Medieval History Term of the Week: Reliquary
Reliquary
[rel-i-kwer-ee]
Etymology: French reliquaire, from Medieval Latin reliquiarium, from reliquia relic
A chest, box, or shrine, often elaborately decorated, in which a saint’s relics were kept. Reliquaries were often the focal point of pilgrimages. (Lynch, Joseph H. The Medieval Church: A Brief History, 365)
*term definition retrieved from Netserf’s Medieval Glossary (http://www.netserf.org/Glossary)
Filed under: Middle Ages History, Medieval Glossary, Medieval History on July 24th, 2009
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