Michael Jackson, David Beckham - and Lord Nelson

What has Lord Nelson got in common with Elvis Presley?

It takes a pretty big leap of the imagination to make a connection between Lord Nelson and David Beckham.

One was a seafaring genius, hero-worshipped by the world for his public victories on the high seas - and his private life of love and lavish spending.

The other is a footballing genius, hero-worshipped by the world for his public victories on football fields - and his private life of love and lavish spending.

Ah, so not such a big leap of the imagination, after all.

Furthermore, Norfolk and Britain's greatest naval commander also have much in common with this assorted bunch: Michael Jackson, Princess Diana, Saint Therese of Lisieux, Elvis Presley, John F Kennedy and Captain Cook.

That is what will be said by Prof Steven Hooper when he gives his first professorial lecture at UEA.

The director of the Sainsbury Research Unit for the Arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas will speak on the subject "Captain Cook's bones, Lord Nelson's hair and other strange stories: reflections on relics, reliquaries and celebrity".

The essence of the lecture is that humans have always had a desire to snap up relics linked to the heroes of their age - particularly if the luminaries died young.

Prof Hooper said: "Early martyrdom seems to play an important role in the value of relics to people. Nelson was 46 when he died, Captain Cook was 50, St Therese was 36. We make much more of a fuss of Elvis than we do Sir Winston Churchill, who died when he was an old man.

"People who have finished their natural course are special but Mrs Thatcher's teacup will never be regarded in the same way as Marilyn Monroe's teacup."

Prof Hooper added that Lord Nelson was more than just a naval commander: he was the popular superstar of his day.

He said: "In terms of Lord Nelson's equivalent celebrities, we are talking Princess Diana and David Beckham. Beckham is a superstar, good looking, with a fascinating private life. Without being too morbid, if Beckham died in a car crash tomorrow, things associated with him would have much more value than if he died at the age of 85."

Prof Hooper added that the value depended on whether the relic was part of the person, likes bones or hair, something they wore or handled (clothing or letters) or something that remembered them (statues or portraits).

To illustrate how the cult of relics transcends generations, Nelson's pocket watch recently fetched £400,000, while the glove worn by Michael Jackson when he did the moonwalk commanded £420,000 at auction.

Prof Hooper said: "Michael Jackson's genuine glove went for a fortune, but you can buy a replica on the internet for $4.95. It's the actual association with the body of someone special which is important."

He will also say that Nelson memorabilia can command a 1,000-5,000pc premium at auction over ordinary items of a similar kind.

His portrait by Lemuel Francis Abbott fetched £300,000, whereas a similar portrait by the same artist of a lesser-known officer in the same sale fetched £8,000. A (presumed) lock of Nelson's hair fetched £2,500.

He added that the phenomenon had recurred throughout history, with Pacific islanders revering the bones of their ancestors and Christians, Buddhists and other religious people revering the remains of saints - illustrated by the huge interest in the relics of Saint Therese of Lisieux when they were taken on tour this year.

He said: "Famous people who have died, particularly those who have died young, are regarded almost as having magical powers. People try to connect with sources of their power."

The lecture, which will look at the high value accorded to relics, the elaborate containers that have been produced to house them worldwide and cults of celebrity that have relics as their focus, is free and is at 6.15pm in lecture theatre 01.02, Elizabeth Fry Building, UEA.