BRUGES

When they brought the good news from Aix to Ghent
We Ghent folks shook our heads. "This news is too good;
There is no market for it here. Carry it to Bruges
Which is so ghost-ridden one must push them aside
Simply to order some cheese, some beer, some bread;
The dead are always looking for good news and will pay
In sound currency. Do not, though, bite their gold coins
To test their soundness; they may bite back.”

Bishops

I have read that in 804, while Charlemagne was consecrating a church in Aix-la-Chapelle, 363 bishops were participating in the ceremonies. It seemed such a shame to not have a bishop for every day of the year that two dead bishops who were buried near by leapt from their graves to participate. Unfortunately, this is all I have learned of the story, so I don’t know what happened next. I have a sense that bishops are generally urbane men, so it may be that they calmly welcomed their dead brethren and preceded with the ceremony. On the other hand, it strikes me as possible that a general cry  was heard of “Ack! Dead bishops!” followed by a panic-stricken exodus from the church.