Danish King got enshrined in his own clothes, appeared with his
brothers' when examined

Date:
October 1, 2020
Source:
University of Southern Denmark
Summary:
Scientific analysis solve puzzle about the age and destiny of
precious silk textiles from AD 1100.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
The cathedral in Odense, Denmark, has for nine centuries held the relics
of the Danish King St. Canute the Holy and his brother Benedikt. They
were both murdered here in AD 1086, and just a few years later, in AD
1100, King Canute was sanctified.


==========================================================================
The history of the relics has been that of turmoil at times, varying
from initial worship of the Catholic believers to being walled up and
hidden after the protestant reformation in AD 1536.

Since the 19th century the brothers' wooden shrines have been on display
in the cathedral as heritage objects of national importance.

Now, researchers have examined some of the textiles in the two
shrines. They conclude that King Canute's shrine no longer holds the
precious silk textiles placed in it at his enshrinement.

Instead it is likely that the textiles from his brother's shrine at some
point have been moved to King Canute's shrine.

The shrines of Canute and Benedikt have long been a puzzle in Danish
history.

They both contain several well-preserved textiles of silk and linen and
the question is: How old are the textiles and what is their historical
context?


========================================================================== According to historical sources, both brothers were covered in valuable textiles when enshrined. Sources have described how Canute's shrine in
AD 1536 was lined with beautiful and rare silk.

Decades later, both shrines were walled up in the cathedral, placed
vertically so that the bones and textiles lay in a heap at the bottom
of each shrine, and hereafter there are no reportings of the precious
textiles in King Canute's shrine when it was re-examined in AD 1694 and
AD 1833.

"It is tempting to suggest that the king's precious textiles have been
stolen at some point after AD 1582," says professor and an expert in archaeometry, Kaare Lund Rasmussen from University of Southern Denmark.

When the two shrines were removed from their walled up hiding places
and prepared to be put on display in 1874, researchers at the time were
puzzled by the absence of valuable textiles in King Canute's shrine --
his brother Benedikt had the more valuable textiles -- and they declared themselves unable to judge in which of the shrines the found fabrics
belonged.

They decided to move the best textiles from Benedikt's shrine to King
Canute's shrine, so that he could be presented with the most beautiful,
most precious textiles when on display under a glass lid. Professor
Kaare Lund Rasmussen and colleagues have performed chemical analysis of
the textiles in both shrines and conclude that they are of the same age,
and that their age fit with AD 1086, when the two brothers were enshrined.



==========================================================================
"Put together with historical sources this convinces us that today, King
Canute lies in his shrine with what is actually his brother's burial
textiles," says professor Kaare Lund Rasmussen.

Among the textiles, intended for Benedikt but later placed with Canute,
are a pillow with birds and a textile called the Eagle Silk.

"They are exquisite and beautiful, but King Canute's textiles must have
been even more exquisite," says Kaare Lund Rasmussen.

According to senior researchers at the Danish National Museum, Ulla
Kjaer and Poul Grinder-Hansen, the luxurious silks may have been sent
from South Italy to the shrines in Denmark by King Canute's widow, Edel, possibly brought home by Canute's half-brother, King Erik 1. Ejegod.

At the time of Canute's canonization and enshrinement, silk weaving in
Europe was not yet established outside the boundaries of the Byzantine
Empire and silk was both a precious and much-coveted import article.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by
University_of_Southern_Denmark. Original written by Birgitte
Svennevig. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Poul Grinder-Hansen, Ulla Kjaer, Morten Ryhl-Svendsen, Maria Perla
Colombini, Ilaria Degano, Jacopo La Nasa, Francesca Sabatini,
Johannes van der Plicht, Kaare Lund Rasmussen. Textiles and
environment in the showcase containing Saint Canute the Holy (+
AD 1086): Radiocarbon dating and chemical interactions. Heritage
Science, 2020; 8 (1) DOI: 10.1186/ s40494-020-00442-8 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201001113533.htm

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