relics-msg - 10/26/19

Use of religious relics in period.

NOTE: See also the files: religion-msg, icons-msg, Icons-art, Relics-fr-all-art,  pilgrimages-msg, rosaries-msg, crusades-msg, brass-rub-msg, heretics-msg.

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From: cozzlab at garnet.berkeley.edu ()
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Relics
Date: 11 Oct 1993 15:49:06 GMT
Organization: University of California, Berkeley

Carol Pinchefsky <pinchefs at castor.hahnemann.edu> wrote:
>More importantly, I'm looking for information on the minor wars, 
>major squabbles, thievery, quests and pilgrimages caused by and
>pertaining to Said Religious Bits. 

There's a fine book, recently out, on the subject.  The title is
_Furta Sacra_ (=Stolen Holy Bits).  Consult your library.

Dorothea of Caer-Myrddin
Dorothy Heydt


From: sclark at epas.utoronto.ca (Susan Clark)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Relics
Date: 11 Oct 1993 14:45:02 -0400
Organization: EPAS Computing Facility, University of Toronto

	I have a nifty coffee-table book with lots of illustrations
of reliquaries:  _Highways of the Faith:  Relics and Reliquaries
from Jerusalem to Compostela_, by M.M. Gauthier.
You should find it useful.

	But when studying relics, mi'lady, remember of corse, that the test
of a true relic is its ability to perform miracles, not whether it is
indeed "genuine". (by our standards, that is)  Each of the churches
which claimed to have the head of John the Baptist
could also claim that it had healed many folk and offered its
church protection, etc.  To the medieval person interested in
acquiring a relic of their own, the question was not
so much "is it real", but "what miracles has it performed"?

Nicolaa/Susan
sclark at epas.utoronto.ca


From: meg at tinhat.stonemarche.org (meg)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: relics
Date: Sat, 05 Mar 94 11:16:09 EST
Organization: Stonemarche Network Co-op

Viking daggers evolved into reliquaries? Interesting.
There are 3 kinds of relics.
Relics of the First Degree: an actual bodily remain of a cannonized saint
Relic of the Second Degree: an object owned by or touched by an actual 
                            cannonized saint.
Relic of the Third Degree: a fabricated facsimile of either of the above, 
                           ostensibly created for the purpose of 
                           inspiring devotion.

Needless to say, Relics of the first degree are rather rare. They must be 
flawlessly documented as to content and provenance,and must be 
authenticated by the Vatican. St. Timothy's big toe is an example of a 
relic of the First Degree. (it resided in the altar of St. Charles 
Church, Staten Island, NY) A consecrated altar in a consecrated church 
must contain a relic.

Relics of the Second Degree are more common, and were bestowed upon 
nobility as rewards for acts of piety. (such as granting lands for a 
monastary or hospital, etc). Ornate reliquaries were commissioned for 
their safekeeping. Like relics of the first degree, miracles were often 
attributed to these items.  They were occasionally displayed publically 
during Holy Days. Also, like relics of the First Degree, the pious made 
pilgrimages to view them. Such a pilgimage was sometimes ordered as 
penance. 

By far the most common were the Relics of the Third Degree, Pardoners 
frequently offered these for sale along with absolutions and prayers for 
indulgences. In this category are the multitudinous "Pieces of the True 
Cross", vials of "Mary's Milk" and  Christ's umbilical cord, nails from 
the crucifixion, Veronica's Veils, shreds of the shroud, etc.  The 
medieval purchaser of such objects had no illusions as to their 
origins...they knew full well that they were not the *real thing*, but 
they hoped that some of the benificence attached to the real objects 
would somehow rub off on their own. Miraculous occurances could elevate 
the status of a relic. (as well as the status of the owner!)

The market for relics being what it was, it was always possible to find a 
genuine relic amoung the copies, so it made it a worthwile risk to invest 
in one, especially from a promising source.  Returning crusaders turned a 
hefty profit in relics "brought back from the Holy Land". Unscrupulous 
people were not above faking miracles to substantiate a relic's effacacy.

While it is possible that the desire for relics as talismans could have 
evolved from Viking practices in certain places. it did predate the 
Viking incursions in the Mediterranean.  I think this practice was (is) 
simply a universal human trait...owning a piece of a celebrity will 
enable some of their greatness to rub off on the possessor. Autographs 
and Hollywood memorabilia come to mind as modern counterparts to this 
practice. And those who cannot afford the real thing have photographs or 
models of the real thing to show their loyalty. (Models of the Enterprise 
and trading cards, for example)

This is a fascinating subject, is it not?

