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Relic

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"Sacred Relics" redirects here. For the religious objects in the Topkapı Palace, seeSacred Relics (Topkapı Palace).For other uses, seeRelic (disambiguation).
Thereliquaryand skull of SaintIvo of Kermartin(St. Yves or St. Ives) (1253–1303), inTréguier,Brittany,France
Shrine of Saint Lachtin's Arm,12th century, Irish

In religion, arelicis an object or article of religious significance from the past.[1]It usually consists of the physical remains or personal effects of a saint or other person preserved for the purpose ofvenerationas a tangible memorial. Relics are an important aspect of some forms ofBuddhism,Christianity,Islam,shamanism,and many other religions.Relicderives from theLatinreliquiae,meaning "remains", and a form of the Latin verbrelinquere,to "leave behind, or abandon". Areliquaryis ashrinethat houses one or more religious relics.

In classical antiquity[edit]

Anamphoradepicting aGreek hero cultin honor of Oedipus (Apulian red-figure,380–370 BC)

Inancient Greece,acityorsanctuarymight claim to possess, without necessarily displaying, the remains of a veneratedheroas a part of ahero cult.Other venerable objects associated with the hero were more likely to be on display in sanctuaries, such as spears, shields, or other weaponry;chariots,ships orfigureheads;furniture such as chairs ortripods;and clothing. The sanctuary of theLeucippidesatSpartaclaimed to display the egg ofLeda.[2]

The bones were not regarded as holding a particular power derived from the hero, with some exceptions, such as the divine shoulder ofPelopsheld atOlympia.Miracles and healing were not regularly attributed to them;[2]rather, their presence was meant to serve atutelaryfunction, as the tomb ofOedipuswas said to protectAthens.[3]

The bones ofOrestesandTheseuswere supposed to have been stolen or removed from their original resting place and reburied.[4]On the advice of theDelphic Oracle,theSpartanssearched for the bones of Orestes and brought them home, without which they had been told they could not expect victory in their war against the neighboringTegeans.[5]Plutarchsays that the Athenians were likewise instructed by the oracle to locate and steal the relics of Theseus from theDolopians.[6]

The body of the legendaryEurystheuswas also supposed to protect Athens from enemy attack,[7]and inThebes,that of the prophetAmphiaraus,whose cult was oracular and healing.[8]Plutarch narrates transferrals similar to that of Theseus for the bodies of the historicalDemetrius I of MacedonandPhocion the Good.[9]The bones or ashes ofAesculapiusatEpidaurus,and ofPerdiccas Iat Macedon, were treated with the deepest veneration.

As with the relics of Theseus, the bones are sometimes described in literary sources as gigantic, an indication of the hero's "larger than life" status. On the basis of their reported size, it has been conjectured that such bones were those ofprehistoric creatures,the startling discovery of which may have prompted the sanctifying of the site.[2]

The head of the poet-prophetOrpheuswas supposed to have been transported toLesbos,where it was enshrined and visited as anoracle.[10]The 2nd-century geographerPausaniasreported that the bones of Orpheus were kept in a stone vase displayed on a pillar nearDion,his place of death and a major religious center. These too were regarded as having oracular power, which might be accessed through dreaming in aritual of incubation.The accidental exposure of the bones brought a disaster upon the town of Libretha, whence the people of Dion had transferred the relics to their own keeping.[11]

According to theChronicon Paschale,the bones of the PersianZoroasterwere venerated,[12]but the tradition ofZoroastrianismand its scriptures offer no support of this.[citation needed]

Buddhism[edit]

Main articles:ŚarīraandCetiya
Buddha relics fromKanishka'sstupainPeshawar,Pakistan, now inMandalay,Myanmar (2005)

InBuddhism,relics of theBuddhaand various sages are venerated. After the Buddha's death, his remains were divided into eight portions. Afterward, these relics were enshrined instupaswherever Buddhism was spread.

Some relics believed to be original remains of the body of the Buddha still survive, including therelic of the tooth of the Buddhain Sri Lanka.

A stupa is a building created specifically for the relics. Many Buddhist temples have stupas and historically, the placement of relics in a stupa often became the initial structure around which the whole temple would be based. Today, many stupas also hold the cremated remains orringselof prominent Buddhists. In rare cases, the whole body is conserved, as in the case ofDudjom Rinpoche.A year after his death in 1987, his physical body was moved from France and placed in a stupa in one of his monasteries nearBoudhanath,Nepal.Pilgrimsmay view his body through a glass window in the stupa.

