Legend of Saint Boniface’s Chalice

By T. Clement Robison

Award-winning author, T. Clement Robison, uses suspense and his knowledge of history to introduce the reader to an old-world legend of mystery and miracles as he masterfully transitions the story from eighth century Europe to modern-day America. Inspired by historical events and characters, Legend of Saint Boniface’s Chalice is an imaginative tale that entices the reader, with every turn of the page, to want more. Highly accurate in religious detail and inspirational in scope, this is a story for the ages.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 20, 2019
• ISBN: 9781796021721

T. Clement Robison

OTHER BOOKS BY THE AUTHOR W.I.A. (Wounded in Action) Enemy of My Enemy Operation Duck Hook Lost Treasure of the Grand Strand The Improbable Life of Billy T. Kettle Corpse on Cape Romain

Book preview

PROLOGUE

You may ask, what is a legend? Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary describes a legend as simply a story coming down from the past, one popularly regarded as historical although not verifiable.

But I like the Encyclopedia Britannica’s description better because it describes a legend as a traditional story or group of stories told about a particular person or place. Formerly the term legend meant a tale about a saint.

I focused on this description of a legend when I decided to write the story you are about to read.

Nearly every civilization and region of the world has its share of legends, most commonly referred to as folklore. And nowhere is folklore more abundant than in Central Europe, notably Germany. Who among you has not heard the tales of The Pied Piper of Hamelin, Rip van Winkle, and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow which were all based on German folklore? And who among you has not, at least, heard of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm; two brothers who published a collection of legends based on German folk tales such as Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White.

Furthermore, legends are particularly abundant in nearly every religion, especially Christianity. It is difficult to find someone who has not heard of the Legend of Saint Patrick who is the patron saint of Ireland. It is claimed he drove the snakes out of the islands. In addition, a popular story in the Catholic Church is the Legend of Saint Francis of Assisi who, the legend claims, received a vision from God which left him with marks on his body resembling the wounds Jesus received when nailed to the cross.

Of course, there is Saint Valentine, the patron saint of lovers who, as the story goes, was beheaded for violating the king’s order not to perform marriages for young people, especially young soldiers.

And now we come to the legend upon which I have based my story. Again, the Encyclopedia Britannica states legends describe history in fantastic terms in order to clarify the significance of the powers that underlie it. Indeed, legends can be very powerful. Belief in them can compel people to act in ways they would not normally act if the legend was not known to them. It is well documented millions of people have undertaken pilgrimages to places in the world where, legend has it, miracles have occurred in hopes their own miracle will take place curing them of some illness or other affliction.

So the reader should not be surprised to find belief in legends and miracles remain prevalent in society today and that authors, such as myself, write about them.

Oh, and one more thing. Furtwangler, my wife’s maiden name, is a German surname which means a person who comes from the Village of Furtwangen which is located in the Black Forest Region of southwestern Germany. So if you know of someone with that last name, you might want to tell them about my story.

T. CLEMENT ROBISON 2019

PART ONE

CHAPTER ONE

The Estate of Baron Claus von Furtwangler

Black Forest Region of Germany

1669 A.D.

The huge banquet table sitting in the middle of the hall was dwarfed by the massive size of the room itself which measured fifty square yards. The table could accommodate up to thirty diners at a time. Three gold candelabras, one near each end of the table and one in the center, each holding a dozen candles, rested on the Silesia linen table cloth. At the far end of the room a fireplace, with a fire box the height of a man, held several blazing logs radiated warmth throughout the room.

The three thousand acre estate granted to the Furtwangler family indirectly by the Hapsburg Dynasty was located midway between the Necker River and the French border. The main house sat on a small hill surrounded by fields of grain, mostly wheat and barley and open pasture lands used for grazing sheep and cattle. The early Furtwanglers were among the first of the European landowners to dedicate part of their land holdings to pastoral activities.

The house by itself was most impressive; made of quarry stone with walls in some areas one and a half yards thick. The interior had room for twelve bedrooms, six bathrooms, along with a solarium and ballroom with cross vaulted ceilings over twenty feet high supported by partially open beams decorated with hand carved rosettes. The main floor provided a living area, a private dining room, a large banquet room, two parlors and a library containing two thousand leather-bound volumes published in several languages.

