Celebrating Becket 850

Last summer should have seen celebrations for the 850th anniversary of the murder of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury. The event was disrupted by the Covid lockdowns, but 2021 gives us another opportunity to celebrate Becket’s story, now titled ‘Becket 850’.

This summer, you can learn more about Becket’s legacy with a special exhibition at The British Museum. Canterbury Cathedral’s ‘Miracle windows’ will be transported to London and form the centrepiece of the Becket exhibition:

britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/ thomas-becket-murder-andmaking-saint

So who was Thomas Becket – and why does he still matter? Thomas Becket’s big career break came in 1155, when he was given the job of Chancellor of England by King Henry II. They became close friends, hunting, gaming and travelling together. Becket enjoyed life in the royal court: he had vast wealth, throwing lavish parties, decorating his residences with beautiful furnishings and making many journeys to France on his own ships. However, after being promoted to the position of Archbishop of Canterbury, the pair started to disagree over a number of issues regarding the Church and its freedom from politics.

Becket fled to France, where he stayed for 6 years, until he was persuaded to return by Henry. Before returning he excommunicated 3 of his Church rivals, causing them to complain bitterly about him to the King. King Henry II is said to have exclaimed ‘Who will rid me of this low born priest?’. Thus, to gain favour from the King, four knights set off for Canterbury and murdered Archbishop Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral in 1170. They sliced off the top of his skull, spilling his brains and blood on the floor. Chaos followed the murder, and his body remained where it had fallen for some hours.

Tomb of Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral

Some people dipped their clothes in his spilled blood or collected it in small vessels to take away in anticipation of Becket’s future sanctity. After spending the night on the high altar of the Cathedral, he was buried by the monks the next day in the crypt. Reports immediately circulated of miraculous healings connected to Becket. Facing a clamour from the people of Canterbury, the monks opened the crypt of the Cathedral so pilgrims could visit his tomb. An extraordinary wave of miracles was recorded and, in recognition of this, Becket was made a saint in 1173.

Reliquary (portable shrine) - photo credit: British Museum

Becket’s reputation as a miracle-working saint spread quickly and pilgrims from across Europe flocked to Canterbury hoping to be healed. As well as visiting the tomb, pilgrims could also purchase a mixture of his blood and water, called St Thomas’ Water, which was bottled and sold by opportunistic monks. They bought pilgrim badges to mark their journey – an early Canterbury visitor souvenir! King Henry II, held responsible by many for the murder, walked barefoot from Harbledown to the Cathedral to do penance. He was flogged by monks in front of Becket’s tomb as he declared his regret.

In commemorating the story, the Cathedral commissioned a set of great stained glass windows – The Miracle Windows in Trinity Chapel. Many medieval pilgrims visiting the tomb of St Thomas would not have been able to read and write, so these were used to to educate and ‘entertain’ pilgrims.

So what can we learn by celebrating Becket’s anniversary in 2021? Becket is seen as a beacon, representing religious freedom. His story has endured for 850 years, and he continues to draw modern day pilgrims to visit Canterbury. He is known as a statesman, a scholar, a chancellor, a priest and an archbishop. In 2020, The White House proclaimed “To honor Thomas Becket’s memory, the crimes against people of faith must stop” adding that the “tyranny and murder that shocked the conscience of the Middle Ages must never be allowed to happen again.”

becket2020.com/resources illustrates some of the different pilgrim trails.

Canterbury’s Medieval Pageant

Henry II in sack cloth walking barefoot at the Medieval Pageant 2019

The Pageant and Family Trail will take place on 16 Oct in the City Centre. Come and see the Becket giant and enjoy a trail of our historic venues throughout the afternoon.

canterburymedievalpageant.co.uk

canterbury-cathedral.org/visit/ opening-times-entry-charges

Canterbury is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, comprising Canterbury Cathedral, St Augustine’s Abbey and St Martin’s Church. Come visit to find out more about Canterbury’s exciting history.