Scent of Sanctity

Pilgrimage to the Tombs of Myroblyte Saints in Medieval Peloponnese

Abstract

This paper examines the role of myroblyte saints—holy figures whose relics were believed to produce a fragrant, oily exudation—as focal points of pilgrimage in the medieval Peloponnese, focusing on three case studies: Nikon the ‘Metanoeite’, Peter of Argos, and Athanasius of Methone. Drawing primarily on hagiographical narratives, it explores how references to miraculous liquids, fragrance, and physical interaction with relics shaped the sensory dimensions of devotional experience. While the Middle Byzantine period witnessed an increased association between sanctity and the production of perfumed substances, the evidence from the Peloponnese suggests that the miraculous exudation of holy fluid, the myroblysia, was neither a stable nor a decisive factor in the long-term development of local cults. In some cases, the phenomenon appears only fleetingly or remains ambiguous, while in others it is replaced by alternative ritual substances such as oil from lamps or moisture from relics. Rather than offering an exhaustive historical account, the article highlights the variability of myroblyte traditions and argues that the pilgrim’s overall religious experience in the region was shaped more broadly by multisensory engagement with sacred matter than by the presence of myron alone, contributing to the formation of local sacred landscapes and patterns of religious mobility.