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Thieves steal mummified liar's hand from church

Published: 2 Oct 12 11:16 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/national/20121002-45313.html

Police are hunting thieves who stole a mummified hand from a church in western Germany, leaving the small congregation heartbroken over the loss of their popular relic which had been in a box for more than a century.

The “perjury-hand” had been safe in a wooden box above the font in St Brigida church, Legden, North Rhine-Westphalia, since 1905.

The legend is that the hand was chopped off a liar, but it had always been a mystery as to who the liar had been – and what the lie was that led to such a punishment.

Its disappearance has left the congregation, and indeed many Legden's inhabitants “deeply saddened,” said cultural society member Alfred Janning.

Police are hunting for the hand but are at a loss to who took it, or why. It was first noticed missing on Sunday. “Who would do such a thing?” asked Janning.

The Legden cultural society had just raised enough money to send the hand to Düsseldorf University for tests to find out how old it was and if it belonged to a man or woman.

It was originally found during the demolition of an old fortified tower in 1907, having been preserved in the chalky limestone which was disturbed during the work. It has been in St Brigida since then.

DPA/The Local/jcw

What do you think? Leave your comment below.


Your comments about this article:

12:46 October 2, 2012 by Berlin fuer alles
I would say the thieves got a hand from someone on the inside.
14:10 October 2, 2012 by lucksi
"what the lie was that led to such a punishment."

Considering it is the church, it was either that there is no god or that the earth revolves around the sun.
15:48 October 2, 2012 by Berlin fuer alles
Rumour has it that it has been flown to Argentina to join up with the other hand of God.
16:26 October 2, 2012 by Indischerr
Time to replace the liar's hand with the thief's...this time with details of his crime.
16:59 October 2, 2012 by KyleHawkins
The ¦quot;perjury-hand¦quot; had been safe in a wooden box above the font in St Brigida church, Legden, North Rhine-Westphalia, since 1905.

It was originally found during the demolition of an old fortified tower in 1907

It's a miracle.
17:12 October 2, 2012 by stauderfan
bottom line is, someone out there just needed an extra hand for something . .
15:16 October 5, 2012 by steel jaws
Is there a Chinese restaurant nearby?
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