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This episode of You're Dead to Me explores the cult of medieval saints and relics with historian Dr. Simon Yarrow and comedian Rachel Parris, hosted by Greg Jenner. The discussion covers how medieval people defined holiness, the transition from early Christian martyrs to ascetics and hermits, and the bizarre nature of relics like body parts and physical items housed in elaborate shrines. The guests and host examine the rigorous bureaucratic processes introduced by popes like Innocent III to authenticate saints through witness testimony, life histories, and posthumous miracles. It highlights the cultural significance of pilgrimages, the economic and social dynamics of sainthood, and how the veneration of relics bridges historical curiosity with human empathy.
The episode opens with the BBC sponsorship announcement and a brief ad for Whole Foods Market.
Greg Jenner welcomes listeners and sets the stage for a discussion on medieval saints and relics.
The conversation turns to what constitutes a saint, the early Christian context, and the development of saintly cults.
The hosts discuss what relics are, the kinds of relics, and why medieval people venerated them.
The discussion moves to the formal process of canonisation, the role of miracles, and the bureaucratic steps involved.
The hosts wrap up the episode, reflect on the enduring relevance of saints, and thank the guests.
Greg and the guests explore the nature of pilgrimages, the journey, and the customs of pilgrims.
The episode shifts to the historian’s perspective on relics, ethics, and the responsibility of interpreting miracles.
Gross Relics of the Middle Agesinsight
The guest and host discuss various gruesome and unusual body parts kept as relics, including an eyeball at Stonyhurst College and the preserved tongue of St. Anthony of Padua.
Simon the Stylite Pillar Livingstory
Dr. Simon Yarrow explains how ascetics like Simon the Stylite practiced extreme endurance, spending nearly forty years living at the top of a pillar in Aleppo.
The discussion introduces Simon of Ameta, a holy fool who engaged in bizarre behaviors like dragging dead dogs and throwing nuts at women.
Papal Canonization Procedure Originsdata
Dr. Simon Yarrow notes that the first papal canonization occurred in the 10th century, before the procedure became systematic and regularized in the 13th century.
Thomas of Eldersfield Miracle Talestory
A bizarre 13th-century miracle story recounts a man whose eyeballs and testicles were removed after losing a trial by combat, only to have them fully restored.
Contagious Power of Relicsinsight
Dr. Simon Yarrow describes shrines as highly curated spaces designed to give visitors access to the contagious power and holy radiation of the relic.
Twentieth Century Canonization Boomdata
Greg Jenner points out the surprising fact that more saints were canonized in the 20th century than in any single medieval century.
“I don't know the official definition, but I think it's either an accessory or a body part of a saint that is kept in a church, sometimes in a special little box.”
“So they call it the Vita Apostolica.”
“You usually go to a shrine and shrines can be in monasteries and they can be in local churches.”
“And this is how historians often feel when they go into the archive.”
Greg Jenner is joined in medieval Europe by historian Dr Simon Yarrow and comedian Rachel Parris to learn all about the cult of saints and their relics. The veneration of saints still plays an important role in the lives of Catholics all over the world, but what did the cult of saints – and especially devotion to their relics – play in medieval Europe? This episode explores all aspects of the topic: who became a saint, and how the canonisation process changed over the centuries as the papacy tried to more tightly control it. What sorts of signs and miracles proved someone’s sanctity. What relics are, and how medieval churches acquired them, both legitimately and illegitimately. What people in the Middle Ages thought saints could do for them, and the pilgrimages they took to their tombs in search of aid. And it asks whether everyone believed in the power of saints’ relics – and the gruesome fate awaiting some sceptics. This is a radio edit of the original podcast episode. For the full-length version, please look further back in the feed. Hosted by: Greg Jenner Research by: Lily Tidman Written by: Dr Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow, Dr Emma Nagouse, and Greg Jenner Produced by: Dr Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow and Greg Jenner Audio Producer: Steve Hankey Production Coordinator: Gill Huggett Senior Producer: Dr Emma Nagouse Executive Editor: Philip Sellars
5,711 words · 6 speakers
Speaker names marked are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.
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