Directly opposite the ornately carved cedar double main door entry stood a ten foot wide wood and stone staircase leading to the second floor. The large composite windows were surrounded by thick wooden frames, many holding ornate stained glass. The living area, dining room and banquet room were finished with polished mahogany wood panels. The bathrooms were lined with imported Carrara marble tile, the tubs and sinks were decorated with silver faucets. A large open tank, filled partially by hand and partially by rain located on the roof, provided a gravity fed water supply system.

Marble and hardwood floors could be seen throughout the rest of the structure. Ornate tapestries and murals adorned many of the walls. Several complete sets of medieval armor stood stationary in small dark alcoves. The Furtwangler Family coat of arms, flanked by crossed Greatswords, was mounted above the main fireplace.

Attached to the rear of the house by a colonnade was a large kitchen, located far enough away so offending cooking odors did not reach the living areas. The servants’ quarters were located off the cooking area. Several yards behind the kitchen the stables and carriage house were located, again at such a distance as to lessen the possibility of offending odors reaching the manor house. A twenty acre garden and orchard provided ample vegetables and fruits for the master’s table. The large herds of cattle and sheep provided domesticated meat while hundreds of acres of woodlands and open fallow fields provided wild game. Two streams, a large river, which was a tributary of the Danube, and several large ponds provided freshly caught fish.

The number of servants and laborers necessary to efficiently operate the estate varied from a couple of dozen during most of the year, to over a hundred at harvest time.

The estate was now productive and profitable. But that had not always been the case. The Thirty Years War had ended a scarcely twenty years earlier. The conflict which involved the major powers in Europe was mostly fought on German territory. It had a devastating effect on the populations and economy of not only Europe in general, but Germany in particular. It was estimated twenty percent of the German population was wiped out by the war. The areas from the Baltic to the Black Forest Region saw a fifty percent decline in population. As commerce and trade declined in the region many of the principalities and estates became bankrupt and were deserted.

When the war ended with the signing of the several treaties, collectively known as the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 A.D., the whole of Germany, once controlled by the Holy Roman Empire, broke into several sovereign states which further divided into thousands of separate political entities. The southwestern portion of the former empire was controlled by the Hapsburgs. The Palatinate area of Germany, where the Furtwangler estate was located, had suffered the worst of the conflict and was the slowest to recover. However, with the ending of the war the economic environment of Europe, as a whole, began to rebound.

The Hapsburgs gifted much of the previously abandoned land to those among nobility whom they believed could make the properties once again productive and profitable, thus assuring an increase in the family’s wealth through taxes, fees and other forms of levies.

Being a member of the Uradel, a family whose nobility dated back to the fourteenth century, Claus von Furtwangler received a grant of the three-thousand-acre barony.

As the clock in the foyer chimed eight o’clock the guests began to arrive. They had received an invitation to a special event at the Furtwangler estate. Rumors had circulated for over a month that the baron was in ill health. Since he had no immediate heirs, the guests imagined the purpose of the event was to provide information as to the distribution of the estate’s land and property upon the assumed impending death of the owner. Those in attendance who were merchants and not fortunate enough to own land, being classed as nobles in name only, hoped to perhaps somehow purchase some or all of the estate. Other barons and baroness, counts and countesses, along with lesser lords and their ladies, simply came to bid farewell to a friend.

By eight-thirty with greetings and friendly conversations beginning to subside, the guests were directed to the banquet room and seated according to importance, as determined by the baron, at the great dining table. Before each guest servants placed pewter plates containing white bread milled at the estate. Small containers of butter, also churned on sight, were accompanied by pieces of smoked cod and herring. Next to the plate each person received a small bowl of plums, raisins and dates, first introduced to the area by the Crusaders. The bowls also contained local fruit, such as apples and pears. Soon a servant informed them the baron would join them shortly. In the meantime, they were to enjoy the appetizers provided.

Several guests were puzzled by the empty wine glasses sitting before them. Some of the best wine in Europe was produced in the Rheingau Region of Germany which was the smallest of the thirteen wine regions in the country. Rheingau, located south of Frankfurt near the Rhine River, was the closest wine producing region to the Black Forest estate. The proximity made it easily accessible to the nobility who chose to serve the vineyard’s high-quality wine at their table. The guests remained mystified by the empty glasses.

