Relics were everywhere in medieval society. Saintly morsels such as bones, hair, teeth, blood, milk, and clothes, and items like the Crown of Thorns, coveted by Louis IX of France, were thought to bring the believer closer to the saint, who might intercede with God on his or her behalf. In the first comprehensive history in English of the rise of relic cults, Charles Freeman takes readers on a vivid, fast-paced journey from Constantinople to the northern Isles of Scotland over the course of a millennium.

In Holy Bones, Holy Dust, Freeman illustrates that the pervasiveness and variety of relics answered very specific needs of ordinary people across a darkened Europe under threat of political upheavals, disease, and hellfire. But relics were not only venerated—they were traded, collected, lost, stolen, duplicated, and destroyed. They were bargaining chips, good business and good propaganda, politically appropriated across Europe, and even used to wield military power. Freeman examines an expansive array of relics, showing how the mania for these objects deepens our understanding of the medieval world and why these relics continue to capture our imagination.

Hermit wrote:Voltaire quipped that there are so many relics of the True Cross in circulation that they would suffice to build a hundred-gun ship.

aban57 wrote:The most ridiculous of all being the Holy Grail. I mean, this thing was invented in an eleventh century novel, and they still fight over who has the "real" one
Christianity, those who mastered the art of recycling

Svartalf wrote:

Hermit wrote:Voltaire quipped that there are so many relics of the True Cross in circulation that they would suffice to build a hundred-gun ship.

and you know what, there are likely enough relics of the Holy Foreskin to assert that Jesus had more dicks than teeth.

Svartalf wrote:

aban57 wrote:The most ridiculous of all being the Holy Grail. I mean, this thing was invented in an eleventh century novel, and they still fight over who has the "real" one
Christianity, those who mastered the art of recycling

AFAIK, there is no 'holy grail' anywhere in the Christian world, it's solely a literary device, whose nature varies according to the author (for instance, the Grail was a stone kept in a special castle if you believe Wolfram von Eschenbach). And other authors are still in dispute whether the Grail is the cup in which Jesus blessed the Wine at the last Meal, or a vase used by Joseph of Arimathea to receive the Holy Blood as it flowed from Jesus' crucified body.

Growing up on the mythical tales of King Arthur, I’ve always been a sceptic; for me, the grail is a literary treasure. Even so, I couldn’t help but feel intrigued by Valencia’s Santo Cáliz (Holy Chalice). There are currently more than 200 claimants in Europe alone, all vying for the illustrious title of Holy Grail, with theories of the relic’s final resting place found everywhere from Scotland to Accokeek, Maryland. Yet out of all the lists of claimants I researched, Valencia’s chalice almost invariably held the top spot. It still manages to attract pilgrims from all over the world, and has even been used ceremonially by both Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. Eager for the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Sir Galahad on my own quest for the grail, I’d come here to discover what makes this cup so special among so many others.

aban57 wrote:

Svartalf wrote:

aban57 wrote:The most ridiculous of all being the Holy Grail. I mean, this thing was invented in an eleventh century novel, and they still fight over who has the "real" one
Christianity, those who mastered the art of recycling

AFAIK, there is no 'holy grail' anywhere in the Christian world, it's solely a literary device, whose nature varies according to the author (for instance, the Grail was a stone kept in a special castle if you believe Wolfram von Eschenbach). And other authors are still in dispute whether the Grail is the cup in which Jesus blessed the Wine at the last Meal, or a vase used by Joseph of Arimathea to receive the Holy Blood as it flowed from Jesus' crucified body.

There are some chalices hold in Christian places (cathedrals, churches), and some of them are "fighting" over the title of Holy Grail. From here :

Growing up on the mythical tales of King Arthur, I’ve always been a sceptic; for me, the grail is a literary treasure. Even so, I couldn’t help but feel intrigued by Valencia’s Santo Cáliz (Holy Chalice). There are currently more than 200 claimants in Europe alone, all vying for the illustrious title of Holy Grail, with theories of the relic’s final resting place found everywhere from Scotland to Accokeek, Maryland. Yet out of all the lists of claimants I researched, Valencia’s chalice almost invariably held the top spot. It still manages to attract pilgrims from all over the world, and has even been used ceremonially by both Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. Eager for the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Sir Galahad on my own quest for the grail, I’d come here to discover what makes this cup so special among so many others.