The Name of the Rose

“Matins, in which a few hours of mystic happiness are interrupted but a most bloody occurrence”

During pre-dawn prayers, as Adso basks in “the warmth of renewed faith,” he wonders what secrets the abbey holds (114). His ruminations are interrupted by terrified yells and the arrival of three swineherds; more servants run in to report the discovery of a corpse. The dead monk is Venantius, the young scholar of Greek texts who had defended Adelmo the day prior. He has been found thrust, head first, into a vat of pig’s blood. The abbot beseeches William to solve these terrible mysteries, and William begins questioning people at once. He asks Abo if Berengar was at morning prayers, and from Abo’s reaction, it is evident he too shares this suspicion. They are joined by Severinus, who helps them examine the corpse. They confirm that Venatius was already dead before being stuck in the bloody barrel. Severinus departs to prepare for an autopsy, leaving William and Adso to discover tracks in the snow, deep tracks that are a sign of someone carrying something heavy, a body perhaps. William’s conclusion: “Venantius died in the Aedificium, and, most probably, the library” (120). During the autopsy, the men discuss poisons, but there are also many helpful herbs that, when misused, can cause death.