Here's a question...what saint or holy person does your persona venerate, 
if any?  Do you possess a relic of that person? 

This incursion into matters ecclesiastical was brought to you by:

Megan
== 
In 1994: Linda Anfuso
In the Current Middle Ages: Megan ni Laine de Belle Rive  
In the SCA, Inc: sustaining member # 33644

                                YYY     YYY
meg at tinhat.stonemarche.org   |  YYYYY  |
                                |____n____| 


From: DDF2 at cornell.edu (David Friedman)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: relics
Date: 11 Mar 1994 04:00:27 GMT
Organization: Cornell Law School

> A joke oft told by Duke Cariadoc: 
> Q: What became of the Cedars of Lebanon?
> 
> A: Every Crusader came home with a piece of the True Cross.
> 
> Mikjal Annarbjorn

Close:

Q: Why are the hills of Lebanon bare?
A: Because every Frank in Frangistan has a splinter of the true cross.

Note that it is both a Frank joke and a Lebanese joke.
-- 
David/Cariadoc
DDF2 at Cornell.Edu


Date: Sun, 20 Jun 1999 14:48:15 -0500
From: Roberta R Comstock <froggestow at juno.com>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: pavilion exhibits ...

Oh, yes!  Orianna and I had a similar experience when we saw the
"Treasures of San Marco" (or as we called it, the "Loot from
Constantinople") exhibit at the Met in NYC.  We were remarking on how
some of the objects had evolved over centuries, such as beginning with a
Roman carved stone bowl that had been rimmed in silver by a later owner,
then put on a silver pedestal a century later, with bands of enameled
medallions and semi-precious stones added at an even later date, etc.
Many of the reliquaries showed similar succession in the addition of
further ornamentation over long periods of time.  You can watch the
stylistic developments and become adept at dating the separate elements
in chronological order if you pay close attention.

Hertha


Date: Wed, 21 Jul 1999 09:04:46 -0400
From: "Gray, Heather" <Heather at Quodata.Com>
To: "'sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu'" <sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu>
Subject: RE: Glass and Such - longish

Caro said:
Oh, yeah...while I think of it, I noticed that there are *many*
reliquaries mentioned in period.  What else was kept in them, besides
anything they could get from a saint?  Were there other uses I'm missing?

I'm looking at duplicating a reliquary, but I don't know what medium yet
 - any suggestions?  Pottery, wood, and glass are my top three, and of
course I'll smother it in gems!  Any suggestions on shape, or should I go
with a simple box for a first attempt?
--------------

I'm not an expert, but my understanding of reliquaries was that they were
only for saint's stuff.  While there's the usual hair and other body bits,
in St. Francis of Assisi's case there was cloth from his habit (Francis was
buried intact). The shape and type of reliquery would generally be
determined by time/place of creation, what it's holding, and who it's for.
For instance, the reliquery would be pretty small if it's for personal use
of someone who's traveling or who got it on pilgrimage.  The Cloisters in
NY has a few examples of these, and also the exhibit of St. Francis of
Assisi at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (which ended in June, but you can
probably still get a book on the exhibit).  There were 2 long rectangular
boxes that were supposed to hold St. Francis' sandles. I think the boxes
were made of wood, but I'm not positive, and they were painted a bit,
including some coats of arms (patrons who donated the boxes?). Many of the
reliqueries were gold, a few were silver, many of them with glass as a
component.  The personal ones that I saw were done as diptychs or triptychs,
with some little pieces of flat glass (clear glass) so that you could see
the relics.  Some were cylindrical (say 3 - 5 inches in diameter, and 6-8
inches in height -- very approximate), with a small cylinder of glass in
them (also clear glass), which the relic was in. A number of these had
pedestals of the same metal attached, but if you read the little plaques
that went with them, some of these were added at a later date (so like the
upper part might be 14th c. and the lower part might be 15th c.).  At the
Cloisters in NY there was one that I think was enameled metal (it's been a
few years), that was shaped like a foot.  You can't see inside this one, but
the shape tells you what's inside.  If you can't make it to a museum that
has these and want more descriptions, I'm sure there are books out on this
stuff.  Try looking for Metropolitan Museum of Art Exhibition books, among
others. Also, for written descriptions, check out a wild read, the bio on
Margery Kempe, _The Memoirs of a Medieval Woman: The Life and Times of
Margery Kempe_.   If you go to the part of the book where she's in Italy,
the book takes a little detour to talk about the times and the area,
including stuff from a book written by a German fellow during that time.
Unfortunately I've forgotten his name, but this man wrote a book of where
all these different reliqueries were, what they were, and how they were
displayed (sort of a pilgrimage tour book), and you should be able to get
the name of his book from there.  I only remember a couple of those off the
top of my head, one of which may be too gruesome for this list, so I
recommend getting the book from the library.

