King Henry II (1133–1189)
All Europe was shocked by the murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket (later to be called by the fancified version; Thomas a Becket) in the cathedral. The tale reached as far as Iceland where it became known as the 'Thomas Saga' and the scandalised retellings each time had Henry Plantagenet as more of a villain.
The pope declared Thomas a saint and ordered the king to do penance.
In the summer of 1174, dressed in his own hairshirt, King Henry II went humbly to Canterbury where he spent a day and a night fasting on the bare floor beside Thomas' tomb. Around him lay other ordinary pilgrims. The king offered himself for five strokes of the rod from every bishop present and three from each of Canterbury's eighty monks. Then wearing a phial of water with drops of Becket's blood, Henry dragged himself to his horse and rode back to London where he took to his bed.
'Canterbury Water' became a must-buy for every pilgrim who flocked to Becket's tomb. It was said that the precious pink liquid (tinged with Becket's blood) was a cure-all. It wasn't long before Canterbury became a premier religious destination.
England took pride in its home-grown hero who had boosted the country's spiritual status in Christendom, and no one more enthusiastically than the royal family. Henry II's daughters married rulers of Sicily, Saxony and the Spanish kingdom of Castile. And with them spread the cult of the English saint with churchs, lavish wall paintings and mosaics.
Fortunately, the prestigious new cult promoted tourism which was some consolation to Henry II who had suffered major, embarassing defeat by the church.
All Europe was shocked by the murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket (later to be called by the fancified version; Thomas a Becket) in the cathedral. The tale reached as far as Iceland where it became known as the 'Thomas Saga' and the scandalised retellings each time had Henry Plantagenet as more of a villain.
The pope declared Thomas a saint and ordered the king to do penance.
In the summer of 1174, dressed in his own hairshirt, King Henry II went humbly to Canterbury where he spent a day and a night fasting on the bare floor beside Thomas' tomb. Around him lay other ordinary pilgrims. The king offered himself for five strokes of the rod from every bishop present and three from each of Canterbury's eighty monks. Then wearing a phial of water with drops of Becket's blood, Henry dragged himself to his horse and rode back to London where he took to his bed.
'Canterbury Water' became a must-buy for every pilgrim who flocked to Becket's tomb. It was said that the precious pink liquid (tinged with Becket's blood) was a cure-all. It wasn't long before Canterbury became a premier religious destination.
England took pride in its home-grown hero who had boosted the country's spiritual status in Christendom, and no one more enthusiastically than the royal family. Henry II's daughters married rulers of Sicily, Saxony and the Spanish kingdom of Castile. And with them spread the cult of the English saint with churchs, lavish wall paintings and mosaics.
Fortunately, the prestigious new cult promoted tourism which was some consolation to Henry II who had suffered major, embarassing defeat by the church.
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