The Reliquary

Here is what would probably have been the relic chapel, where St Andrew's supposed remains were kept in their reliquary.

In the most simplest sense, a reliquary is a container to house relics. They play a key role in religious practice within the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. Reliquaries allow relics such as bones of saints to be displayed to their worshippers without the danger of being damaged, also making them easily portable.

The History of the Reliquary

The use of reliquaries began at least around the fourth century AD in the Eastern Church in particular, probably because Constantinople, unlike Rome, lacked buried saints. The earliest reliquaries were simple containers built with protection and portability in mind so that relics might be used in procession, but as time passed and the Church grew richer, reliquaries grew more elaborate and highly decorative.

Enthusiasm for relics grew throughout the Middle Ages, increasing their demand until fraudulent relics became abundant and reformers such as the sixteenth century Martin Luther began to object to their use. With the Reformation and the rise of Protestantism, reliquaries came to be seen as vestiges of a corrupt and decandent Church, and the misguided veneration of saints instead of God: the vast majority of reliquaries in England and Scotland were destroyed, as with many of the more ceremonial aspects of churches.