‘St Edburg’s bones’ were faked in the 13th century (From The Oxford Times)

What a load of rubbish, just because the bones were not what you expected... their fake?

Darkforbid wrote:
What a load of rubbish, just because the bones were not what you expected... their fake?

No, that's a technical term for deliberate fakes of saints relics. Have to remember that people put a lot of faith in those at that time, they were valuable assets. Imagine the crown jewels disintegrated and someone mocked up something that looked the same to keep the tourists coming. That sort of fake. Still bones, but not from a saint. Up for debate whether a saint is ever genuine of course, but you get the drift.

Yes true, but don't you have to prove it's the actual site,,, before you can assume its a fake saint?

Probably the way they're laid out / the lead sheet says something to an archaeologist. That's a guess though!

Don't think you can call these people archaeologist's, with the prefix amateur, maybe

A Short internet search finds the bone where removed in 1500 by papal decree

Did they get paid for this?

In fact the info's so easy to find, the whole story seems fake and a deliberate attempt to deceive.

Mr Riccoboni, who works for Oxford-based John Moore Heritage Services, said that some of the saint's bones were taken across the Channel while the other half remained buried at the Priory site.

Like that ever happened!

The pope orders the bone relocated so they leave half?

Wow Darkforbid, you really have an axe to grind, one wonders why?

Faking of holy relics is very common and its a very common term. Church holding partial relics is also common.

You note a short internet search, perhaps you should try a longer one or go to the record office you will find a far more complicated story surrounding Bicesters saint ... indeed there are several saint s of the same name around the same time and much confusion between them as to whose bones were removed. Do some real research or leave it to the professionals!

The thing I've found people using the tag professional is they think it carry's some kind no-questions aura,,, Oh the Northampton nun story? Can't really help you there (I lie),

Just to put the record straight. Edburg (or Eadburg) was a popular Anglo-Saxon name for girls in England. The patron Saint of Bicester (St Edburg) should not be confused with the more well-known St Edburg of Winchester, daughter of Edward the Elder and granddaughter of Alfred the Great. Another St Edburg where confusion has arisen over recent years is St Edburg the daughter of Penda, King of Mercia. One of four sisters they were all nuns at Dormundcaster or Caister, otherwise called Kuneburgcaster, in Northamptonshire. Her relics were translated to Peterborough and part of them was carried in about 1040 from there to St. Winnok, in Flanders, where her memory is still honoured. Internet sources have led to the confusion of this St Edburg with the suggestion that the Bicester Saint was moved to Flanders in 1500AD, but this seems not to be the case.

The patron Saint of Bicester is almost certainly St Edburg of Aylesbury (pronounced Eadburh at the time), who is thought to have given her name to Adderbury (Eadburhs Burg) and was mother to St Osgyth of Aylesbury. St Edburg was a 7th century nun thought to be the daughter of Frewald, Earl of the East Angles. Born in Quarrendon, a small and secluded parish in the Vale of Aylesbury, Edburg had a sister called Edith (pronounced Eadith at the time), who is said to have ‘left the world and her husband and took the veil’ (King 1989). Both Edburg and Edith were almost certainly Benedictine Nuns and Edith seems to have been the more famous of the two sisters, which is surprising as today Edith has been almost forgotten and Edburg is the one with the many dedications around the town. The story of St Osgyth of Aylesbury is very similar to that of St Edburg’s and it has been commented that the two stories have become synonymous (Turner 1977). Other sources suggest that St Edburg was the aunt of St Osgyth who Edburg and her sister trained up in the religious life (Lawrence 2011). Whatever the confusion of St Edburg, she and her sister would have led exemplary lives in the Benedictine tradition, which is why she was sainted and still venerated to this day.

St Edburg is thought to have died in the year 650AD; nothing is known of her death or where she was buried. The parish church (St Edburg’s) was probably part of a Saxon minster and the church was called St Eadburh, a dedication adopted by the canons of the parish church. It is assumed the relics of the saint were housed in the minster church (the present day St Edburg’s church). Papal Privilege of Alexander III (1181) (before the priory church was established) confirms the property of the church including the Eccesliam Sancte Edburge Burncestre. It was assumed the bones were transferred to the Priory Church when Bicester Priory annexed St Edburg’s church (Blair 2002), but we now know by radiocarbon dating of the bones within the reliquary, that a new set of bones (late 13th century in date) were used for display in the Priory Church shrine.

""Just to put the record straight. Edburg (or Eadburg) was a popular Anglo-Saxon name for girls in England. The patron Saint of Bicester (St Edburg) should not be confused with the more well-known St Edburg of Winchester, daughter of Edward the Elder and granddaughter of Alfred the Great. ""

There have been several Saxon saints bearing this name (often spelt 'Eadburg' or 'Edburga') and it is impossible to make a certain identification of which is the saint of Bicester.

Guess work at best!

Never mind all this tot....what happend to the lead!

which is why I stated 'almost certainly st Edburg of Aylesbury...' I have never claimed to have identified for certain Bicesters actual St Edburg. Historical and archaeological analysis often is interpreted or their are gaps in knowledge which can sometimes never be answered. I shouldnt have to state this obvious fact. Also for your information I believe their are nine St Edburgs in total known from Saxon England.