Mortain - Saint-Évroult

A collegiate was founded here by William the Conquerer´s half-brother Robert, Count of Mortain, in 1082. The center of the collegiate was a Romanesque church. Of this only a side-portal still exists.

The Gothic church of today was erected from 1230 on and follows the Gothic style of the Île-de-France. It was funded by Mathilde de Dammartin, daughter in law of Philip II of France.

This is, displayed in Saint-Évroult, a copy of the probably oldest work found here (in 1864!): the "Chrismale de Mortain" (aka "Coffret de Mortain", "Mortain Casket"). A wooden box, shaped like a nordic house, covered with gold-plated copper sheets.

Such a "chrismale" was used to carry the blessed bread and wine for the eucharistic rites on voyages. It may have been used by early missionaries.

The casket is dated to the 7th century and information given in Mortain tells, that it was brough from England by Robert de Mortain, the founder of the collegiate.

This was (sorry for the bad photo) the most surprising side. While on the front side of the "roof" is an angel, here on the backside are runes! The information even specifies, that these are runes from Northumbria. They read "God may help Eada who made this".