One of the more common items for a traveler to have would be a small bottle
(I forget if it would more likely be glass or ceramic, but I would think
glass would be better, for seeing what's inside...), which would have holy
water from Rome or Jerusalem, or from a cave that's mentioned in one of the
history books I read ages ago. This cave 'wept' a whitish fluid which was
claimed to be a symbol of Mary's milk, and was put in little bottles for
pilgrims.  If I can find the reference I will, but I'm not sure where to
look at this point (this is a recollection from about 10 years ago, and far
from my current interests, I'm afraid).

Elwynne


Date: Wed, 21 Jul 1999 08:45:47 -0500 (CDT)
From: "Pixel, Queen of Cats" <pixel at hundred-acre-wood.com>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Reliquaries (was Re: Glass and Such)

While researching for another overly large but spiffy project, I
discovered a mention of books being considered relics--the bible that St.
So-and-so owned, the copy of the Gospels transcribed by St. Thus-and-so,
etc.. I'll look for the reference when I get home if you're interested.

On a slightly related note, I remember reading that tiny vials sealed with
lead, containing Becket's blood, were fairly popular as relics.

Good materials for reliquaries: wood, glass, metals, especially valuable
metals, ivory and bone. I've never seen a pottery one.

Bad materials for reliquaries: gold-painted macaroni and cardboard.

Margaret FitzWilliam


Date: Wed, 21 Jul 1999 10:21:15 -0400
From: "Gray, Heather" <Heather at Quodata.Com>
To: "'sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu'" <sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu>
Subject: RE: Reliquaries (was Re: Glass and Such)

Margaret FitzWilliam said:
<<< While researching for another overly large but spiffy project, I
discovered a mention of books being considered relics--the bible that St.
So-and-so owned, the copy of the Gospels transcribed by St. Thus-and-so,
etc.. I'll look for the reference when I get home if you're interested. >>>

        Oh, right, books!  St. Cuthbert's book is one (copy of the Gospel of
St. John).  It was found in the top of the reliquary holding the remains of
St. Cuthbert, on a shelf that covered the body, along with other items that
may or may not have belonged to St. Cuthbert, and dates back to (I think)
the 7th c.

A casing was made for the book when it was found. I've asked someone who's
done a bit of research on it to check his notes, but they are at home, so
can't check it right now.  All he can recollect at the moment is that the
container had a strap on it long enough that you could wear it around your
neck while opening up the container to show the book to other people.

Elwynne


Date: Wed, 21 Jul 1999 14:32:16 +0000
From: <tom at his.com>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: RE: Glass and Such - longish

> Some were cylindrical (say 3 - 5 inches in diameter, and 6-8
> inches in height -- very approximate), with a small cylinder of glass in
> them (also clear glass), which the relic was in.

There are a couple of this type in the Walters collection in Baltimore, but I
believe they are not glass; rather, they are rock crystal (quartz).

Fin


Date: Wed, 21 Jul 1999 13:13:26 -0500
From: Roberta R Comstock <froggestow at juno.com>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: Reliquaries (was Re: Glass and Such)

One of my favorite reliquaties from the Cloisters is made of leather.
The relic is the bones of the saint's foot and the reliquary is shaped
like a high topped shoe with a hinged opening at the back.  The leather
is decorated with much tooling and a series of repousse' scenes from the
saint's life.  I appears to have been hardened as couir boulli (sp?).

Hertha


Date: Wed, 21 Jul 1999 16:53:13 EDT
From: <LrdRas at aol.com>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: Reliquaries (was Re: Glass and Such)

froggestow at juno.com writes:
<< Reminds me of a mock reliquary I saw at an event that was made from a
 foam wig head, covered with gold colored foil. >>

I made and entered a 'fake' reliquary at an A & S event about 10 years ago
with 32 pages of documentation regarding the making of false
relics/reliquaries as well as documenting the adoration of 'false' saints.

