Seeing and Believing: The Construction of Sanctity in Early-Medieval Saints' Shrines

Hahn, Cynthia

doi:10.2307/2865959

Cited by 40 publications

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“…Objects near sacred graves "absorb the sanctity of the place and/or have magic powers in the Muslim world" [[116]:106] as well as in Christianity [[117]:1086] and are used later by the believers. It is not surprising to find "seepage" of the supernatural powers of sacred graves to sacred trees, so some functions of the saint's grave such as: granting barakeh , property protection (Table 2), swearing, and taking vows were transferred to the sacred tree (even in the absence of the grave) or granted by the saint himself associated with the tree (see below).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The supernatural characters and powers of sacred trees in the Holy Land

Dafni

2007

J Ethnobiology Ethnomedicine

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This article surveys the beliefs concerning the supernatural characteristics and powers of sacred trees in Israel; it is based on a field study as well as a survey of the literature and includes 118 interviews with Muslims and Druze.Both the Muslims and Druze in this study attribute supernatural dimensions to sacred trees which are directly related to ancient, deep-rooted pagan traditions. The Muslims attribute similar divine powers to sacred trees as they do to the graves of their saints; the graves and the trees are both considered to be the abode of the soul of a saint which is the source of their miraculous powers. Any violation of a sacred tree would be strictly punished while leaving the opportunity for atonement and forgiveness. The Druze, who believe in the transmigration of souls, have similar traditions concerning sacred trees but with a different religious background.In polytheistic religions the sacred grove/forest is a centre of the community's official worship; any violation of the trees is regarded as a threat to the well being of the community. Punishments may thus be collective.In the monotheistic world (including Christianity, Islam and Druze) the pagan worship of trees was converted into the worship/adoration of saints/prophets; it is not a part of the official religion but rather a personal act and the punishments are exerted only on the violating individual.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Objects near sacred graves "absorb" the sanctity of the place and/or havie magic powers in the Muslim world [[116]:106] as well as in Christianity [[117]:108] and are used later by the believers. Thus it is not surprising to find "seepage" of the supernatural powers of the sacred graves to the sacred trees.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The supernatural characters and powers of sacred trees in the Holy Land

Dafni

2007

J Ethnobiology Ethnomedicine

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“…Their faith was inspired by "things seen," as Cynthia Hahn notes in her work on early medieval shrines. 75 As Dillenberger observes, it was through the "modalities of touch and sight" that most people "felt" the power of relics. 76 The sight of the incombustible relic proved its worth to Anne, as she began carrying the relic with her on all long journeys.…”

Section: Seeing Is Believing? the Miracle Of The True Crossmentioning

confidence: 98%

Putting Faith to the Test: Anne de Gonzague and the Incombustible Relic

Hillman

2014

Journal of Medieval and Early Modern Studies

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This article explores the cognitive struggle against “doubt” that impeded the conversion of the female aristocrat Anne de Gonzague, princesse Palatine, in seventeenth-century France. Anne's conversion came only after a life-long intellectual battle that climaxed when she held a fragment of the True Cross in the fire to test whether it could withstand the flames. The intellectual premise for her experiment with the holy relic can be found in her own écrit or conversion narrative. Analysis of this narrative demonstrates that Anne's application of philosophical skepticism and the Cartesian method—to which she was exposed in the Scientific Academy of her physician, Pierre Michon Bourdelot—to her own irreligion actually brought about her conversion to orthodoxy. Anne's “test” of faith therefore compels us to rethink the relationship between the New Philosophy and faith in the seventeenth century.

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“…With these words, Paulinus of Nola, circa 400, one of the very first writers to comment on reliquaries, concludes his comments on the 3) For this slippage, see Hahn 1997a; for examples see Dierkens 1999:224. 4) I think this is why art historians have been reluctant to attempt more inclusive discussions of reliquaries.…”

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confidence: 96%

“…With this foot as frame for the sandal of the Apostle, Egbert is creating a striking, memorable and indeed beautiful image and perhaps also making a personal claim to the metaphor of mission and conversion implied by the sandal (travel), inherited by the bishop of an apostolically founded see (Westermann-Angerhausen 1987). Although we will not explore such "body part reliquaries" and their full range of meanings, it is already apparent how impressive and creative such reliquaries could be (Hahn 1997a;Reudenbach 2000Reudenbach , 2008.…”

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confidence: 99%

What Do Reliquaries Do for Relics?

Hahn

2010

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This article introduces prominent issues that surround the Christian use of reliquaries, first discussing examples from Trier made by the renowned Archbishop Egbert in the tenth century, then turning to early Christian texts to investigate the beginnings of relic practice and belief. Of special interest are the letters and poems of Paulinus of Nola, but also the commentaries of Augustine, Ambrose, Victricius of Rouen and others that flesh out an understanding of how reliquaries were essential to the project of creating an appropriate reverentia for relics (Peter Brown's term). The materiality of reliquaries, their creation of social relations, particular issues of enclosure and beauty, and questions of potential visibility are given special consideration.

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Seeing and Believing: The Construction of Sanctity in Early-Medieval Saints' Shrines

Cited by 40 publications

References 0 publications

The supernatural characters and powers of sacred trees in the Holy Land

The supernatural characters and powers of sacred trees in the Holy Land

Putting Faith to the Test: Anne de Gonzague and the Incombustible Relic

What Do Reliquaries Do for Relics?

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