[Re:Zero] What is the Gospel? Why do Roswaal and Beatrice have the Gospel?

oyuchan

What is the book Petelguese holding dearly?

It is called a Gospel. Every witch-cult member has it in Re:Zero.

tsukachan

oyuchan

I am confused. Why do Roswaal and Beatrice have the Gospel? Are they members of the witch-cult?

They are not members of the witch cult. And what they have is not technically Gospel, it is a Book of Wisdom.

tsukachan

[Re:Zero] What is a Gospel?

A Gospel is a book in which the future is written. To be more precise, the Gospels are imitations of the Book of Wisdom. The Book of Wisdom is the book written by the witch Echidna, the Witch of Greed. It describes the future.

Petelgeuse said:

The events that could happen are written in the gospel.

Witch Cult acts according to what is written in the gospels. Petelgeuse also referred to the Gospels as a sign of [favor] from the witch. This is because the Gospels are sent out of the blue to those who are entering the Witch Cult and those who have them think they are chosen by the witch. Furthermore, the horrible thing about this gospel is that the moment when it arrives, the receiver becomes a member of the Witch Cult.

[Re:Zero] What is the difference between the Gospel and the Book of Wisdom?

The Gospels which Roswaal and Beatrice have are created based on the Book of Wisdom. However, the Gospels held by the Witch Cult followers are not created by Echidna, but by someone else, who has copied the real Book of Wisdom. There are only two Gospels in the world that were created by Echidna.

The goal of the Witch Cult is the resurrection of Satella the Envy Witch, not the resurrection of Echidna. Therefore, the two Gospels which Echidna made and the Gospels of the Witch Cult’s could be considered different, even if they are called the same, the Gospel. The owners of these two gospels that made by Echidna are Beatrice and Roswaal.

[Re:Zero] Why Beatrice has the Gospel?

Beatrice is in charge of the Forbidden Library at the Roswaal Mansion. Her identity is revealed as an artificial spirit in the fourth chapter of the novel.

The forbidden library that Beatrice maintained is the Library of Echidna's knowledge, and Echidna has given Beatrice the role of guarding the library. However, that role was ambiguous: to guard the library until 'the one' appears. Beatrice had the very sad circumstance that she had been fulfilling the role given to her by Echidna for 400 years. Also, sadly, Beatrice's Gospel has lost its future due to a long time of 400 years. But she has kept the Gospel given to her by Echidna to this day.

[Re:Zero] Why Roswaal has the Gospel?

Like Beatrice, Roswaal also has a gospel book, a book of Wisdom, that was created by Echidna.

The reason has to do with a story from 400 years ago. First of all, the name Roswaal has been passed down from generation to generation, and he has passed on his spirit as well as his name to his descendants. So the spirit of Roswaal is the same as it was 400 years ago, only the physical body has changed. Four hundred years ago, Roswaal was taught magic by Echidna and was an apprentice of Echidna.

Roswaal is using the Gospel given by Echidna to resurrect her. What had Roswaal done behind the scenes? Check following post.

Conclusion

tsukachan

I was very shocked that Beatrice and Roswaal have the Gospels. I first thought that Beatrice and Roswaal might be members of the Witch Cult. But, Beatrice and Roswaal are not Witch cult’s members. However, when I learnt of the circumstances of their possession of the Gospels, it is clear that their love for Echidna is very deep.

tsukachan

Roswaal's actions were a mystery to me, but I found out that he was only acting to meet Echidna again. I think it would be interesting to rewatch the anime again with that in mind. Beatrice is usually very moody, however, I think it's really adorable how she kept her promise to Echidna. We'll find out more mysteries other than the Gospels in the future anime, so I'm looking forward to it.