Saintly Relics

At the heart of saintly cults is the physical remnants or manifestations of the saint, usually their body but often their worldly possessions, known as relics, which are highly revered. It is these items that are the focus of the cults for they embody the human dimension of the saint, an aspect long discarded by the figure who now serves the deity spiritually. Although physical rather than spiritual, these objects are believed to be imbued with potent religious energy from the saint and as such should be carefully treasured and protected as sacred artifacts of both the saint and the deity.

As mentioned earlier, the most important relic are the remains of the saint, known as the reliquiae, the mortal shell of the spiritual being. It is claimed that the saints will one day return to their bodies, and therefore it is important that they be safeguarded. Furthermore the fact that the body is left behind is a sign that the saint still has a vested interest in returning to the earth and is therefore receptive to the pleas of devotees.

It is this reliquiae that is housed in the reliquary, a richly decorated coffin that is often carried forth on important occasions and even taken on campaigns with armies to ensure the saint's continued blessing on the enterprise. In many cases the saint's body may even be separated into parts with some portions sent out to other shrines to that saint as a means of legitimizing the new shrine as well as spreading the influence of the original shrine. Some are horrified by such a prospect of separating the remains of a saint but the sheer demand by worshippers and other clergy for an authentic manifestation of the saint and the political and religious influence attached overshadows such concerns. By gifting parts of the saints, the original shrine is increasing its political influence, and therefore nearly all churches turn a blind eye to this practice.

Almost as significant as the reliquiae are the saintly accoutrements that the saint had with them in their life. These items are held in awe not only because of their association with the saint, but because they were the tools by which the saint often did their sacred work. The practical and spiritual applications of such saintly trappings are attributed great powers and are not to be underestimated; the shrine may often use these artifacts to fulfill the designs of their saint and deity. In some cases items of incredible religious significance may be more valued than the remains of the saints themselves, although this is quite rare.

Enjoying less significance, are the brandia, or objects that had been associated with the relics of the saint, such as stones in a shrine, vestments worn during ceremonies, and other paraphernalia. These items are donated to lesser shrines or used in common ceremonies, or in many places sold to the devout. A step beyond these brandia are the items related to the cult of the saint but having no claims to a direct association with the saints themselves, the memorabilia. These items include prayerbooks, bead necklaces, lockets with pictures of the saints, and other such items that serve to remind people of the importance of the saint.
The authenticity of the relic can be problematic. Reliquiae especially are a source of friction, for it is not uncommon for two or more shrines to claim to possess the remains of a saint, claims that due to the politics of cults are very difficult to authenticate. Similar problems occur around other relics as well, complicated by the fact that the very desirability and power of all saintly artifacts means that they are the subject of many thefts. After centuries of thefts, false claims, new discoveries, splitting up of reliquiae, losses of artifacts on battlefields, destruction of temples and shrines, and countless other events that the genealogy of many cult artifacts is questioned or uncertain.

There are always those unscrupulous individuals who claim to sell true artifacts of the saints, often powered bone for potions or other curiosities, and so great is their reputed power that there is no shortage of people to pay outrageous prices for items that may be illegitimate or illegally obtained. Countless thefts have been suppressed by cult authorities or never even recognized, and religious authorities would be horrified to discover how many artifacts had been stolen and switched by not only thieving outsiders, but by the very members of their own cult!

To address the issue of authenticity of cult artifacts, the cult hierarchy has many scholars versed in cult lore and history and claim to be able to identify cult artifacts with unerring accuracy. Items deemed authentic by the cult leadership, usually after exhausting research, are given a document attesting to their validity, and item known as authenticae, which as proof of the items authenticity are worth almost as much as the item itself.

Becoming a Saint

For the common person in Bretonnia it is quite clear how one becomes a saint, to live a good and virtuous life embodying those things that a deity encourages, and for years of service you are recognized by the deity and called to serve them spiritually.

The truth of the matter is that the process of becoming a saint, known as canonization has become far more political than most people understand. There are two groups controlling the process of sainthood, the church hierarchy and the nobility. The church hierarchy controls church doctrine and policy and those who contradict or challenge the church are unlikely to ever be canonized. Many charismatic wandering holy people who practice unorthodox opinions are popular and well liked but are rarely ever officially recognized, and upon their death an unofficial shrine may be built but this can be destroyed by the church authorities as heresy; a few outside cults have gradually been accepted by the church hierarchy, but this is exceedingly rare. The nobility, of whom many are in the various churches and upon whom the clergy often rely upon for financial, military, and judicial assistance, they too have considerable power to influence whether or not an individual is recognized, and for this reason few common folk regardless of their devotion are canonized.

Those who are canonized tend to be those who do not challenge church authority, and who work closely to the church. Over the years it has been common for nearly all heads of the church to be canonized as a means of legitimizing the spiritual dedication of the church. Not all are fully invested as saints, but it is a formality that has become commonplace. Likewise, those wealthy nobleman who give often and give generously are likely to be canonized based more on their charitable nature rather than their adherence to church doctrine. As such the process of canonization can be a political one that all too often reinforces the existing status quo.

Over the years the sheer influx of saints has been regarded cynically by the common people, who react coldly to another church head or nobleman being granted sainthood upon their death. For this reason those saints from common backgrounds or with an ancient and legitimate tradition are held in high esteem, while more contemporary saint cults are pointedly ignored. As another means of rejecting church and noble controls, the common folk often worship unrecognized saints who are known as les saints des personnes which provide an alternative to formal religion. These movements are quite popular, but are often brutally repressed by the authorities.

History of Saints

Before the formation of Bretonnia, the Bretonni people inhabiting the lands had a strong belief that although there was a clear divide between the natural and the supernatural, the profane and the sacred, that some special individuals were specially chosen by the deities to serve as examples to others. Some early Bretonni were renowned for their solemnity and their ability to put the dead to rest, others for their compassion and ability to heal, but most importantly were those warrior cults dedicated to Myrmidia that sought to epitomize martial skill as the means to defeat the threats that beset the Bretonni. These early holy people had great power and influence and were revered upon their death as models to emulate.
So before the formation of Bretonnia the Bretonni had in place early assumptions about the relationship between the human and the divine. This would be reinforced upon the unification of Bretonnia under Gilles le Breton. Gilles was a devout follower of Myrmidia who formalized not only the relationship between warriors and leader, but between commoners, nobility, and royalty. His leadership and policies resulted in the rigid hierarchy present in Bretonnia and would prove important in the rise of saintly cults.

When Giles le Breton was called by Myrmidia to serve her it confirmed the earlier traditional belief that some people were called by the deities to serve special roles. Soon the cosmology of Bretonnian religion paralleled the social structure of the society, so that just as the noblility mediated between people and king, so there were people such as the clergy that mediated between people and deity. The clergy were held in high regard, and after death clergy and other holy figures continued to be consulted by noble and commoner alike. During this early period hundreds of people both inside the church hierarchy and among commoner and nobility alike had visitations from the dead providing advice and knowledge. It was then, about a century after the disappearance of Gilles le Breton, that saintly cults began to spring up being reinforced when news came of the elevation of Sigmar to deity. These events proved that there was a close relationship between humanity and deities, and since then the saintly cults have dominated the churches of Bretonnia.