06 — Death and the Relics
The repose of St. John around 946 and the remarkable two-and-a-half-century itinerary of his relics — from Rila to Sredec, to Esztergom in Hungary, to Tarnovo, and back to Rila in the great return of 1469.
Tradition: Bulgarian Orthodox
This section traces the saint from his death and burial through the journeys of his relics, whose travels trace in miniature the whole arc of medieval Bulgarian history. The relic-translation chronology is the most date-contested part of the dossier, and the disputes are named.
Files
| File | Description |
|---|---|
| repose-946.md | The death c. 18 August 946; the stone tomb at the hermitage; and the rise of the early cult around the wonderworking grave. |
| the-journeys-of-the-relics.md | The translations: to Sredec (late 10th c.); to Esztergom by Béla III (1183) and the return (1187) with the muted-bishop legend; to Tarnovo (1195/1238 — disputed); and the great return to Rila (1469) recorded by Vladislav the Grammarian under Mara Branković’s patronage. |
See Also
- 02 — The Hermit of Rila — the wonderworking reputation behind the cult
- 07 — Rila Monastery — the monastery to which the relics returned and where they rest
- 08 — Veneration and the Nation — the feasts commemorating the repose and the translations
- Master README — the full collection