The Buddha's relics are used to show people that enlightenment is possible, to remind them that the Buddha was a real person, and to also promote good virtue.[citation needed]

Christianity[edit]

AreliquaryatPope St. John XXIII National Seminaryin theUnited States,with relics ofSt. James,St. Matthew,St. Philip,St. Simon,St. Thomas,St. Stephenand othersaints

History[edit]

One of the earliest sources that purports to show the efficacy of relics is found in 2 Kings 13:20–21:

And Elisha died, and they buried him. Now the bands of the Moabites used to invade the land at the coming in of the year. And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha; and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet.[13]

Also cited is the veneration of relics from the martyr and bishopSaint Polycarp of Smyrnarecorded in theMartyrdom of Polycarp,written sometime from 150 to 160 AD.[14]With regard to relics that are objects, an often cited passage isActs19:11–12, which says thatPaul the Apostle's handkerchiefs were imbued by God with healing power. In thegospelaccounts ofJesus healing the bleeding womanand again in theGospel of Mark6:56, those who touched Jesus' garment were healed.

The practice of venerating relics seems to have been taken for granted by writers likeAugustine,St.Ambrose,Gregory of Nyssa,St.Chrysostom,and St.Gregory Nazianzen.Dom Bernardo Cignitti, O.S.B., wrote, "[T]he remains of certain dead are surrounded with special care and veneration. This is because the mortal remains of the deceased are associated in some manner with the holiness of their souls which await reunion with their bodies in theresurrection."[15]Thomas Aquinas(d. 1274) pointed out that it was natural that people should treasure what is associated with the dead, much like the personal effects of a relative.[16]In an interview withCatholic News Service,Fr. Mario Conte, executive editor of the Messenger of St. Anthony magazine inPadua,Italy,said, "Saints' relics help people overcome the abstract and make a connection with the holy... Saints do not perform miracles. Only God performs miracles, but saints are intercessors."[17]

A relic from the shrine ofSaint Boniface of Dokkumin thehermit-churchofWarfhuizen:the bone fragment in middle is fromSaint Boniface;the folded papers on the left and right contain bone fragments of SaintBenedict of NursiaandBernard of Clairvaux.

In the early Church the disturbance of the remains of martyrs and other saints was not practiced. They were allowed to remain in their often unidentified resting places such as in cemeteries and thecatacombs of Rome.These places were always outside the walls of the city, butmartyriumsbegan to be built over the site of the burial. Since it was considered beneficial to the soul to be buried close to the remains of saints, several large "funerary halls" were built over the sites of martyr's graves, includingOld Saint Peter's Basilica.These were initially not regular churches, but "covered cemeteries" crammed with graves, wherein was celebrated funerary and memorial services. It may have been thought that when the souls of the martyrs went to heaven on resurrection day they would be accompanied by those interred nearby, who would thus gain favour with God.[18]

Some early Christians attributedhealing powersto thepulvis(dust) from gravesof saints, includingGregory of Tours.The cult ofMartin of Tourswas very popular inMerovingianGaul,and centered at a great church built just outside the walls of Tours. When Saint Martin died on November 8, 397, at a village halfway betweenToursandPoitiers,the inhabitants of these cities were ready to fight for his body, which the people of Tours managed to secure by stealth. Tours became the chief point ofChristian pilgrimagein Gaul, a place for the healing of the sick.[19]

Gregory of Tourstravelled to the shrine when he had contracted a serious illness. Later, as bishop of Tours, Gregory wrote extensively about miracles attributed to the intercession of St Martin.[20]Nestorian Christianityutilized thehanānā–a mixture made with the dust ofThomas the Apostle's tomb–for healing. Within theAssyrian Church of the East,it is consumed by a couple getting married in theMystery of Crowning.[21][22]

TheSecond Council of Nicaeain 787 drew on the teaching of St.John Damascene[23]that homage or respect is not really paid to an inanimate object, but to the holy person, the veneration of a holy person is itself honour paid to God.[16]The Council decreed that everyaltarshould contain a relic, making it clear that this was already the norm, as it remains to the present day inCatholicandOrthodoxchurches. The veneration of the relics of the saints reflects a belief that the saints in heavenintercedefor those on earth. A number of cures and miracles have been attributed to relics, not because of their own power, but because of the holiness of the saint they represent.[24]

