04 Piety and Miracles

            The events following Becket’s murder reveal the power relics held in the world of religion and politics. Before his blood had even dried on the cathedral floor, worshippers hurried to compete for whatever parts of his body were left. In Benedict of Peterborough’s account of Becket’s martyrdom, “No one seemed happy with themselves unless they had taken something away, however insignificant, from this precious treasure.” [17] The blind rubbed Becket’s blood on their eyes and were able to see. The immobile could walk. The deaf could hear, the mute could speak. [18] As morbid as it seems in modern times, the acquisition of relics was highly coveted due to the holy body’s ability to perform such miracles.

            The public’s fervor for relics and their miracles can be attributed to the disquiet growing in society around 1,000 CE. It was believed the start of the new millennium would bring about Judgment Day or the beginning of the thousand year rule of the Antichrist. [19] The spread of plague and famine, the constant threat of foreign invasions, the destruction of cities by war and fire all heightened the public’s fears [20] and they drew closer to the sanctuary of the Church with its promises of miracles and salvation.

17. Abbott, Edwin Abbott <archive.org/stream/stthomasofcanter01abbouoft/stthomasofcanter01abbouoft_djvu.txt>.

18. Freeman, Charles. Page 5.

19. Freeman, Charles. Pages 84-85. 

20. Steinfels, Peter. <www.nytimes.com/1999/07/17/nyregion/beliefs-millennial-fears-year-1000-apocalypse-then-apocalypse-now-apocalypse.html>.