Twenty minutes had passed before a lone figure glided into the room. All eyes focused on the human form. A collective gasp was emitted by the crowd; before them stood a tall, aristocratic, and magnificently groomed, impeccably-dressed nobleman. His cheeks were flushed with color and his eyes sparkled. A well-trimmed beard framed his strong-chiseled face. A broad smile revealed perfectly aligned teeth. He looked the picture of good health; some would later suggest he glowed. A stranger would guess his age to be between twenty-five to thirty years of age, in fact Baron Claus von Furtwangler had been born fifty years earlier.

He moved to the head of the table and with a slight gesture from his right hand servants appeared filling the empty crystal wine glasses with a Schloss Vollrads Riesling. The premium wine, from the oldest winery in Germany, was quickly consumed and the glasses were instantly refilled. Platters of roasted pheasants, ducks, and chickens were placed before the guests. Bowls of cooked potatoes, initially used only to feed livestock after being introduced in Europe, were served flavored with much coveted herbs and spices; other flavored vegetables were also provided. Additional containers of butter and honey found their place on the table alongside large slices of freshly-baked black bread. More wine was poured.

The baron engaged in polite conversation with those guests sitting nearby and acknowledged statements made by others with a nod of his head or an affirming smile. After sixty minutes had passed, it came time to inform his guests of the purpose of his invitation to dinner.

The baron rose and politely asked for everyone’s attention. Unexpectedly, before he could speak further Count Ludolf Croger stood and said, My dear friend, you must excuse me for interrupting you, but I and the rest of your guests are puzzled by your appearance here tonight. We were expecting to find a feeble and sickly man. Rumors have spread throughout the region you were near death. And yet here you stand before us the picture of health. Will you please explain this juxtaposition?

Furtwangler smiled and replied, My good Count, your question will be answered in due time and at the proper moment. First, I must reveal to you all my reason for inviting you here tonight. I pray you will indulge me for a short time while I tell you a true tale that is sure to mystify and amaze you.

As the baron spoke a servant approached his side and placed a small wooden box measuring ten by six inches on the table. The four sides and the lid revealed religious scenes intricately hand carved in relief.

A second servant appeared and placed a bowl of warm water and a towel on the table immediately to the left of the baron. Furtwangler placed both hands in the bowl for a few seconds then removed them and dried them with the cloth. He slowly placed the box directly in front of himself and stared at it for a long moment. The group watched as a smile crept over his face. He lifted the latch and opened the container. Slowly, reverently, he reached inside and grasped the contents.

Before removing the object he looked up at his guests and his smile broadened. My friends I have gathered you here tonight to tell you about a miracle. The source of this wonder I now hold in my hand.

He slowly removed his right hand from the box and held the object above his head so all in the room could clearly see. The flickering light from the burning candles made the object sparkle and glow as if it was a source of light itself. A confused expression formed on the many faces. It was again Count Croger who spoke: My lord, what you have revealed to us appears to be a simple golden chalice. I have several similar ones in my own household. How can such a common object be the source of a miracle?

The chalice measured seven and a half inches tall and the diameter of the bell-shaped bowl’s rim measured three and three quarter inches across. The diameter of the base was a full four inches. The stem was four inches high with a round knob three quarters of the way up the shaft. Although made completely of gold, it wasn’t particularly heavy. There was nothing special in its appearance. The base and stem were somewhat fluted but the cup was smooth and void of any jewels or designs.

I understand your doubts but what I hold before you is not a simple chalice. No, not a simple chalice indeed. It is a blessed vessel infused with sacred powers by Saint Boniface himself.

Silence filled the room as the baron began his story. "We all know Saint Boniface is the patron saint of Germany but what I’m about to tell you is known only by a select few.

