The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-03-20
TODAY WE CELEBRATE.
d. cuthbert's Day r eeaIls Plous In m
poatures % the Past.

ST. Guthbert' s Day, which falls to-
day, recalls one Of the most interest
ing impostures ever perpetrated in
the interests Of piety. For morc than
eleven centuries the l"miraculous" pre-
servation OF the body OF this early
British saint was an article OF belief
among the English. Christians, and 1t
was less than "a century ago that the
fraud was discovered.
ST. Cnthbert lived in the seventh
century In the north OF Britain, which
was then q lbarhorous country little eff
fected by Christianity. In his youth
he was shepherd, and, while most Of
his companions were pagans, he en-
braced Christianity He entered one
OF the little monasteries from which
the monks made war on the heather
faiths, and In time became prior Of
Muilros. His life was one OF extreme
piety, and his latterye no sought
). seclusion In d solitary. cell on an is-
land, where he died on March 20, 6S7.
Just when the .'hoax" was perpe-
trated which made iCuthbert one Of the
greatest saints in the English calendar
cannot be known. Eleven years after
his death the monksiremoved the body
OF the saint to another spot, and ties.
tiled that they found the remains in
q perfect state OF representation abso-
lutely interrupted. This miracle was
accepted as proof OF the saints special
grace. and the tomb Of Cuthbert be.
came the Mecca for the afflicted all
over England. Thousands OF cures OF
the sick, the halt land the lame were
imputed TO st. cuthbert's interven.
tion.
When the Danes invaded England
nearly two centuries later the monks
removed the body and wandered with
Il throughout northern England and
southern Scotland. The body was
said then TO be still in q perfect state.
In the eleventh century st. Cuthbert
was again Inferred Son the spot where
the magnificent cathedral of Durham
was afterward erected in his honor.
AT that time. In 1904. the body was
said to be still perfectly fresh and un-
impaired. n
For five centuries the shrine of st.
Cuthbert was the most popular in
England. The faithful from all over
the world visited the holy spot and
left rich offerings, until the shrine
fairly blazed with gold and Jewels.
worth hundreds OF thousands Of dol
lars.
In 154o the body OF St Cuthbert was
again inspected. and again the awed
spectators testified that the remains
had not been changed since the day
OF Cuthbert's death in the seventh
century. For nearly three centuries
more ST. Guthbert remained an object
OF pious alteration. Then came the
expose.
Less than q century ago, in 1897,
1879 years after St Cuthbert's death,
the body was again exhumed. The
times had become more scientific, and
the physicians present were not to be
deceived by outward appearances. At
q casual glance the remains appeared
to be In an extraordinary state of
preservation, but closer investigation
resulted In the discovery that the
mere crumbling skeleton had been so
swaddled up asitol appear entire. while
the fleshless skull had been pumped
out with plaster. Thus a deception
which had nourished for centuries
was exposed.
With the passing OF the belief in.
the miraculous preservation OF his
body. St. Cuthbert was relegated to
the discard Of all forgotten saints. A
simple. kindly, piotis man he had had
fame foisted upon him by trickery
after his death, and necessarily shared
In the stigma attaching to the dis.