The "Iron Man" : imagining Muslims and vanishing objects in the shrine of Sainte Foy at Conques

Iron was a crucial presence in shrines that claimed to liberate the imprisoned and oppressed. In the Abbey Church of Sainte Foy at Conques, iron entered the shrine complex in the form of votive objects like shackles and chains, given by emancipated devotees. This material professed the saint's power through its transformation into support structures (like grills and iron-clad doors). Moving from textual narratives, to preserved materials, and finally to "vanished" objects, this paper seeks to trace the flickering penumbra of an integral but archivally elusive element that activated shrine space. I address the interrelationship of iron with oppression and Muslim captors, prisoners, and warriors, as well as iron's complex role in narratives of conversion. The "Iron Man" in the Liber miraculorum shows the power of Sainte Foy to break iron, free the unconverted, and draw Muslims into the Christian fold. Through its powerful connection to the miracle stories, iconography, epigraphy, and materials present at Conques, I articulate vanished iron's once central role in the construction and staging of Sainte Foy's shrine complex.