Expert study of a 580-year-old manuscript details an array of festive relics that were given to Battle Abbey by William the Conqueror and King John.
The astonishing list of objects stored at the abbey, situated near site of the Battle of Hastings, was revealed by English Heritage.
Dating back to the mid-15th century, the manuscript is one of only 30 or so relic inventories to still survive from medieval England, and mentions 175 individual relics.
From pieces of what was believed to be the manger where Christ was born, to the hair shirt and finger bone of Saint Nicholas -the original Santa Claus, the relics housed at Battle Abbey were some of the most prestigious objects gifted to any abbey in England – some more significant even than those given to Westminster Abbey, English Hertiage said.
Dr Michael Carter, English Heritage historian, said: “The collecting and cherishing of relics was an important aspect of medieval monasticism and I am thrilled to think that I could have been the first person in over 500 years to study the glorious list from Battle Abbey in detail.
“It’s fascinating how connections to our Christmas today can be traced back almost a thousand years and despite Henry VIII’s violent suppression, these great monasteries are still giving up their secrets.
“There’s no greater endorsement than a king giving a gift of relics so this list reveals just…
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