MDT Ep. 41: Concerning the Examination of Cuthbert’s Body (1104)

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In Part II of our “Cuthbert’s Body” series, we hear Reginald of Durham’s description of what was found inside Cuthbert’s coffin in the investigation preceding the Cuthbert’s translation in 1104, and we consider what incorruptibility meant for a medieval audience.

This Episode’s Texts:

• Selections from Reginald of Durham. Translated by James Raine, St. Cuthbert, with an Account of the State in Which His Remains Were Found upon the Opening of His Tomb in Durham Cathedral, in the Year MDCCCXXVII. Geo. Andrews, 1828.  [Available at Google Books.]

Other References:

• Battiscombe, C.F., editor. The Relics of Saint Cuthbert. Oxford UP, 1956.
• Bynum, Caroline Walker. Fragmentation and Redemption: Essays on Gender and the Human Body in Medieval Religion. Zone Books, 1992.

Image: Detail from Cuthbert’s maniple, recovered in 1827, depicting Peter the Deacon.