Relic

Relic
A holy object or portion of a holy object that maintained a mystical connection with the holy. There were many false relics pawned during the Middle Ages, forgeries no different from the art fakes now sold. Relics were often used to swear upon, perhaps the bones of a saint, a portion of the True Cross, or some such was touched in the impromptu ceremony of an oath. Relics were also incorporated into other objects with the hope that the connection with the holy would transmit something of that holy character to the larger artifact. Swords sometimes worked relics into the pommels and in churches, altars were contained some object thought to be a relic.
the mortal remains, or any components thereof, of a saint; believed to embody the miraculous powers of the saint
♦ An object venerated by believers because it was associated with a saint; a relic could be something owned by the saint, such as a piece of clothing or a book, but most often was a part of the saint's body.
(Lynch, Joseph H. The Medieval Church: A Brief History, 365)
Related terms: Reliquary

Medieval glossary. 2014.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Relic — − Museum der Angst (englischer Originaltitel: Relic) ist ein Thriller Roman der US amerikanischen Autoren Douglas Preston und Lincoln Child. Die Originalausgabe wurde 1994 vom New Yorker Verlag St. Martin s Press veröffentlicht. 1997 erschien die …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • ReliC — est un groupe de rap français originaires d Argenteuil, dans le Val d Oise(95). Il est composé d Antar ,Chodo,Manscaro et DJ Soft. Carrière Le principal fait d arme pour ce groupe originaire d Argenteuil, a été en 2004 et la chanson just married… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Relic — Rel ic (r?l ?k), n. [F. relique, from L. reliquiae, pl., akin to relinquere to leave behind. See {Relinquish}.] [Formerly written also {relique}.] 1. That which remains; that which is left after loss or decay; a remaining portion; a remnant.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • relic — index holdover, reminder, token Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • relic — early 13c., body part or other object from a holy person, from O.Fr. relique (11c.), from L.L. reliquiæ (pl.) remains of a martyr, from L., remains, remnants, noun use of fem. pl. of reliquus remaining, that which remains, from re back + root of… …   Etymology dictionary

  • relic — [n] something saved from the past antique, antiquity, archaism, artifact, curio, curiosity, evidence, fragment, heirloom, keepsake, memento, memorial, monument, remains, remembrance, remembrancer, reminder, remnant, residue, ruins, scrap,… …   New thesaurus

  • relic — ► NOUN 1) an object of interest surviving from an earlier time. 2) a surviving but outdated object, custom, or belief. 3) a part of a holy person s body or belongings kept and revered after their death. ORIGIN from Latin reliquiae remains …   English terms dictionary

  • relic — [rel′ik] n. [ME relike < OFr relique < L reliquiae, pl., remains < relinquere: see RELINQUISH] 1. a) an object, custom, etc. that has survived, wholly or partially, from the past b) something that has historic interest because of its age …   English World dictionary

  • relic — noun ADJECTIVE ▪ ancient ▪ last ▪ It was the last relic of the old system. ▪ quaint ▪ He seemed to view her as a quaint relic of the past …   Collocations dictionary

  • Relic — A relic is an object or a personal item of religious significance, carefully preserved with an air of veneration as a tangible memorial. Relics are an important aspect of some forms of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, shamanism, and many other… …   Wikipedia

  • relic — [[t]re̱lɪk[/t]] relics 1) N COUNT: usu N of/from n If you refer to something or someone as a relic of an earlier period, you mean that they belonged to that period but have survived into the present. The tower is a relic of grim days when big… …   English dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”