The plot and story of A Morbid Taste for Bones illustrates the politics and power struggles within monastic life and their effect on medieval society. The Abbey of Shrewsbury wanted St. Winifrid’s bones because medieval society believed in the power of bones, and that they created miracles. In medieval times, a church or monastery that was home to the relics of saints became wealthy by collecting money from pilgrims who came seeking miracles. It is illustrated in the novel many times, that the acquisition of the relics is not to honor the plea of the saint but motivated by other notions like Prior Robert‘s greed for political power (by making the Abbey wealthy) or Columbanus’s need for attention/ambitious nature. For example, Prior Robert tries to bribe Rhisiart with money and Rhisiart, offended, replies, “A bribe! This foolish stuff you hoard about you more dearly far than your reputations, don’t think you can use it to buy my conscience. I know now that I was right…show more content… Peter and St. Paul in Shrewsbury. He came to the monastery late in life after an action-packed youth that included being a Crusader for many years. As a result, he is much wiser and less naive than many of his monastic brothers. Brother Cadfael, because he speaks Welsh, is chosen to accompany a group of monks on their journey to Wales to recover the bones of St. Winifrid. When they arrive, the Welsh villagers of the town where Winifrid lived and is buried are not happy that English monks have come to claim their saint. The Welsh Villagers argue with them that St. Winifrid lived there and never showed any sign of wanting to leave, so why would she decide suddenly to leave now without telling the people of her town. The Welsh people do not want to part with their beloved St. Winifrid, not because they would lose money or not receive any miracles but because they genuinely respect and love their St. Winifrid who is a part of their