reliclore

Reliclore is a field of study that surveys the beliefs, narratives, and practices surrounding physical artifacts known as relics and the lore attached to them. It lies at the intersection of religious studies, folklore, anthropology, and material culture. The term reliclore is used to describe both the systematic study of relics as objects and the mythic or legendary traditions that accumulate around them. Relics can be bodily relics, such as fragments associated with saints or historical figures; votive offerings; or objects claimed to bear a connection to significant events or persons. Lore surrounding relics includes origin stories, miracles, ritual uses, pilgrimage practices, and the transmission of power or grace through contact or proximity.

Scholars examine how relics gain authority, how their stories change over time, and how communities authenticate or contest claims of authenticity. Sources include archival material, hagiographies, liturgical texts, iconography, archaeological evidence, and oral testimony. Methodologies emphasize provenance research, textual analysis, dating of artifacts, and ethnographic observation, often employing a material-culture perspective to understand the social life of relics beyond their original function.

Reliclore has practical relevance for museums, religious institutions, and heritage professionals, who must balance preservation with respect for beliefs, as well as for readers of literature and media that depict relics as plot devices or cultural symbols. The field also engages with ethical questions about consent, commodification, and the potential for hoaxes or manipulation of belief. Related disciplines include religious studies, folklore, anthropology, and museum studies.