In origin a Germanic word meaning a chest or reliquaryReliquary Receptacle for relics of a saint., this term describes something which contains a sacred object. It can thus be applied to an elaborate tomb around the body of a saintSaint In the New Testament applied to all Christians. Later used of those who were martyred or showed exceptional holiness and whose status was confirmed by the church. The practice of venerating the saints and their relics and asking for their intercessions (prayers) can be observed from the second and third centuries onward and played a central role in popular medieval religion., a cabinet containing a relicRelic Remains of a saint or articles which have been in contact with a saint and in which some of the saint's power is believed to reside. or to the whole architectural complex where such a body or relic rest