Relic

[[File:St. Yves.JPG|thumb|right|165px|Head of St. Ives in France. He's the patron [[saint]] of creepy objects in boxes.]]{{religion}}
{{cquote|But isn't this relic matter a little overdone? We find a piece of the [[true cross]] in every old church we go into, and some of the nails that held it together. I would not like to be positive, but I think we have seen as much as a keg of these nails. Then there is the crown of thorns; they have part of one in Sainte Chapelle, in Paris, and part of one also
in Notre Dame. And as for bones of St. Denis, I feel certain we have seen enough of them to duplicate him if necessary.|||''The Innocents Abroad'', by [[Mark Twain]]}}

In the context of [[religion]], '''relic''' is a technical term describing items (such as human remains, historical artifacts, old weapons, bits of a building, etc.) that are held specifically for veneration or worship.<ref>{{wpa|Relic|}}</ref> Relics can be found in most religions, though what the relics mean to the people, and how they are viewed as religious or magical items, varies greatly. They are generally most important in [[Christianity]], [[Islam]], and [[Buddhism]].

Typically, believers preserve relics and isolate them from non-[[sacred]] acts by the building of temples or shrines to hold the relics, housing the relics in special boxes, or insuring that only particular people can see or touch them. [[Buddhism]], for example, has a long history of including hair, nails, teeth<ref>[http://www.btrts.org.sg/english-home The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple of [[Singapore]]]</ref> or bits of bone in the clay used to make pottery, which is then formed for a temple and kept isolated.

==Christian relics==
===Ark of the Covenant===
Relics appear in the [[Old Testament]]. It could be argued that the [[Ark of the Covenant]], containing the bits of the [[Ten Commandments]], was a form of relic.

The Ethiopian Church has long claimed to possess the Ark itself, in a chapel in Aksum. It is, of course, kept conveniently hidden from any and all who might wish to see or examine it.<ref>[http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/keepers-of-the-lost-ark-179998820/?no-ist Keepers of the Lost Ark?] Raffaele, Paul. ''Smithsonian Magazine''. December 2007.</ref> [[Jewish]] histories claim that the Ark was lost after the Bablyonians sacked King Solomon's temple in the 4<sup>th</sup> century BCE, but the Ethiopians claim that it was secreted away far south to their country for safekeeping.<ref>[https://www.thedailybeast.com/is-the-ark-of-the-covenant-in-ethiopia Is the Ark of the Covenant in Ethiopia?] ''Daily Beast''.</ref> The story isn't quite as out of left-field as it might seem. According to the Ethiopian legend, King Solomon conceived a child with the Queen of Sheba named Menelik I, from whom the entire imperial dynasty of old Ethiopia was said to have descended.<ref>[https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/06/30/travel/how-the-ark-of-the-covenant-got-to-ethiopia/#.XGq_nuhKiM8 How the Ark of the Covenant got to Ethiopia] Downer, Lesley. ''Japan Times.''</ref> Thus, at some point, Menelik's people "borrowed" the Ark.

===Catholic relics===
In [[Catholic]] [[theology]], relics of [[saint]]s are kept "in order the better to adore Him whose [[martyr]]s they are."<ref>Jerome, Ad Riparium, i, P.L., XXII, 907.</ref> The Catholic Church separates relics into three classes.<ref>[http://www.ncregister.com/blog/smcafee/i-made-a-third-class-relic-of-st.-dominicheres-how I Made a Third-Class Relic of St. Dominic—Here’s How] McAfee, Shaun. ''National Catholic Register''.</ref><ref>[https://www.catholicdoors.com/faq/qu86.htm Types of Holy Relics]</ref> ''First-class relics'' are items directly involved in the life of Christ or a martyr, or physical remains of a recognized Catholic saint. ''Second-class relics'' are important items in a saint's life, such as their crucifix, [[Bible]], [[rosary]], etc. ''Third-class relics'' are objects which have been touched to a second-class relic.

