Cult of martyrdom: In 1092, after a fire in the chapter house, the abbot had Wal...

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Cult of martyrdom: In 1092, after a fire in the chapter house, the abbot had Waltheof’s body moved to a prominent place in the abbey church. When the coffin was opened, it is reported that the corpsewas found to be intact with the severed head re-joined to the trunk. This was regarded as a miracle, and the abbey, which had a financial interest in the matter began to publicise it. As a result, pilgrims began to visit Waltheof’s tomb. After a few years healing miracles began to occur in the vicinity of Waltheof’s tomb, often involving the restoration of the pilgrim’s lost sight.

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