"In the eighth century Boniface came from England to Germany in an effort to establish Christianity in the regions. He had received his religious training in a Benedictine monastery. He first began as a teacher but later he was ordained a priest. He was invited to take the place of the deceased Abbot of Nursling in 716 A.D. He declined the offer and set out on a journey to Frisia near the North Sea. Boniface took on the mission of bringing the Frisians into the Catholic Church. An unfortunate a war being waged by the king of the Frisians frustrated his efforts. He fled to England for a short while and then returned to the continent and traveled to Rome.

Pope Gregory II gave him the official name of Boniface and appointed him the Bishop of Tarus. He returned to Germania and traveled widely throughout the region converting many to Christianity and establishing monasteries. He was made an archbishop by Pope Gregory III and given reign over all of the lands now called Germany.

Yes, yes, Baron some of us know the story of Saint Boniface but what does all of this have to do with the chalice you now hold in your hand, a guest at the far end of the table asked.

Have patience my lord for my tale has barely begun, Furtwangler replied and continued with his rendition. "After Boniface’s third visit to Rome he was made a papal legate, a representative of the pope, to Germany. Boniface planned on returning to his missionary monastery near Frisia in northern Germany. However, before he left Rome, Pope Gregory III presented him with the gift of a golden chalice, a holy cup believed to have been created by the same goldsmith who crafted the Holy Grail used by Jesus Christ at the Last Supper. It is said the chalice was brought from the Holy Lands to Rome by knights returning from the Crusades.

"The pope also made Boniface the metropolitan archbishop at Mainz where Boniface had returned to Germany to establish a diocese. He later established dioceses in Wurzburg and Erfurt and appointed some of his followers as bishops and then planned on returning to Frisia in 754 A.D. to again attempt to convert the Frisians to Christianity. Boniface and his fellow travelers had packed light for the long journey. Unfortunately, it was rumored the group carried money and other valuables. Soon they were set upon by bandits. A short battle ensued and the bandits retreated a distance to form a plan to kill the travelers. Hopelessly outnumbered, Boniface told his followers to prepare to die in the next attack. He then set up a makeshift altar in the middle of a wooded area to say mass and give Communion to his followers. The only chalice available for the mass was the one given to him by the pope. He could not allow such an important vessel to fall into the hands of thieves. After the service was concluded he chose one of his servants, a young boy, to take the chalice to the nearby abbey at Fulda and give it to the monks for safe keeping. The boy protested, pleading instead to remain with the archbishop to help protect him. In an effort to entice the youth to follow his wishes, Boniface handed the chalice to the boy and told him of its importance. The journey to the abbey would be dangerous requiring the boy to stealthily breach the bandits’ camp which encircled the group. The boy trembled with fear but agreed to guard the chalice with his life and deliver it to the abbey as instructed.

"Impressed with the young boy’s courage Boniface blessed the chalice and spoke these words to him:

‘Hear me my child, for your courage shall not go unrewarded for whomever of your family and their descendants who drinks the wine of Germany from this holy vessel on the anniversary of the day and hour of my death shall be blessed with good health and long life."’

The baron paused and scanned the faces of his listeners. Many sat with their mouths agape; their eyes fixed on him. The baron continued, My friends the young boy was named Gustav and he was my direct ancestor. The blessed vessel given to the boy by Saint Boniface is the same chalice I hold before you in my hands.

A guest with a doubtful look on his face stood and addressed Furtwangler, My good Baron, how do you know these facts as told to us tonight?

The baron smiled and replied, Partly from the writings of Gustav himself and other evidence which I will relate to you in a moment. I pray you let me continue.

Another guest spoke, But Baron the abbey at Fulda is a great distance from where we sit tonight. How did you come into possession of such a sacred object from so far away?

"My friends, the journey of the chalice from Fulda to the House of Furtwangler is another intriguing story which I now shall relate to you.

"The body of Saint Boniface was taken to Mainz and then to Fulda where it was interred beneath the altar of the cathedral in that city. The servant boy, in his devotion to the saint, accompanied the body and watched as it was entombed. He brought the chalice with him.

"Gustav did not return to his village but stayed at Fulda and studied with the monks at the local monastery eventually becoming a priest. During his time at the monastery he wrote extensively of Saint Boniface, his teachings, his travels, and his legend.

After his death the chalice remained at the cathedral at Fulda for several centuries in a secret chamber known only to the monastic military order of monks, known as the Knights Templar, who later inhabited the cathedral and resided in the nearby monastery.