Although disproved by [[carbon dating]] in 1988,<ref>[http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1983194_1983193_1983100,00.html Shroud of Turin] "TIME Magazine''</ref> the object believed to be Christ's burial cloth still draws millions of tourists.

Alleged fragments of the [[True Cross]] appear all over the Christian world. The same can be said for the thirty-or-so supposed "Holy Nails," which are even more absurd due to the fact that Christ was crucified with, at most, four.<ref>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10672a.htm Holy Nails] Catholic Encyclopedia.</ref> Probably the most famous instance is the Iron Crown of Lombardy, which contains a ring of iron said to be a reshaped Holy Nail.<ref>{{wpa|Iron Crown of Lombardy|}}</ref>

Meanwhile, an alleged [[Holy Lance]] was claimed by [[Charlemagne]], although it was actually created in the 7<sup>th</sup> century CE. Charlemagne likely knew this relic was a fake, however his claim as the successor to the [[Roman Empire|Roman Emperors]] needed to be able to compete with that of the Byzantine emperor, who owned a large number of Christ's relics.<ref>[https://www.khm.at/objektdb/detail/100443/ The Holy Lance] Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna.</ref> The "Lance" became a part of the Hapsburg Crown Jewels and is now in Vienna.

Other relics claimed to be from Christ's life abound. His 
sweaty, stinky
 sandals are said to be in [[Germany]],<ref>[https://www.revolvy.com/page/Sandals-of-Jesus-Christ Sandals of Jesus Christ]</ref> while His robe is either there or in [[France]],<ref>[https://sites.tufts.edu/textilerelics/2011/02/08/textile-relics-associated-with-jesus/ Textile Relics Associated with Jesus]</ref> while a shred of His blood-stained shirt is in [[Belgium]].<ref>[https://theculturetrip.com/europe/belgium/articles/the-story-behind-bruges-basilica-of-the-holy-blood/ The Story Behind Bruges’ Basilica of the Holy Blood]</ref> Let's not even get started on his [[Holy Foreskin]].

Relics from saints, on the other hand, are too plentiful to be counted without risking extreme boredom. In the [[New Testament]], certain relics that had been touched by [[Saint Paul]] were said to have the power to heal the sick:

{{cquote|And [[God]] wrought by the hand of Paul more than common miracles. So that even there were brought from his body to the sick, handkerchiefs and aprons: and the diseases departed from them: and the wicked spirits went out of them.|||Acts 19:11-12}}

St Teilo, a Welsh monk and bishop, is said to have miraculously had three dead bodies (through some kind of duplication process), so three churches could all have the full set of relics.<ref>{{wpa|Saint Teilo}}</ref> The alternative, they they don't all have genuine Teilo, is so horrible that surely God would never allow it.

Relics were common throughout the early Church, so much so that during the [[Council of Nicaea]], it was a requirement that each altar have relics built into it.<ref>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01362a.htm Altar], [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01351d.htm Altar cavity] ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'' (1907)</ref>

This explains the prevalent and ongoing [[Roman Catholic]] practice of chopping their most revered religious figures into tiny bits after death and distributing fragments of their remains to congregations around the world, rather than letting them rest in peace. Throughout the Catholic world, relics are present in the Churches, altars, and other holy sites. [[Protestant]] religions are far less likely to maintain relics, especially human remains. [[John Calvin]] was a major opponent of keeping relics, as was [[Martin Luther]].<ref>[https://www.museeprotestant.org/en/notice/jean-calvin-a-treatise-about-relics-1543/ A Treatise about relics, John Calvin]</ref> This was a major contributing factor in the [[Protestant Reformation]].

