The Enshrinement of Local Saints in Francia and England
John Crook
Abstract The cult of saints in the early middle ages found visible and tangible expression above all veneration bodily (usually skeletal) remains, ‘ relics’, left behind on earth by men women who had suffered death for their Christian beliefs (martyrs) or led particularly holy lives (confessors). From very earliest days organized church practice exercised a significant influence architectural design internal arrangement ecclesiastical buildings housing such relics. In this chapter these influences are examined medieval West, more Merovingian Carolingian Francia. First, however, we should take brief look at Roman background to developments. saintly relics consisted memorial structure (memoriaor tropaion) over body saint; respect, cults were essentially local, linked with saint’s grave. Such monuments soon enclosed within churches, high altar still ideally located directly grave, although some cases terrain made impossible.
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