The piece won first place. It was made from hardwood (walnut), real pearls,
bronze and carved horn. The subject....The toenail of St. Tankerus. Patron
saint of Brewer's and patron saint of the Order of St. Tankerus. The toenail
was reputed to be from the same toe by which St. Tankerus was lowered to his
blissful drowning death in a vat of ale. :_)

Ras


Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1999 07:39:20 EDT
From: <LrdRas at aol.com>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: Reliquaries (was Re: Glass and Such)

froggestow at juno.com writes:
<< What shape was the reliquary?  And did you
 have a real toenail in it? >>

The reliquary was a stepped round base Pillars were mounted on this. It was
topped by a dome. The artifact was mounted on a bejeweled brass base inside.
Access was through curtains and a door in the front. The unit was decorated
with pearls. The toenail itself was carved from a piece of horn and looked
very real.

Ras


Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1999 09:38:08 -0400 (EDT)
From: Grace Morris <gmorris at cs14.pds.charlotte.nc.us>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: RE: Reliquaries (was Re: Glass and Such)

In the same vein, in Danish national museum in Copenhagen there is a
"dome" of solid crystal. It has been hollowed out enough to insert a piece
of illuminated parchment (painting only, no words) in the shape of a cross...
The hollowing out is also in the shape of the cross.  I can't tell from
my picture, but it looks 12th, 13thc. probably.

Jessamyn di Piemonte


Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1999 11:02:55 -0500 (CDT)
From: "Pixel, Queen of Cats" <pixel at hundred-acre-wood.com>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Reliquaries--a source or two

Pictures and mention of books as reliquaries:

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, Anne Savage ed. Phoebe Phillips/William
Heinemann Ltd, 1982. 0-333-37041-4
P. 69, a picture of the Stonyhurst Gospels (the one found on St.
Cuthbert's coffin, I believe) in a lovely leather binding, and a picture
of a whalebone box believed to have been a reliquary.

Illuminated Books of the Middle Ages, Calkins, Robert G. Cornell
University Press, 1986 (paperback ed.)
1st color plate, cover of the Codex Aureus of St. Emmeram, and b/w plates
84 and 94, the front and back covers of the Drogo Sacramentary.

Book Illumination in the Middle Ages, Otto Pacht. Oxford University Press,
1986 (English translation).
pp10-12 discussion of books as relics, Soiscel Molaise reliquary photo on
p. 12.

Margaret


Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1999 01:40:35 -0400
From: Warren & Meredith Harmon <ravenleaf at juno.com>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Reliquaries

Oh, duh...you'd think I'd remember QUARTZ VIALS, since I'm a bloody gem
dealer!!!!

I remember the leather shoe at the Cloisters, too...that, and the marble
head reliquaries, is what got me interested in the project.  On a related
note (again), does anybody know of *intact* reliquaries?  I was very sad
at the Cloisters, when I read the cards saying the reliquaries were
empty.  I know the Turin Shroud is intact (mostly), and there's a vial of
somebody's blood that re-liquefies on a certain day, but that's all I
know of.  Is the St Cuthbert still intact?

I didn't think of blood, or books, as reliquaries....possibilities!
Blood can be easily faked, by colored & herbed oil or an alcohol mixture.
 Ooooh, I am a naughty girl!  Ever hear of the Skunk Society?  They're a
bunch of people who are genetically predisposed to like the scent of
skunk oil, and most carry small vials of the pure stuff.  I was
considering joining, and wouldn't it be a hoot if someone tried to steal
it & open it!?!?  I'd find the thief in a *big* hurry!  ;-)

Okay, here's what I'm thinking: I'll definitely do one of the crystal
vials (even have the quartz crystals on hand to do it!), and mock up a
blood-like substance for them.  For the bigger reliquary, I'm thinking of
a box (time to go antiquing!), heavily encrusted with gems, with perhaps
a small prayer book inside.  If I can find a carver, I just may take some
of those agate slabs I've been saving and have intaglios done of St
Francis of Assisi or St Joan of Arc.  Any thoughts??