In a far more contemporary example, during the run-up to the canonisation of {{wpl|Carlo Acutis}} in 2025, some have half-jokingly wondered if the [[video game]] consoles he owned in his lifetime could be considered second-class relics, and in one such joke, one redditor wondered if powering on Carlo's PlayStation 2 and inserting a ''Kingdom Hearts'' disc into it would make the latter a third-class relic.<ref>[https://www.reddit.com/r/Catholicism/comments/rv2icv/how_is_the_status_of_a_relic_decided_especially/ How is the status of a relic decided, especially for second-class and third-class relics?]</ref>

<gallery widths=175px heights=175px>
File:Turin shroud positive and negative displaying original color information 708 x 465 pixels 94 KB.jpg| [[Shroud of Turin]], helpfully enhanced on the right.
File:Weltliche Schatzkammer Wien (181).JPG|Alleged shard of the [[True Cross]] in Vienna.
File:2018 Trier, Domschatzkammer, Reliquiar des hl Nagels 1.jpg|One of the many, many alleged Holy Nails, Germany.
File:Iron Crown.JPG|The Iron Crown of Lombardy, apparently with a juicy Holy Nail filling.
File:I09 525 Heilige Lanze.jpg|Blade of the [[Holy Lance]] in Vienna.
File:The Blood Relic.jpg|Fabric allegedly stained with Christ's blood in [[Belgium]].
File:6-Reliquie der Sandalen v.Jesus-k.jpg|Christ's sandals apparently walked to Germany.
File:The Holy Tunic of Jesus Christ in Trier, Germany.JPG|Christ's alleged robe in Germany.
File:Couronne d'epines - Crown of Thorns Notre Dame Paris.jpg|One of the supposed Crowns of Thorns, France.
File:Roma san pietro in vincoli catene.jpg|Chains of [[Saint Peter]] in Rome.
File:Le chef de Saint Jean le Baptiste à Amiens.jpg|One of the many alleged heads of [[John the Baptist]] in France.
File:Bernadette Soubirous-sarcophagus-2.jpg|Relic of Saint Bernadette of Lourdes.
File:Arm of St Francis Xavier.jpeg|Arm of St. Francis Xavier.
File:Skull of St Valentine.jpeg|Skull of St. Valentine.
File:Blood of St Gennaro.jpeg|[[Pope Francis]] and the Blood of St. Gennaro.
File:Head of St Catherine.jpeg|Head of St. Catherine.
File:Reliquary of St Teresas hand.jpeg|Reliquary containing the hand of St. Teresa. The Infinity Gauntlet in real life!<ref>[https://aleteia.org/2019/05/01/thanos-infinity-gauntlet-looks-eerily-similar-to-a-catholic-relic/ Thanos’ Infinity Gauntlet looks eerily similar to a Catholic relic]</ref>
</gallery>

===Eastern Orthodox relics===
The veneration of relics is equally important in [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodoxy]]. The religion considers the physical form, and not just the [[soul]] is transformed by holiness; thus relics are revered as "temples of the Holy Spirit."<ref>[http://orthodoxinfo.com/general/relics_place.aspx The Place of Holy Relics in the Orthodox Church] St. Justin Popovich. Orthodox Christian Information Center.</ref> One of the great cultural tensions that exists in the Orthodox Church is the lack of emphasis placed by [[American]] Orthodox followers on the importance of relics.<ref>[https://www.stinnocentchurch.com/whyrelics.html Why Relics?] St. Innocent Orthodox Church.</ref> Another Orthodox belief is the concept of "[[incorruptibility]]", the idea that true saintly relics do not decompose normally after death.<ref>[http://orthodoxinfo.com/death/mummies.aspx Relics and Mummies] from Orthodox Tradition, Vol. XII, No. 4, pp. 35-36.</ref> Evidence of "incorruptibility" includes intact hair and fingernails, visible eyebrows and eyelids, and having the hands still holding the cross with which the individual was buried.<ref>[http://orthochristian.com/103399.html ON THE LIFE, GLORIFICATION, AND INCORRUPT RELICS OF ST. MARDARIJE OF LIBERTYVILLE]</ref>

Eastern Orthodoxy does not enforce the strict classification system of the Catholics, but it does recognize relics as being related to the life of Jesus Christ. For instance, one of the competitors to the claim of being the true Holy Lance is in [[Armenia]].<ref>[https://armenianchurch.us/2018/12/02/holy-lance-armenian-tradition-legend/ The Holy Lance in Armenian Tradition and Legend] The Armenian Church, Diocese of America.</ref>

