argaret Peter 
2003 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance
The Crucifixion Of Margaret Peter
(Taken from "World Famous Cults and Fanatics" by Colin and Damon Wilson. Copyright Robinson Publishing 19921)
In the week after Easter, 1823, a horrible ceremony took place in a house in
Wildisbuch, on the German-Swiss border. A twenty-nine year old woman named
argaret Peter, who was regarded as a holy woman by her disciples, announced
that she had decided that she had to be crucified if Satan was to be
defeated. Her sister Elizabeth immediately begged to be allowed to take her
place. To show her sincerity, she picked up a mallet and struck herself on
the head with it. Margaret then shouted, "It has been revealed to me that
Elizabeth shall sacrifice herself!!" and she hit her sister on the head with
the hammer. Then the remaining ten people in the room - including
argaret's other brothers and sisters - proceeded to beat Elizabeth with
crowbars, hammers and wedges. "Don't worry", Margaret shouted, "I will
raise her from the dead!!" One tremendous blow finally shattered
Elizabeth's skull.
"Now I must die!!" Margaret told them. "You must crucify me!" Following
her sister's example, she picked up a hammer and hit herself on the head,
then ordered the others to make a cross out of loose floorboards. When it
was ready, she sent her sister Susanna downstairs to fetch nails. When
Susanna returned, Margaret was lying on the floor on the cross. "Nail me
to it!!", she ordered. "Don't be afraid. I will rise in three days." Two
followers obediently nailed her elbows to the cross. The sight of the blood
made them hesitate and one was sick. Margaret encouraged them, saying "I
feel no pain! Go on! Drive a nail through my heart!!" They drove nails
through both her breasts and a girl called Ursula tried to drive a knife
through her heart, but it bent on one of her ribs. Her brother Conrad,
unable to stand the sight any longer, picked up a hammer and smashed in her
skull.
The ten remaining disciples then went to eat their midday meal. They were
exhausted but had no doubt that Margaret and Elizabeth would be among them
again in three days time. The deaths had taken place on Saturday, that
meant Margaret and Elizabeth were due to arise on Tuesday....
...but as the disciples sat around the battered corpses on Tuesday morning,
no sign of life answered their prayers. Meanwhile, the local pastor, who
had heard about the "sacrifice" from another disciple, called in the police.
He had known about the deaths for two days, bet felt he had to give Margaret
time to make good her promise. The disciples were arrested and taken to
prison. They were tried in Zurich that December and were all sentenced to
varying prison terms.
Submitted on 05/31/2002
Submitted by:
Clayton Forno
Reference:
see story
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