Despite Shakespeare’s curse, ‘looters’ took something very important from his resting place

William Shakespeare is one of the primary figures of the English Renaissance. He remains alive even centuries after his death through his pristine works. However, his dead body isn't in the same condition, according to IFLScience. Several experts believe that since his burial in 1616, someone or several individuals together disturbed his remains. The state is so dire that researchers believe Shakespeare's whole skull might be missing. The state of affairs seems noteworthy, as the famous writer literally wrote a curse to drive off looters from his remains. It seems like the words that could stir a million souls failed to make a dent in the intention of those thieves. 

Condition of Shakespeare's Remains

Shakespeare was laid to rest in Holy Trinity Church at Stratford, according to the BBC. In 2016, a hi-tech investigation concluded that the skull was possibly taken away by a bunch of trophy hunters, two centuries ago. Kevin Colls, a Staffordshire University archaeologist, believes that the condition of the remains and tomb is very similar to what was claimed in trophy-hunting allegations printed in 1879. He believed that there could be a connection between the two things and wanted to investigate the link. "But the fact is that our findings correlate so well with the documented theft in 1879, particularly the reference to the grave being shallow. If it was going to be made up, the story would be entirely different," Colls explained. "The evidence of disturbance to the grave and repair to the chancel floor leads us to this conclusion."

Speculations by Experts

In the past, researchers thought that the skull could have been transferred to Holy Trinity and St Leonard's in Beoley. However, both have been ruled out after investigations. The skull stored in a vault at St Leonard's was believed by some to be of Shakespeare, but analysis revealed the remains were of a woman in her 70s. In 2016, the team looked into the myths and legends associated with other churches in Stratford and the West Midlands for hints about the skull, but no substantial updates have arrived. Researchers, apart from looking into the 1879 allegations, were also focusing on the possibility that a relative took the skull to commemorate the author, as a show of affection. It was something Margaret More Roper did for her father, Sir Thomas More, Lord Chancellor under Henry VIII. To date, the skull's mystery remains under wraps.

What is Shakespeare's Curse?

Though Shakespeare seemed to be a fan of shocking mysteries, he may not have been a fan of these turn of events. It is because he specifically wrote a "curse" on his tomb to prevent such "looting." ''Good friend for Jesus sake forbear, To dig the dust enclosed hear, Blessed be the man that spares these stones, And cursed be he that moves my bones," the gravestone read. Researchers found evidence through ground-penetrating radar that these words had been ignored.

There was clear evidence of disturbance in the shallow burial places of Shakespeare and his wife, Anne Hathaway. Kolls claims that in the head portion, the material had been pulled out and then put in again. There was also an uncanny brick structure at the burial, which increased the intrigue of it all. "We have Shakespeare's burial with an odd disturbance at the head end, and we have a story that suggests that at some point in history someone's come in and taken the skull of Shakespeare," Colls added.