<gallery widths=175px heights=175px>
File:Holy-lance-Echmiadzin.jpg|The other Holy Lance.
File:St John incorruptible hand.jpeg|St. John Chrysostom’s incorruptible hand.
File:St Innocent.gif|Relic of St. Innocent in Russia.
File:Relic of Fr Ilie.jpeg|Relic of Fr. Ilie in Romania.
File:Relics of St. Sabbas the Sanctified in the Mar Saba monastery in Palestine.jpg|Relic of Saint Sabbas the Sanctified in [[Palestine]].
File:LeontijeRadulović-mošti.jpg|Body of Saint Leontius Radulovic, patron saint of being poorly dressed.
File:2014 Prowincja Armawir, Wagharszapat, Katedra w Eczmiadzynie, Wnętrze, Relikwiarz zawierający fragment Arki Noego.jpg|An Armenian reliquary apparently containing a piece of [[Noah's Ark]].
File:Vladimir Putin 28 December 2000-9.jpg|[[Vladimir Putin]] viewing some Russian Orthodox relics.
</gallery>

==Islamic relics==
With the outsized influence of reformist Islamic movements like [[Wahhabism]] and [[Salafism]], which reject the veneration of relics, there is increasingly the erroneous belief that [[Islam]] as a whole has a negligible tradition of keeping relics.<ref>Josef W. Meri, “Relics of Piety and Power in Medieval Islam,” Past and Present 103.5, in Relics and Remains (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010), p. 97.</ref> Historically, however, classical Islamic thinkers posed many justifications for the veneration of relics and Islamic relics were and are highly prized.<ref>Josef W. Meri, “Relics of Piety and Power in Medieval Islam,” Past and Present 103.5, in Relics and Remains (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010), p. 98</ref> Perhaps most notable are the various relics collected by the [[Turkey|Ottoman Turks]] which are claimed to be from the life and body of the [[Prophet]] [[Muhammad]].<ref>https://topkapisarayi.gov.tr/en/content/pavilion-holy-mantle-and-holy-relics Pavilion of the Holy Mantle and Holy Relics] Topkapi Palace, Turkey.</ref> The Turkish government still cares for and maintains the relics, among which are allegedly Muhammad's beard, tooth, sword, and writings.<ref>[https://www.dailysabah.com/feature/2017/12/25/islams-sacred-relics-protected-by-turkish-state-foundations Islam's sacred relics protected by Turkish state, foundations] ''Daily Sabah''.</ref>

Despite their Wahhabist beliefs, even [[Saudi Arabia]] has reluctantly permitted the veneration of at least one relic at [[Mecca]]. Near the [[Kaaba]] is the "Maqam Ibrahim" or "Station of Abraham", a rock with what are allegedly the prophet [[Abraham]]'s footprints.<ref>[https://aboutislam.net/reading-islam/understanding-islam/9-things-to-know-about-maqam-ibrahim/ 9 Things to Know About Maqam Ibrahim]. ''About Islam.''</ref> Muslims make prayers there during their final circuit around the Great Mosque of Mecca. Abraham's footprints are also strangely shaped and much larger than a normal human being's feet. The Kaaba and its Black Stone are also arguably relics as well.

<gallery widths=175px heights=175px>
File:Turkey.Konya043.jpg|Box which allegedly contains Muhammad's beard.
File:DSC04740 Istanbul - Impronta del piede di Maometto ad Eyüp - Foto G. Dall'Orto 30-5-2006.jpg|Muhammad's weirdly blockish footprint
File:Muhammad letter muqawqis.jpg|A letter written by Muhammad.
File:Mohammad cup.jpeg|"The cup from which Muhammad drank water." Wow!
File:Mohammad hair.jpeg|A strand of Muhammad's hair. Let's hope it came from his head.
File:Mohammad soil.jpeg|Soil from Muhammad's tomb.
File:Footprints of Ibrahim.jpeg|Footprints of Abraham at the Great Mosque of Mecca.
File:Heee.jpeg|The Black Stone of the Kaaba.
</gallery>