Many tales ofmiraclesand other marvels were attributed to relics beginning in the early centuries of the church. These became popular during theMiddle Ages.They were collected in books ofhagiographysuch as theGolden Legendor the works ofCaesarius of Heisterbach.These miracle tales made relics much sought-after during the period. By the Late Middle Ages, the collecting of, and dealing in, relics had reached enormous proportions, and had spread from the church to royalty, and then to the nobility and merchant classes.

TheCouncil of Trentof 1563 enjoined bishops to instruct their flocks that "the holy bodies of holy martyrs... are to be venerated by the faithful, for through these [bodies] many benefits are bestowed by God on men". The Council further insisted that "in the invocation of saints, the veneration of relics and the sacred use of images, every superstition shall be removed and all filthy lucre abolished."[18]There are also manyrelics associated with Jesus.

St.Francis Xavier'shumerus,St. Joseph's Church,Macau

In his introduction to Gregory'sHistory of the Franks,Ernest Brehaut analyzed the Romano-Christian concepts that gave relics such a powerful draw. He distinguished Gregory's constant usage ofsanctusandvirtus,the first with its familiar meaning of "sacred" or "holy", and the second as "the mystic potency emanating from the person or thing that is sacred... In a practical way the second word[virtus]... describes the uncanny, mysterious power emanating from the supernatural and affecting the natural... These points of contact and yielding are the miracles we continually hear of ".[19]

Relics and pilgrimage[edit]

Rome became a major destination for Christian pilgrims as it was easier to access for European pilgrims than theHoly Land.Constantine the Greaterected great basilicas over the tombs of Saints Peter and Paul. A distinction of these sites was the presence of holy relics. Over the course of the Middle Ages, other religious structures acquired relics and became destinations forpilgrimage.In the eleventh and twelfth centuries, substantial numbers of pilgrims flocked toSantiago de Compostelain Spain, in which the supposed relics of the apostleJames, son of Zebedee,discoveredc.830, are housed.[25]Santiago de Compostela remains a significant pilgrimage site, with around 200,000 pilgrims, both secular and Christian, completing the numerous pilgrimage routes to the cathedral in 2012 alone.[26][27]

By venerating relics through visitation, gifts, and providing services, medieval Christians believed that they would acquire the protection and intercession of the sanctified dead.[14]Relics of local saints drew visitors to sites like Saint Frideswide's inOxford,and San Nicola Peregrino inTrani.[25] Instead of having to travel to be near to a veneratedsaint,relics of the saint could be venerated locally.

Believers would make pilgrimages to places believed to have been sanctified by the physical presence of Christ or prominent saints, such as the site of theHoly SepulchreinJerusalem.[citation needed]

Economic effect[edit]

As holy relics attracted pilgrims and these religious tourists needed to be housed, fed, and provided with souvenirs, relics became a source of income not only for the destinations that held them, but for the abbeys, churches, and towns en route. Relics were prized as they were portable.[28]They could be possessed, inventoried, bequeathed, stolen, counterfeited, and smuggled.[29]They could add value to an established site or confer significance on a new location.[30]Offerings made at a site of pilgrimage were an important source of revenue for the community who received them on behalf of the saint.[31]

According toPatrick Geary,"[t]o the communities fortunate enough to have a saint's remains in its church, the benefits in terms of revenue and status were enormous, and competition to acquire relics and to promote the local saint's virtues over those of neighboring communities was keen".[32]Local clergy promoted their own patron saints in an effort to secure their own market share. On occasion guards had to watch over mortally ill holy men and women to prevent the unauthorized dismemberment of their corpses as soon as they died.[23]Geary also suggests that the danger of someone murdering an aging holy man in order to acquire his relics was a legitimate concern.[32]

Relics were used to cure the sick, to seek intercession for relief from famine or plague, to take solemn oaths, and to pressure warring factions to make peace in the presence of the sacred. Courts held relics since Merovingian times.[30]StAngilbertacquired forCharlemagneone of the most impressive collections in Christendom.[28]An active market developed. Relics entered into commerce along the same trade routes followed by other portable commodities. Matthew Brown likens a ninth-century Italiandeaconnamed Deusdona, with access to the Roman catacombs, as crossing theAlpsto visit monastic fairs of northern Europe much like a contemporary art dealer.[33]

