The Holy Forgery of Bromholm

Abstract

This article describes the history of a medieval English True Cross relic, known as the Holy Rood of Bromholm, supposedly acquired from Constantinople by an English cleric during the Fourth Crusade. It compares the English monastic accounts of the Holy Rood’s translation with accounts of the Fourth Crusade and its aftermath to explore the biography of the English cleric who gave the relic to Bromholm Priory and determine the historicity of his account. However, in exploring the supposed origins of the Bromholm Cross, this article demonstrates that not only can it not be the relic it claims to be, because that relic continued to be used in Constantinople after its supposed departure for England, but points out that the descriptions and artistic depictions of the Bromholm Cross match a very different True Cross relic from Constantinople than the relic it purports to be – thus proving it to be a forgery.

Keywords

• holy rood of bromholm
• bromholm priory
• relics
• relic forgery
• true cross
• fourth crusade
• latin empire of constantinople
• constantinople