Noli me tangere casket

One legend says that it was during such a pilgrimage that a pilgrim was able to remove and steal a small part of each of the sacred cloths, despite the strict guard.

At the death of this pilgrim a year later, he is said to have repented of his deed and returned the stolen fabric to the Aachen cathedral chapter.

The canon of cathedral chapter is said to have been so embarrassed by this evidence of his negligence that, in 1356, he ordered the production of a small silver box to store the returned bits of relic in.

After the casket was locked, he wrapped it in a green silk ribbon, sealed it and attached a parchment, on which was written in Medieval Latin: Anno domini M CCC LVI in festo magne dedicacionis ecclesie beate marie virginis Aquensis fuit ordinatum per capitulum dicte ecclesie ad hoc indictum quod presens sarculum cui hec scedula est appensa de cetero non apperiatur et hoc propter specialem statum et utilitatem ecclesie antedicte.

In the year of the Lord 1356, at the feast of the great dedication of the church of the blessed virgin Mary in Aachen, it was ordered by the chapter of said church that the present casket, to which this document is appended, not be opened hereafter and this on account of the special status and expediency of the aforesaid church.On account of this inscription the silver casket became known colloquially by the name Noli me tangere.