The Quest for Becket's Bones : The Mystery of the Relics of St Thomas Becket of Canterbury by Butler, John - 1995

Yale University Press, New Haven and London, 1995. First Edition. Blue Cloth. Near Fine/Very Good. Illustrator: Photo's & Drawings. gilt titles spine; illustrated throughout by colour & b/w. photo's with b/w. plans & drawings; "In January 1888, workmen excavating the eastern crypt of Canterbury Cathedral uncovered the ancient bones of a tall, middle-aged man whose skull had seemingly been cleft by a sword. Could these be the remains of St Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, who was murdered in the Cathedral in December 1170 by knights of King Henry II? For more than three centuries after his martyrdom Becket's shrine in Canterbury was England's leading place of pilgrimage and site of miracles, chronicled most famously in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. But in 1538 during the orgy of destruction that was Henry VIII's Reformation, Becket's bones were burnt and his ashes thrown to the wind. Or were they? The discovery of the bones in 1888 revived centuries of speculation and provoked a fierce national debate between those who believed these were the relics of England's greatest Catholic saint, and those for whom such a discovery was anathema. What really happened to the mortal remains of St Thomas Becket? Were the bones indeed hidden from Henry VIII's commissioners and reburied later in a secret location within the Cathedral? What was the significance of the grave discovered in 1888, and why in 1949 did the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury order its re-opening? Why does an obscure French Cardinal occupy a makeshift tomb in one of the most sacred areas of Canterbury Cathedral, and what dark secret did two French legionnaires seek to reveal by prizing it open in 1990? For whom does the perpetual red lamp of a martyr burn in the sanctuary of the Chapel of St Mary Magdalene? And what is the significance of the spot in the Cathedral on which, twice a year, a small group of people still gathers to pray for the conversion of England?"; previous owner's bookplate inside front cover but an otherwise clean copy of a fascinating book; 180 pages including notes & index. N.B. This is a heavy book & may incur extra shipping cost. Size: 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. Illustrator: Photo's & Drawings. Quantity Available: 1. Category: History; Theology; Catholicism; Saint Thomas Becket; England; Medieval 10th to 15thc; Archaeology. ISBN: 0300061153. ISBN/EAN: 9780300061154. Pictures of this item not already displayed here available upon request. Inventory No: THG00053. . 9780300061154