investigate.
They relit the candles and found their friend dead, with one end of the shroud grasped tightly in his hand, and the other end caught on some of the nails protruding from the sides of the coffin.
Those who later investigated this unusual death concluded that the shroud had been caught on the nails just by chance, but it was said that the other boys who took part in this escapade were convinced that it was the work of the old miser.
The greedy relatives never found more than a small bag of silver coins. Many were convinced that the gold was stolen by one of the servants.
O SUDÁRIO
por Bernardino de Senna Fernandes d’Assumpção
Excerto editado de um livro inédito de anedotas
O relato que se segue é uma história muito conhecida, provavelmente contada há gerações entre os portugueses de Macau e Hong Kong.
Antigamente, um atestado médico de óbito não podia ser passado fora do horário de expediente; assim, o corpo, envolto no sudário dentro do caixão, era geralmente levado para a capela do cemitério para aguardar inspeção na manhã seguinte.
Foi o que aconteceu quando um velho solteirão avarento morreu sem deixar testamento. Era do conhecimento público que guardava um pé‑de‑meia de ouro escondido em algum lugar da casa. Ansiosos por procurar a herança oculta, os parentes tiveram de esperar.
Dizem que o homem morreu com os olhos abertos; como a família era pobre e não podia pagar uma casa mortuária, colocaram moedas de cobre sobre as pálpebras para mantê‑las fechadas.
Na tarde do falecimento, cinco rapazes vadios combinaram uma façanha: ir à capela à meia‑noite, abrir o caixão e roubar o sudário do sovina.
Um deles, o mais afoito, levou de casa do pai uma chave de fendas e um martelo. Os outros esperariam junto ao portão do cemitério pouco antes da meia‑noite, como haviam combinado.
No princípio não foi nada mau; cercado pelos camaradas, tinha coragem. Ao longe tremeluziam lâmpadas de querosene e, naquela noite, a lua também brilhava bastante.
Mas quando teve de deixar os amigos e caminhar sozinho na direção da capela, o caminho pareceu‑lhe cada vez mais comprido e solitário; ainda assim, o orgulho o impeliu a seguir em frente.
Encontrou a porta da capela destrancada, como esperava, e, ao entrar, viu duas velas grossas acesas aos pés do caixão.
O caixão estava pregado; por isso, usando o martelo e a chave de fendas, ele forçou e retirou a tampa.
Imagine‑se o terror ao deparar com o cadáver a fitá‑lo, as pálpebras seguradas pelas moedas. Nesse instante, uma rajada de vento apagou as duas velas, deixando‑o na mais completa escuridão.
Ao que tudo indica, tentou puxar o pano para o cobrir de novo — ou arrancá‑lo como prova da sua ousadia — mas, por mais que se esforçasse, em desespero, não conseguiu desprendê‑lo.
Como ele não regressasse, os amigos que aguardavam à entrada hesitaram; por fim, ganharam coragem, aproximaram‑se da capela e, ao notar que as velas estavam apagadas, estremeceram.
Voltaram a acendê‑las e encontraram o companheiro morto, com a roupa presa num dos pregos que sobressaíam da lateral do caixão.
Os que depois investigaram essa morte insólita concluíram que, ao sentir a roupa puxada pelo prego, o rapaz julgou que o morto o agarrara; dominado pelo pavor, o coração falhou‑lhe. Não é de admirar que os outros rapazes, envolvidos na travessura, tenham ficado convencidos disso.
Os parentes gananciosos nunca encontraram mais do que um pequeno saco de moedas; estavam certos de que o ouro fora roubado por um dos criados.