“This piece was adapted from a story in ”(Merry) Tales and Quick Answers”, (printed c. 1535) based on the notes I used in the competition,” reports Lady Judith. “The words may differ slightly from what I said in the video.”

The Resurrection of St. Robert

You have all heard of Saint Robert, how he defied his Baron…how he was martyred, how Lochleven mourned the loss of bacon–er, of HIM.

What you may not have heard was the tale of St. Robert’s resurrection. For, I tell you that he was Not dead as he did seem to be. When he was brought back home to lie in state, he remained lying down as if dead, to see what his wife would do (for she had not seen him die). When she entered the house, she had some bacon in hand, meaning to cook it over the fire. She saw her husband, lying as if dead, and stopped, unable to decide what to do, for she was very hungry. ”Call for help…cook the bacon….call for help…cook the bacon…” Finally she decided to cook the bacon and call for help after she had eaten. This she did, cooking the bbacon and eating her fill, until the saltiness of the bacon made her thirsty, then parched.

She began to cough, and choke, louder and louder. When other people from the household came to see what was happening, she quickly began instead to cry, and wail, and make great lamentation, crying, ”Oh, what shall I do?” Hearing this, her husband sat up, and said, ”Go quickly and drink, before your bacon chokes you!”

Photo by Lady Katherine O’Brien
Video by Lady Arlyana van Wyck