Canterburywas a popular destination for English pilgrims, who traveled to witness the miracle-working relics of StThomas Becket,the saintedArchbishop of Canterburywho wasassassinated by knightsofKing Henry IIin 1170.[25]After Becket's death, his successor and the Canterbury chapter quickly used his relics to promote the cult of the as-yet-uncanonized martyr. The motivations included the assertion of the Church's independence against rulers, a desire to have an English (indeedNorman English) saint of European reputation, and the desire to promote Canterbury as a destination for pilgrimage. In the first years after Becket's death, donations at the shrine accounted for twenty-eight percent of the cathedral's total revenues.[34]

Counterfeits[edit]

In the absence of real ways of assessing authenticity, relic-collectors became prey to the unscrupulous, and some extremely high prices were paid. Forgeries proliferated from the very beginning.Augustinealready denounced impostors who wandered around disguised as monks, making a profit from the sale of spurious relics.[35]In hisAdmonitio Generalisof 789,Charlemagneordered that "the false names of martyrs and the uncertain memorials of saints should not be venerated".[14]The Fourth Lateran Council (1215) of the Catholic Church condemned abuses such as counterfeit relics and exaggerated claims.[16]

Pieces of theTrue Crosswere one of the most highly sought-after of such relics; many churches claimed to possess a piece of it, so many thatJohn Calvinfamously remarked that there were enough pieces of the True Cross to build a ship from.[36]A study in 1870[37]found that, put together, the claimed relics of the cross at that much later time weighed less than 1.7 kg. By the middle of the 16th century, the number of relics in Christian churches became enormous, and there was practically no possibility to distinguish the authentic from the falsification, since both of them had been in the temples for centuries and were objects for worship. In 1543, John Calvin wrote about fake relics in hisTreatise on Relics,in which he described the state of affairs with relics in Catholic churches. Calvin says that the saints have two or three or more bodies with arms and legs, and even a few extra limbs and heads.[38][39]

Due to the existence of counterfeit relics, the Church began to regulate the use of relics.Canon Lawrequired the authentication of relics if they were to be publiclyvenerated.They had to be sealed in areliquaryand accompanied by a certificate of authentication, signed and sealed by someone in theCongregation for Saints,[40]or by the local Bishop where the saint lived. Without such authentication, relics are not to be used for public veneration.[41]The Congregation for Saints, as part of theRoman Curia,holds the authority to verify relics in which documentation is lost or missing. The documents and reliquaries of authenticated relics are usually affixed with awax seal.[40]

Classifications and prohibitions in the Catholic Church[edit]

First-class relic of theServant of God Alfredo F. Verzosa(Ex Ossibus)
Second-class relics of Venerable Maria Teresa Spinelli, Venerable Santo of St. Dominic and Venerable Giovanni of St. William (Ex Indumentis)
Third-class relic ofSaint Therese of Lisieux(Reliqua Tertiae classis)

In Catholic theology, sacred relics must not be worshipped, because only God is worshipped and adored. Instead, the veneration given to them was "dulia".Saint Jeromedeclared, "We do not worship, we do not adore, for fear that we should bow down to the creature rather than to the Creator, but we venerate the relics of the martyrs in order the better to adore Him whose martyrs they are."[42]

Until 2017, the Catholic Church divided relics into three classes:

