Plural of feretory; shrines or portable containers used in religious processions to carry sacred relics.
From Latin 'feretum' (bier, litter for carrying the dead) and 'feretoria' (processional shrines), derived from 'ferre' (to carry).
Medieval cathedrals would process these ornate reliquaries through streets during festivals, and the elaborate 'feretories' became status symbols—churches competed to have the most beautiful containers for their holy treasures.
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