Strange religious relics
In the Middle Ages, there were churches capable of attracting pilgrims from very far away thanks to something that might seem quite strange today: bones, hands, skulls, or small fragments related to a saint. These relics were objects of veneration and were believed to maintain a special bond with the holy person to whom they belonged.
The most curious thing is that some churches wanted to obtain certain relics at any cost, others argued about their authenticity, and some even went so far as to steal them.
Heads, hands, and bones of saints
The remains of saints could be divided and preserved in different places; therefore, there were relics of entire bodies, but also skulls, arms, hands, fingers, teeth, and other fragments.
This was not unusual: during the Middle Ages, reliquaries were even developed specifically to contain a particular part of the body. The result could be surprising.
One of the examples preserved at the Metropolitan Museum is a 13th-century reliquary made in the shape of an arm and decorated with silver, enamel, and stones, inside which a relic associated with a saint's arm was kept.
There were also head-shaped reliquaries, such as that of Saint Yrieix, made in France around 1220-1240, which held the saint's skull and was conceived as a representation of his face.
On certain holidays, these types of reliquaries could be carried in procession through the streets.
Reliquaries could be almost as impressive as the relics
A small relic could be kept inside an extraordinarily rich piece: gold, silver, ivory, enamel, precious stones, and crystal were used to craft reliquaries intended to protect and display the sacred remains.
Sometimes, the container itself imitated the body part from which its contents came: a hand for a hand relic, an arm for an arm bone, or a head for a skull; thus, the sacred object remained hidden within a representation that allowed it to be identified immediately.
What if two churches had the same relic?
Here arises one of the most curious problems: the enormous importance placed on relics led several churches to want to possess pieces related to especially venerated saints; the result was conflicting claims, duplications, and doubts about the provenance of some remains.
The situation reached such a point that there were relics that were stolen from one church to end up in another.
Among the famous cases are the relics of Saint Mark, moved to Venice; those of Saint Nicholas, taken to Bari; or those of Saint Faith, which ended up in Conques.
For a medieval church, obtaining a prestigious relic could mean a huge profit, as the sanctuary could become a pilgrimage destination and increase its importance within the religious community.
Relics of Christ
Relics related to Christ occupied an especially important place; however, there was an obvious difficulty: according to the Christian belief in the resurrection and ascension of Christ, it was not easy to justify the existence of his bodily remains, which is why objects considered related to his life and the Passion were especially valued.
Among them were fragments attributed to the True Cross or pieces of clothing.
Much more unusual attributions also appeared; for example, the Metropolitan Museum mentions, among the rare exceptions linked to Christ and the Virgin, supposed baby teeth of Jesus and milk of the Virgin.
Pilgrims, miracles, and money
Relics also had an economic dimension; large sanctuaries received pilgrims, and around them arose activities related to the visits, from accommodation and trade to souvenirs linked to the place.
In pilgrimage centers, small badges were sold that served as a souvenir of the journey, and their sale could become an important source of income for religious institutions. Some were associated with specific sanctuaries and served as proof that the pilgrim had visited that place.
Thus, behind these relics were pilgrims, prestige, wealth, rivalries between churches, and a question that is still fascinating: how many of those relics were truly authentic?
