The Crown of Thorns
Preserved but no longer current.
That with which our Saviour was crowned in mockery (Matt, xxyii, 29); hence sometimes used of a very special affliction with which one is unjustly burdened. t Calvin (Admonitio de Reliquiis) gives a long list of places claiming to possess one or more of the thorns which composed the Saviour's crown. To his list may be added Glastonbury Abbey, where was also the spear of Longius or Longinus.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “The Crown of Thorns” mean?
That with which our Saviour was crowned in mockery (Matt, xxyii, 29); hence sometimes used of a very special affliction with which one is unjustly burdened. t Calvin (Admonitio de Reliquiis) gives a long list of places claiming to possess one or more of the thorns which composed the Saviour's crown. To his list may be added Glastonbury Abbey, where was also the spear of Longius or Longinus.
Is “The Crown of Thorns” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.