-Caro


Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1999 09:28:06 -0400
From: "Gray, Heather" <Heather at Quodata.Com>
To: "'sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu'" <sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu>
Subject: RE: Reliquaries

For intact reliquaries, you probably need to go to a church or find someone
who has a personal one. Some of the ones in the Assisi exhibit were intact
-- it probably would have been too difficult to remove the small items from
the vials for the exhibit.  So I saw one saint's hair, and another saint's
tooth there, and of course the fragment of St. Francis robe.      St.
Cuthbert's book, the Gospel of St. John, is still intact, and in fact is in
very good condition.

Thanks everyone for recollecting what the shoe was made of -- I'd forgotten
and mixed it up with something else. It was quite ornately tooled, wasn't
it?

Elwynne

I remember the leather shoe at the Cloisters, too...that, and the marble
head reliquaries, is what got me interested in the project.  On a related
note (again), does anybody know of *intact* reliquaries?  I was very sad
at the Cloisters, when I read the cards saying the reliquaries were
empty.  I know the Turin Shroud is intact (mostly), and there's a vial of
somebody's blood that re-liquefies on a certain day, but that's all I
know of.  Is the St Cuthbert still intact?


Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1999 09:42:36 -0400
From: "Gryphon's Moon" <margritt at mindspring.com>
To: <sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu>
Subject: Reliquaries

Speaking of reliquaries, has anyone ever made a reliquary-type
container that was actually used for something entirely different? We
have some gentles in our Kingdom who once threatened to paint their
"box-o-wine" gold, and cover it with fake jewels. I don't think they
ever got around to actually doing it, though.

One of the projects on my endless to-do list is a sewing box made to
look like a book reliquary. I plan to make a wooden base covered with
pierced metal sheets (probably something inexpensive like brass and
nickel silver). I can get cabochon gemstones relatively cheaply to
decorate the top. Inside, I'll have just enough room to tuck a couple
of skeins of embroidery floss, a needle or two, and a small pair of
scissors.

One of my favorite sources of inspiration is "Treasuries of Early
Irish Art: 1500 BC to 1500 AD". This is the exhibition catalog for
the collections of the National Museum of Ireland, the Royal Irish
Academy, and Trinity College, Dublin. There is no author credited.
Amazing pictures and descriptions.

-Margritte


Date: Wed, 22 Mar 2000 20:23:08 -0500
From: Carol Thomas <scbooks at neca.com>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: Reliquary docurmentation?

>Does anyone know where I can find good documentation on reliquaries?  I
>would like to make one to enter at an A&S and it has to be large enough to
>hold an item roughly 1" x 1" x 2".  Any help would be appreciated.  I would
>like to get a list to get on inter-library loan.
>
>Asta

_Highways of the Faith: relics and reliquaries_

This book went out of print about 10 years ago.  I didn't keep any other
information besides the title, but IIRC it was a good sized, well
illustrated book and should be useful.  It is the only "picture" book on
this topic that I remember seeing since I've been merching books in the SCA.

Carllein


Date: Mon, 29 Aug 2011 08:24:40 -0400
From: Garth Groff <ggg9y at virginia.edu>
To: atlantia at atlantia.sca.org
Subject: [MR] New Book on Holy Relics

Just received at the UVA library system: HOLY BONES, HOLY DUST: HOW 
RELICS SHAPED THE HISTORY OF MEDIEVAL EUROPE by Charles Freeman (ISBN 
9780300125719, our call # BX2333 .F74 2011). This important work traces 
the history of relics (delightfully described in the bibliographic 
record's summary as "holy morsels") and their influence on European 
culture from roughly the fall of Rome to 1600. While many books readily 
available in English deal almost exclusively with English/British/Irish 
saints, the work in hand ranges across Europe. The author discusses the 
papal drive for relics and some of the intrigues this provoked, the rise 
of various saint's cults, pilgrimages to view relics, and the eventual 
Protestant reaction to the relics industry. Though in skimming the book 
I found no mention of faked relics (such as pig bones passed off as 
those of real saints), the author does maintain a health skepticism 
about certain relics. For example, he mentions a pair of slippers 
attributed to the Virgin Mary, which he notes somehow showed no sign of 
wear. The text is enhanced with two maps and 16 pages of plates. As is 
usual with scholarly works, an extensive bibliography and index round 
out the book. As someone who is intrigued by saints, relics, and 
pilgrimages, this book will be going home with me for a thorough read.

Lord Mungo Napier, That Crazy Scot
(aka Garth Groff, UVA Library cataloger)

<the end>
Edited by Mark S. Harris	relics-msg	Page 10 of 10