  • First-class relics:items directly associated with the events of Christ's life (manger, cross, etc.) or the physical remains of a saint (a bone, a hair, skull,[43]a limb, etc.). Traditionally, a martyr's relics are often more prized than the relics of other saints. Parts of the saint that were significant to that saint's life are more prized relics. For instance, King St.Stephen of Hungary's right forearm is especially important because of his status as a ruler. A famous theologian's head may be his most important relic; the head of St.Thomas Aquinaswas removed by the monks at the Cistercian abbey atFossanovawhere he died. If a saint travelled often, then the bones of his feet may be prized. Catholic teaching prohibits relics to be divided up into small, unrecognizable parts if they are to be used in liturgy (i.e., as in an altar; see the rubrics listed in Rite of Dedication of a Church and an Altar).
  • Second-class relics:items that the saint owned or frequently used, for example, acrucifix,rosary,book, etc. Again, an item more important in the saint's life is thus a more important relic. Sometimes a second-class relic is a part of an item that the saint wore (a shirt, a glove, etc.) and is known asex indumentis( "from the clothing" ).
  • Third-class relics:any object that has been in contact with a first- or second-class relic.[44]Most third-class relics are small pieces of cloth, though in the first millennium oil was popular; theMonza ampullaecontained oil collected from lamps burning before the major sites of Christ's life, and some reliquaries had holes for oil to be poured in and out again. Many people call the cloth touched to the bones of saints "ex brandea".Butex brandeastrictly refers to pieces of clothing that were touched to the body or tombs of the apostles. It is a term that is used only for such; it is not a synonym for a third-class relic.

In 2017, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints abolished the relics of the third degree, introducing a two-stage scale of classification of relics: significant (insigni) and non-significant (non insigni) relics. The first are the bodies or their significant parts, as well as the entire contents of the urn with the ashes preserved after cremation. The second includes small fragments of the bodies, as well as objects used by saints and blesseds.[45]

The sale or disposal by other means of "sacred relics" (meaning first and second class) without the permission of the Apostolic See is now strictly forbidden by canon 1190 of the1983Code of Canon Law.[46]However, the Catholic Church permitted the sale of third-class relics.[47]Relics may not be placed upon the altar for public veneration, as that is reserved for the display of theBlessed Sacrament(host or prosphora and Eucharistic wine after consecration in the sacrament of the Eucharist).[48]

Eastern Orthodoxy[edit]

Grapevine crossofSaint Ninoof Georgia (Sioni Cathedral,Tbilisi,Georgia)
Relics of SaintSabbas the Sanctifiedin theCatholiconofMar SabaMonastery in theKidron Valley

The importance of relics in the Byzantine world can be seen from the veneration given to the pieces of theTrue Cross.Many great works ofByzantine enamelarestaurothekes,or relics containing fragments of the True Cross. Other significant relics included thegirdle worn by the Virgin,and pieces of the body or clothing of saints. Such relics (calledcontact relics,or secondary relics)[49]were, however, scarce and did not provide most believers with ready access to proximity to the holy. The growth in the production and popularity of reproducible contact relics in the fifth and sixth centuries testifies to the need felt for more widespread access to the divine.[citation needed]

These contact relics usually involved the placing of readily available objects, such as pieces of cloth, clay tablets, or water then bottled for believers, in contact with a relic. Alternatively, such objects could be dipped into water which had been in contact with the relic (such as the bone of a saint). These relics, a firmly embedded part of veneration by this period, increased the availability of access to the divine but were not infinitely reproducible (an original relic was required), and still usually required believers to undertake pilgrimage or have contact with somebody who had.[citation needed]

The earliest recorded removal, ortranslationof saintly remains was that ofSaint BabylasatAntiochin 354, but, partly perhaps because Constantinople lacked the many saintly graves of Rome, they soon became common in the Eastern Empire, though still prohibited in the West. The Eastern capital was therefore able to acquire the remains of SaintsTimothy,AndrewandLuke,and the division of bodies also began, the 5th century theologianTheodoretusdeclaring that "Grace remains entire with every part".[50]In the West, a decree ofTheodosiusonly allowed the moving of a wholesarcophaguswith its contents, but the upheavals of the barbarian invasions relaxed the rules, as remains needed to be relocated to safer places.[51]

Thevenerationof relics continues to be of importance in theEastern Orthodox Church.As a natural outgrowth of the concept in Orthodox theology oftheosis,the physical bodies of thesaintsare considered to be transformed bydivine grace—indeed, all Orthodox Christians are considered to besanctifiedby living the mystical life of the Church, and especially by receiving theSacred Mysteries(Sacraments). In the Orthodoxservice books,the remains of the departed faithful are referred to as "relics", and are treated with honour and respect. For this reason, the bodies of Orthodox Christians are traditionally notembalmed.