==Buddhist relics==
[[File:Temple of the Tooth bombed.jpeg|thumb|right|200px|The Temple of the Tooth after the [[terrorist]] attack.]]
Buddhist relics are referred to under the catch-all term of Śarīra. Buddhists do not worship these relics, but do preserve them for veneration under the belief that relics can provide a connection to old masters of the religion, including Gautama Buddha himself.<ref>[https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2015/12/10/maitreya-loving-kindness-tour-buddhist-relics-sedona/77069846/ Buddhist relics on display in Sedona, their last appearance on world tour] Ron Dungan, ''AZ Central''.</ref> Buddhist tradition holds that Buddha was cremated after his death, and his ashes divided among his followers; various sites and countries around the world claim to possess these relics today.<ref name="buddharelic">[http://factsanddetails.com/world/cat55/sub355/entry-5666.html Relics of the Buddha]</ref> Fragments of Buddha's teeth and strands of his hair are also alleged to still be around. In Buddhist cultures, destruction of a relic was historically considered a crime on par with the murder of a human being.<ref name="buddharelic"></ref>

One of the holiest Buddhist temples is in Sri Lanka and allegedly contains one of Buddha's teeth. The [[Tamil Tigers]] attacked it with a truck bomb in 1998, killing 11 people but failing to destroy the tooth.<ref name="toothbomb">[https://www.nytimes.com/1998/01/26/world/11-killed-in-truck-bombing-at-sri-lanka-buddhist-site.html 11 Killed in Truck Bombing At Sri Lanka Buddhist Site] ''New York Times''. JAN. 26, 1998.</ref> The attack shocked the majority Buddhist nation, and the ''[[New York Times]]'' quoted a man as saying, "''You terrorists, kill us, eat us, but don't attack our shrines where Buddha lives.''"<ref name="toothbomb"></ref>

One of the unique versions of a Buddhist relic is the ''sarira'' where the above word is derived. These are believed to be pearl-like colored stones allegedly left behind when a great Buddhist monk is cremated.<ref name="sarira">[https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/buddhist-human-pearls Sarira: Buddhist Human Pearls] Kevin Lo, ''Atlas Obscura.''</ref> There's a whole classification system and mythology surrounding them. The pearls are said to grow within the human body, with yellowish ones coming from the liver, whitish ones coming from the head, and so on.<ref name="sarira"></ref> It is most likely that ''sarira'' form naturally during the cremation process. Under certain conditions, human bones can form a variety of crystalline structures through the application of heat.<ref>"[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7665130 Scanning electron microscope observations of heat-treated human bone"]. Forensic Sci. Int. 74 (1–2): 29–45. June 1995. doi:10.1016/0379-0738(95)01735-2. PMID 7665130.</ref>

<gallery widths=175px heights=175px>
File:Lord Buddha - Hair Relics.JPG|Hair alleged to be from Buddha.
File:Relics of buddha from His Holiness Supreme Patriarch of Thailand 2012.jpg|Sarira in Thailand.
File:Sarira 1.jpeg|Sarira on display.
File:Buddha tooth.jpeg|Relic alleged to be Buddha's tooth.
File:Sarira healing ritual.jpeg|A "healing" ritual involving sarira.
File:Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum.JPG|The {{wpl|Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum}} in [[Singapore]]
</gallery>

