E00387: Gregory of Tours, in his Glory of the Martyrs (13), narrates the story of the thumb of *John the Baptist (S00020) brought from the shrine of his tomb (in an unspecified place) to Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne (south-east Gaul) by an unnamed woman; there drops of blood from the thumb were obtained by three bishops and taken to their cities; an archdeacon who attempted to take the thumb to Turin (northern Italy) died within three days. Written in Latin in Tours (north-west Gaul), 580/594.

Gregory of Tours, Glory of the Martyrs 13

Nam quaedam mulier a Maurienna urbe progrediens, ipsius praecursoris reliquias expetivit et ita se constrinxit vinculo iuramenti, ut non ante a loco discederet, nisi de membris eius mereretur quicquam accipere. Sed cum inpossibile haec incolae loci narrarent, prosternebatur cotidie ante sepulchrum, orans sibi, ut diximus, de sanctis artubus aliqua condonari. In qua intentione integrum duxit annum, similiter et alium, iugi semper oratione deposcens. Tertio vero ingrediente anno, cum orationem suam pervenire non cerneret ad effectum, proiecit se ante sepulchrum et obtestatur, non se exinde surrecturam, priusquam haec petitio obteneretur a sancto. Septima vero die, cum iam inaedia defeceret, apparuit super altare pollex mirae candoris ac lucis effulgens. Cognitum autem mulier Dei donum, surrexit a pavimento, factamque capsulam auream, in ea recondidit quae Domino largiente meruerat, et sic gaudens remeavit ad propria. Impletumque est in illa, quod Dominus ait in euangelio: Amen dico vobis, quod, si perseveraverit pulsans, et si non surgit, pro eo quod amicus sit, propter inprobitatem tamen eius surgit et tribuit ei, quotquot habet necessarios.

Post haec tres episcopi advenientes de civitatibus suis ad adorandum in hoc loco, voluerunt partem de hoc pignore elicere; positumque in medio, nihil omnino auferre potuerunt. Tunc una vigilantes nocte, deprecati sunt, ut aliquid mererentur a pollice; positumque sub eo lenteum, dum partem auferre conantur, una ex eo gutta sanguinis cecidit super lenteum. Quod cernentes, duas deinceps noctes vigilant. Deinde prostrati coram sancto altare, dum supplicant, ut adhuc maius aliquid mereantur a pollice, duae iterum ex eo fluxerunt guttae.At illi gavisi, collegentes devote quae Dominus dederat, iuxta numerum servorum suorum diviserunt lenteum cum guttis suis, quae non sine grandi admiratione urbibus intulerunt.

Et quia locus ille Mauriennensis ad Taurinensim quondam urbem pertenebat, tempore illo, quo Rufus erat episcopus, ait archidiaconus eius ad eum: "Non est aequum, ut hoc pignus in loco viliori teneatur, sed surge et accipe eum et defer ad Taurinensim eclesiam, quae plus popularis habetur". Cui ille respondit, quia haec agere non audebat. Archidiaconus dixit: "Ego hoc deferam, si permittis". Et episcopus: "Fac, quod libet". Tunc archidiaconus accedens ad locum, dum vigilias caelebrat, mittit manum ad capsulam. Mox amens effectus, accensus febre, die tertio spiravit, factusque est timor magnus omnibus, nec quisquam ultra beata pignora ausus est mutare.


'A woman set out from Maurienne and sought relics (reliquias) of the Forerunner [John the Baptist]. She pledged herself by the bond of an oath that she would not leave that place until she was worthy to receive some part from his limbs. When the inhabitants of the region said this was impossible, every day she knelt before the tomb and prayed that something from his holy limbs be given her, as I have said. In this pursuit she spent an entire year, and then likewise another year, always praying, always making her request. As the third year approached and she felt that her prayer was not having any effect, she threw herself before the tomb and insisted that she would not stand up again until her petition was received by the saint. On the seventh day, when she was becoming weak from fasting: there appeared over the altar a gleaming thumb, wonderfully bright and clear. The woman recognized this gift from God and rose from the pavement. She acquired a small gold reliquary (capsulam auream) and put in it [the thumb] that the Lord had given and that she had deserved. So she happily returned to her own [city]. What the Lord said in the Gospel was fulfilled in this woman: 'Amen, I say to you that if a man will have persevered in his knocking, and if another man does not get up because he is a friend, yet he rises because of his boldness and gives him whatever he needs'.

Later three bishops arrived from their own cities to worship in this place and wished to take a piece from this relic (de hoc pignore). It was placed in the open, but in no way could they remove anything. Then, while keeping vigils one night they prayed that they might be worthy of something from the thumb. They placed a linen cloth beneath the thumb, and while they tried to remove a piece, a single drop of blood fell from the thumb unto the linen cloth. Once they saw this, they kept vigils two more nights. Then, while they knelt before the holy altar and asked that they be worthy of something greater from the thumb, two more drops fell from it. In their happiness they piously collected what the Lord had given and divided the linen cloth with its drops according to the number of the Lord's servants. With great respect the three bishops brought these relics to their own cities.

Because the site of Maurienne belonged to the [episcopal see of] the city of Turin, at the time when Rufus was bishop his archdeacon said to him: 'It is not proper that this relic (pignus) be kept in that insignificant place. Rise, take it, and bring it to the cathedral at Turin which is considered more reputable. The bishop replied to him that he did not dare to do this. The archdeacon said: 'I will fetch this relic, if you agree.' The bishop said: 'Do whatever pleases you.' Then the archdeacon went to the site, and while keeping vigils he put his hand on the reliquary (capsulam). Soon he went mad, burned with a fever, and on the third day expired. A great fear arose in everyone, and no one dared to tamper again with the sacred relics.'


Text: Krusch 1969, 47-48. Translation: Van Dam 2004, 15-16, lightly modified.