The veneration of the relics of the saints is of great importance in Orthodoxy, and very often churches will display the relics of saints prominently. In a number ofmonasteries,particularly those on the semi-autonomousMount Athosin Greece, all of the relics the monastery possesses are displayed and venerated each evening atCompline.As with the veneration oficons,theveneration(Greek;δουλια,dulia) of relics in the Orthodox Church is clearly distinguished fromadoration(λατρεια,latria); i.e., that worship which is due to God alone. Thus Orthodox teaching warns the faithful againstidolatryand at the same time remains true to scriptural teaching (vis. 2 Kings 13:20–21) as understood by OrthodoxSacred Tradition.

The examination of the relics is an important step in theglorification(canonization) of new saints. Sometimes, one of the signs of sanctification is the condition of the relics of the saint. Some saints will beincorrupt,meaning that their remains do not decay under conditions when they normally would (naturalmummificationis not the same as incorruption)[clarification needed].Sometimes even when the flesh does decay the bones themselves will manifest signs of sanctity. They may be honey-coloured or give off asweet aroma.Some relics will exudemyrrh.The absence of such manifestations is not necessarily a sign that the person is not a Saint.[citation needed]

Relics play a major role in theconsecration of a church.The consecrating bishop will place the relics on adiskos(paten) in a church near the church that is to be consecrated, they will then be taken in across processionto the new church, carried three times around the new structure and then placed in theHoly Table(altar) as part of the consecration service.

The relics of saints (traditionally, always those of a martyr) are also sewn into theantimensionwhich is given to a priest by his bishop as a means of bestowingfacultiesupon him (i.e., granting him permission to celebrate the Sacred Mysteries). The antimens is kept on theHoly Table(altar), and it is forbidden to celebrate theDivine Liturgy(Eucharist) without it. Occasionally, in cases of fixed altars, the relics are built in the altar table itself and sealed with a special mixture calledwax-mastic.[52]

The necessity of provide relics forantimensionsin new churches often necessitates continuous division of relics. An account of this process can be found in a treatise of the pre-revolutionary Russian church historianNikolay Romansky[ru].According to Romansky, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church operated a special office, located in the Church of Philip the Apostle in theMoscow Kremlin,where bones of numerous saints, authenticated by the church's hierarchs, were stored, and pieces of them were prayerfully separated with hammer and chisel to be sent to the dioceses that needed to place them into new antimensions.[53]

In art[edit]

Many churches were built along pilgrimage routes. A number in Europe were either founded or rebuilt specifically to enshrine relics, (such as San Marco inVenice) and to welcome and awe the large crowds of pilgrims who came to seek their help. Romanesque buildings developed passageways behind the altar to allow for the creation of several smaller chapels designed to house relics. From the exterior, this collection of small rooms is seen as a cluster of delicate, curved roofs at one end of the church, a distinctive feature of many Romanesque churches. Gothic churches featured lofty, recessed porches which provided space for statuary and the display of relics.[citation needed]

Historian and philosopher of art Hans Belting observed that in medieval painting, images explained the relic and served as a testament to its authenticity. InLikeness and Presence,Belting argued that the cult of relics helped to stimulate the rise of painting in medieval Europe.[23]

Reliquaries[edit]

Reliquaries in the Church of San Pedro, inAyerbe,Spain

Reliquariesare containers used to protect and display relics. While frequently taking the form of caskets, they have many other forms including simulations of the relic encased within (e.g., a gilded depiction of an arm for a relic consisting of arm bones). Since the relics themselves were considered valuable, they were enshrined in containers crafted of or covered with gold, silver, gems, and enamel.[54]

Ivory was widely used in the Middle Ages for reliquaries, its pure white color an indication of the holy status of its contents.[55]These objects constituted a major form of artistic production across Europe and Byzantium throughout the Middle Ages.

List of claimed relics[edit]

TheSeamless robe of JesusinTrier Cathedral
Detail of the Girdle of Mary in theBasilica of Our LadyinMaastricht
TheShrine of the Three KingsinCologne Cathedral

Hinduism[edit]

InHinduism,relics are less common than in other religions since the physical remains of most saints arecremated.The veneration of corporal relics may have originated with theśramaṇamovement or the appearance ofBuddhism,and burial practices became more common after theMuslim invasions.[61]One prominent example is the preserved body ofSwami Ramanujain a separate shrine inside Srirangam Temple.