==Marxist-Leninist relics==
[[File:Mausoleum of Mao Zedong P1090218.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Mao Zedong's mausoleum in Tiananmen Square, Beijing.]]
Although this authoritarian brand of [[communism]] was and is staunchly [[atheist]], observers couldn't help but notice their tendency to preserve the corpses of their former leaders and place them in "secular cathedrals".<ref>Ryan, Karen L. (2009), ''Stalin in Russian Satire, 1917–1991'', Univ of Wisconsin Press, pp. 157–159, ISBN 0299234436</ref> Instead of relying on religious dogma for preservation, though, the communists used a variety of chemical preservation methods and even allegedly stuffed some electric environmental control devices into the corpses cavities.<ref name="zbar">[https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-16283257 Who, What, Why: How do you embalm a leader?] ''BBC News.''</ref> Ilya Zbarsky, who was a member of Lenin's embalming maintenance team at the Research Institute for Biological Structures in Moscow, revealed to the [[BBC]] how Russia continues to maintain [[Vladimir Lenin]]'s corpse: "Twice a week, we would soak the face and the hands with a special solution. We could also improve some minor defects. Once a year the mausoleum was closed and the body was immersed in a bath with this solution."<ref name="zbar"/> The Russians got so good at body preservation that the Vietnamese government would fly Ho Chi Minh's corpse out to Moscow for the same treatment. This is, as you might guess, a much more intensive process than the regular embalming you'd see for a funeral. Embalming is temporary and only meant to last until the casket closes, while communist corpse preservation is meant to last indefinitely and keep the corpse viewable to the public.

[[Vladimir Putin]] has publicly compared Lenin's corpse to a Christian relic at least once before.<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/9737569/Vladimir-Putin-compares-Lenin-to-holy-Christian-relics.html Vladimir Putin compares Lenin to holy Christian relics]. ''The Telegraph.''</ref> Even after the downfall of the [[Soviet Union]], Russian guards are still determined to force guests to seem at least outwardly deferential.<ref>[https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/lenin-mausoleum-moscow/index.html Red Square rendezvous: Visiting Lenin's body in Moscow]. ''CNN.''</ref> Still, most visitors to the dead commie these days are morbidly curious or history buffs rather than genuine Lenin devotees.

Ho Chi Minh's corpse is among the most controversial. It's rumored that the corpse is a fake, and it doesn't help that the Vietnamese honor guards use dim lighting and a constantly moving line to ensure that photos of it are incredibly difficult to get.<ref>[https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/ho-chi-minh-mausoleum Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum]. ''Atlas Obscura.''</ref> The Vietnamese remain among the most zealous in guarding their dead former leader. It's under 24-hour guard by riflemen carefully selected for their [[patriotism]]; the site is usually busy with Vietnamese civilians making pilgrimages there to honor their country's founding father.<ref>[https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3025250/half-century-after-ho-chi-minhs-death-his-embalmed-body Half a century after Ho Chi Minh’s death, his embalmed body is guarded around the clock]. ''South China Morning Post.''</ref>

<gallery widths=175px heights=175px>
File:Lenin corpse.jpeg|Lenin's corpse in the Red Square's Lenin Mausoleum.
File:Mao corpse.jpeg|[[Mao Zedong]] at the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong in Beijing.
File:Kim Jong Il corpse.jpeg|[[Kim Jong Il]] in the Kumsusan Memorial Palace.
File:Ho Chi Minh corpse.png|Illicit photo of Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi.
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[Religious pareidolia]]
*[[Holy Foreskin]]
*[[Holy Grail]]
*[[Iconoclasm]]
*[[Idolatry]]
*[[Jerusalem]]
*[[Mecca]]
*The [[John the Baptist#Fate of his several heads|"Fate of his several heads"]] section of [[John the Baptist]]

==External link==
*[https://web.archive.org/save/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/15/opinion/relics-religion.html For Sale: The Hair of the Virgin Mary: What does a supposedly secular world want with the creepy (and probably fake) remains of medieval saints?] by Mattia Ferraresi (June 15, 2020) ''The New York Times''

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}
[[Category:Religion]]
[[Category:Religious terms]]
[[Category:Folklore]]
[[Category:Myths and legends]]
[[Category:Jesus-related hoaxes]]
[[Category:Anthropology]]

Categories: Religion, Religious terms, Folklore, Myths and legends, Jesus-related hoaxes, Anthropology