My friend, please tell us why would the boy simply store the chalice at the cathedral and not benefit himself from its healing powers? Baron Rothschild interrupted.

"There is nothing in Gustav’s writings which would indicate he was ever in need of the chalice’s powers. But the records of the monastery indicate Father Gustav lived to be well into his nineties, so he was blessed with long life. Now please, let me continue.

"On Friday October Thirteenth in the year 1307 A.D. King Philippe IV of France held control over the Holy Papacy. As the acknowledged defender of the faith, the king was viewed as being directly appointed by God. This belief gave him power over the pope. As such, he was able to order Pope Clement V, whom he installed on the papal throne after poisoning the previous pope, Benedict XI, to destroy the Knights Templars throughout Europe and confiscate their property. The king distrusted the Knights because they only proclaimed their loyalty to the pope and not the king. He also claimed they were heretics. In addition, He owed them a great deal of money he had found himself unable to repay.

"Many of the Knights were captured and executed but still many more escaped and blended into the population. As they fled the Templars took much of their treasure and religious artifacts with them, the chalice of Saint Boniface among them. Much of the Templars’ wealth was loaded on ships at La Rochelle, France and then the large group of Knights and their treasure quickly vanished. Some speculated the Templars traveled as far away as the North American Continent to escape persecution. In addition, it is further believed, the chalice along with other religious relics were carried by a different group of Knights from Fulda to Lahneck Castle located in an area north of this estate where the Lahn and Rhine Rivers meet. It was at this spot where the last twelve remaining Knights Templars in Germany were slain in battle by superior forces of Peter of Aspelt, Archbishop of Mainz. It was there, at the Lahneck Castle, where the chalice of Saint Boniface remained hidden until discovered by a stone mason hired to restore parts of the castle. That very same mason found himself in my employ repairing a part of my estate which had fallen in disrepair.

One morning when he had nearly completed the project the mason asked me if I would be interested in purchasing a golden cup he had found on another job site. When he produced the chalice I was intrigued by the simplicity of design. I had seen some religious chalices in the past and they all were quite ornate and adorned with jewels and precious stones. There was something very intriguing about this particular cup. So I purchased the chalice I now hold in my hands.

But how do you know the cup you now possess is the actual chalice of the saint? a female guest asked.

Furtwangler smiled and replied, "There are two main reasons why I believe this chalice is authentic. First, you remember I referred to the writings of Father Gustav which were sent to the Vatican after the priest’s death. Contained in those writings the priest told of the blessing placed on the chalice by Boniface and how he had transported the chalice, along with the body of Saint Boniface, to the cathedral at Fulda where he remained, first becoming a monk and then a priest and finally a member of the Knights Templar. Secondly, and most importantly, recall the rumors and stories you heard in reference to the deteriorating condition of my physical health. As of a month ago they were true. My physicians had provided what medical care they could. They prescribed leeches for bleeding and the ingestion of horrible tonics in hopes of improving my condition. Nothing worked and my condition worsened. My servants became very concerned and I awoke one morning to find an old priest from a nearby monastery at my bedside. He was anointing my body with oil and celebrating the Last Rites of the Church. I thanked him very much for the attention shown to me but I quickly informed him I was not quite ready to pass on. I also told him I was not particularly a religious person and the only thing I owned of any religious significance was a simple golden chalice. I directed a servant to bring the chalice to my bedside so the abbot could lay his eyes upon it. He held it up to the sunlight and examined it closely. He then asked the circumstance upon which I came to possess the object. I related to him the story of the mason from whom I purchased the goblet. He then stated it was his belief the cup he held in his hands might be the chalice of Saint Boniface. I asked the priest why he believed it to be so. It was then he told me as a young priest he had helped to translate many German documents while working at the Vatican. Among the documents he translated were the writings of Father Gustav telling of his travels with the saint and the last known location of his body and chalice. He also wrote of the blessing the saint placed upon the gold goblet. Finally, the old priest again held the chalice up to the light and turned it upside down. ‘Do you see the engraved mark in the center of the base?’ he asked.

"I looked carefully and nodded that I did. He then