Islam[edit]

See also:Relics of Muhammad
Footprint of the IslamicprophetMuhammad,preserved in thetürbe(funerary mausoleum) inEyüp,Istanbul

The veneration of the relics ofsaintsbecame an incredibly important part of devotional piety in bothSunniandShiaIslam throughout the classical and medieval periods, with "the ubiquity of relics and ritual practices associated with them" becoming a mainstay of "the devotional life of the Muslims... [all over the world but particularly in] theNear EastandNorth Africa."[62]With the latter-day influence of the reformist movements ofSalafismandWahhabism,there is, according to some scholars, an erroneous perception which persists both among some modern Muslims and Western observers opining that "the Islamic experience['s relationship with relic-veneration] is marginal, because of the perceived absence of relics in Islam."[62]It is, however, evident that "the historical reality of relics in Islam" was very different, and that the classical Islamic thinkers posed various reasons for why the veneration of the relics of prophets and saints was permissible.[63]

Relics of the prophets[edit]

In Istanbul[edit]

Main article:Sacred Relics (Topkapı Palace)

While various relics are preserved by different Muslim communities, the most important are those known asThe Sacred Trusts,more than 600 pieces treasured in thePrivy Chamberof theTopkapı Palace MuseuminIstanbul.

Muslims believe that these treasures include:

Most of the trusts can be seen in the museum, but the most important of them can only be seen during the month ofRamadan.TheQur'anhas been recited next to these relics uninterruptedly since they were brought to the Topkapı Palace, but Muslims do not worship these relics.

Sacred Cloak of the Prophet[edit]

Main article:Mosque of the Cloak of the Prophet Mohammed

A cloak (kherqa) believed to have belonged to the prophet Mohammed is kept in the central mosque inKandahar,Afghanistan.According to local history, it was given toAhmad ShahbyMured Beg,the Emir ofBokhara.The Sacred Cloak is kept locked away, taken out only at times of great crisis. In 1996Mullah Omar,leader of the AfghanTaliban,took it out, displayed it to a crowd ofulema(religious scholars) and was declaredAmir-ul Momineen( "Commander of the Faithful" ). Prior to this, the last time it had been removed had been when the city was struck by acholera epidemicin the 1930s.[64]

Cultural relics[edit]

Relicis also the term for something that has survived the passage of time, especially an object or custom whose original culture has disappeared, but also an object cherished for historical or memorial value (such as a keepsake or heirloom).

"Cultural relic" is a common translation forwenwu(Văn vật), a common Chinese word that usually means "antique"but can be extended to anything, including object andmonument,that is of historical and cultural value. However, this has some issues since the termwenwuhas little resemblance to the English usage of "relic". In most cases, "artifact", "archaeological site", "monument", or just plain "archaeology" would be a better translation.[citation needed]

In fiction[edit]

  • The RelicbyEça de Queiroz,Dedalus Ltd, UK 1994.ISBN0-946626-94-4
  • The Translation of Father TorturobyBrendan Connell,Prime Books, 2005.ISBN0-8095-0043-4

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^"Definition of relic".Lexico.Archived fromthe originalon May 6, 2021.
  2. ^abcGunnel Ekroth, "Heroes and Hero-Cult", inA Companion to Greek Religion(Blackwell, 2010), pp. 110–111.
  3. ^Ruth Fainlight and Robert J. Littman,The Theban Plays: Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone(Johns Hopkins University Press, 2009), p. xii.
  4. ^Susan E. Alcock, "Tomb Cult and the Post-Classical Polis",American Journal of Archaeology95 (1991), p. 447.
  5. ^Herodotus,Histories1.46, as cited by Fainlight and Littman,The Theban Plays,p. xii.
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Further reading[edit]

  • Cruz, Joan Carroll (2015).Relics: What They Are and Why They Matter.Charlotte NC: TAN Books.ISBN9780895558596.
  • Brown, Peter; Cult of the Saints: Its Rise and Function in Latin Christianity; University of Chicago Press; 1982
  • Vauchez, Andre; Sainthood in the Later Middle Ages; Cambridge University Press; 1997
  • Mayr, Markus; Geld, Macht und Reliquien; Studienverlag, Innsbruck, 2000
  • Mayr, Markus (Hg); Von goldenen Gebeinen; Studienverlag, Innsbruck, 2001
  • Fiore, Davide; Human variation of a relic (original title: Variazione Umana di una reliquia); StreetLib, Italy; 2017

External links[edit]

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