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Swithun

Saint Swithun (Old English: Swīþhūn; died 2 July 863) was an Anglo-Saxon bishop of Winchester, appointed on 30 October 852 by King Æthelwulf of Wessex, where he served until his death.^[1] As a secular cleric and tutor to the king, he played a key advisory role in the royal court, witnessing nine royal charters during his tenure.^[1] Known for his humility and piety, Swithun focused on practical works of faith, including repairing churches and constructing a stone bridge over the Itchen River at Winchester's East Gate in 859 to aid pilgrims.^[1] Following his death, he was initially buried in a simple sarcophagus outside the west door of Winchester's Old Minster, near a roadside cross, in accordance with his wish for a humble grave accessible to the poor.^[1] Over a century later, during the monastic reforms of Bishop Æthelwold in the late 10th century, Swithun's relics were translated on 15 July 971 from their outdoor tomb into a reliquary within the Old Minster, an event that sparked the development of his cult as a major pilgrimage site.^[1] This translation was documented in contemporary Latin texts, including Lantfred's Translatio et Miracula Sancti Swithuni (c. 971), which records early miracles such as the healing of a blacksmith in 968 and cures for paralysis and hunchback shortly before the ceremony, with reports of over 200 healings in the first ten days after the event.^[1] The cult was further promoted through poetic and hagiographic works by Wulfstan the Cantor (c. 991) and Ælfric of Eynsham (late 10th century), establishing Swithun as a symbol of royal and ecclesiastical piety amid the Benedictine Revival.^[1] By the 12th century, relics had been distributed widely, leading to 68 English churches dedicated to him, and his shrine was relocated multiple times within Winchester Cathedral, culminating in a grand reconstruction in 1476.^[1] Swithun's enduring legacy extends to English folklore through the legend of St Swithun's Day on 15 July, his principal feast day commemorating the translation, which holds that the weather on this date determines conditions for the following 40 days—if it rains, wet weather will persist, but fair skies promise a dry summer.^[2] This proverb, with roots in pre-Christian weather augury adapted to Christian saints' days, first appears in written form in the 14th century and is popularly linked to a supposed 40-day deluge that delayed the 971 translation ceremony, though no contemporary accounts confirm such an event.^[2] As patron saint of Winchester Cathedral, Swithun remains venerated in the Church of England, with his story exemplifying Anglo-Saxon sanctity and the interplay of history, miracle, and popular tradition.^[1]

Early Life and Rise

Origins and Education

Details of Swithun's early life are scant and primarily derived from later hagiographic accounts rather than contemporary records such as the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, which provide no specifics on his family background or exact birthplace. He was born in ninth-century Wessex to noble parents.^[3]^[4]^[5] From his youth, Swithun was immersed in the religious community at Winchester's Old Minster, where he lived in innocent simplicity under the guidance of Bishop Helmstan, embracing ascetic influences amid the growing threats of Viking incursions across England.^[4] His early education focused on classical and theological studies, equipping him for service in the church; this scholarly foundation led to his ordination as a priest by Helmstan and his subsequent role as chaplain to King Æthelwulf.^[4]

Path to the Episcopate

Swithun received holy orders from Helmstan, bishop of Winchester, who held the see from around 838 until his death circa 852.^[3] Following his ordination as priest, Swithun advanced within the Winchester church, likely serving in administrative capacities at the Old Minster.^[4] His growing reputation for piety and learning attracted royal notice, leading to his appointment as tutor to Æthelwulf, son of King Egbert, to whom he provided moral instruction and scholarly education during the prince's youth.^[3] Swithun extended his influence as a trusted counselor to the West Saxon royal house, advising Kings Egbert, who died in 839, and his son Æthelwulf on ecclesiastical and governance matters.^[4] When Helmstan died in 852, Æthelwulf endorsed Swithun's elevation to the bishopric of Winchester, recognizing his administrative acumen and loyalty; Swithun was consecrated by Archbishop Ceolnoth of Canterbury on October 30 of that year.^[3] This royal support underscored the close ties between the Winchester see and the West Saxon monarchy during a period of Viking threats and internal consolidation.^[4]

Episcopal Role and Death

Tenure as Bishop of Winchester

Swithun was appointed Bishop of Winchester by King Æthelwulf of Wessex and consecrated on 30 October 852.^[1]^[6] He had previously served as tutor to Æthelwulf when the latter was prince under his father, King Egbert, bringing administrative acumen to his episcopal role.^[1] His tenure, lasting until 862, involved overseeing the expansive diocese of Winchester, which encompassed key ecclesiastical centers like the Old Minster, the primary cathedral church and seat of the bishopric. Swithun actively supported the Old Minster's clerical community through his pastoral leadership, ensuring the continuity of its liturgical and communal functions during a time of Viking incursions and regional instability.^[1] Although the diocese's canons followed a secular rather than strictly monastic rule, Swithun's governance laid groundwork for later reforms by emphasizing disciplined clerical life and charitable outreach.^[1] A hallmark of Swithun's administrative efforts was his focus on practical infrastructure to bolster the diocese's resilience and spiritual life. He repaired several dilapidated churches across the region, restoring facilities essential for worship and community gathering in an era of frequent disruptions.^[7] Notably, a tenth-century poem attributes to him the construction of a stone bridge over the River Itchen at Winchester's East Gate in 859, a civic project that facilitated trade and travel while embodying his commitment to public welfare amid ninth-century uncertainties.^[1] These initiatives, documented in later hagiographical accounts drawing from contemporary records, highlight Swithun's role in integrating ecclesiastical oversight with tangible support for his flock.^[7] Swithun's personal humility profoundly shaped his episcopate, as he rejected ostentation in favor of direct engagement with the vulnerable. He routinely walked barefoot to consecrate newly built or repaired churches, a deliberate act of self-abasement that underscored his devotion and accessibility.^[8] His charity extended beyond institutional projects; he prioritized feasting and almsgiving with the poor and needy, forgoing banquets with the elite to address immediate hardships in Winchester's community.^[8] These practices, as described in later hagiographical accounts such as Alban Butler's Lives of the Saints (18th century), reflected a piety rooted in everyday service rather than grandeur.^[8]

Death and Original Burial

Swithun died on 2 July 862, though some sources, including the Canterbury manuscript of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, record the event under the year 861 with minimal detail beyond noting the passing of the Bishop of Winchester.^[5] Contemporary documentation of his death remains sparse, limited primarily to entries in the Winchester annals and the broader Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, which reflect the era's focus on ecclesiastical succession rather than personal biography. In line with his ascetic ideals, Swithun explicitly requested an outdoor burial for his remains, stating that he wished to be interred "where the rain might fall upon it and passersby tread upon it," a humble disposition that contrasted with the typical veneration afforded to bishops. This directive, preserved in later hagiographical accounts such as Wulfstan of Winchester's Narratio de S. Swithuno (composed around 997), underscores his preference for simplicity over ostentation in death. His body was accordingly placed in a sarcophagus on open ground immediately north of the west door of Winchester's Old Minster, positioned between the church's entrance and a stone cross dedicated to St. Martin of Tours.^[1] At the time, the grave remained unmarked and received no veneration, aligning with Swithun's expressed desire for an unassuming resting place that would be exposed to the elements and everyday foot traffic.^[1] The site's prominence—directly in front of the minster's main access—nonetheless ensured it was not entirely overlooked, though it lay outside the sacred interior of the church.^[1]

Legends and Miracles

Ante-Mortem Miracles

Accounts of miracles attributed to Swithun during his lifetime are sparse, with hagiographic traditions emphasizing his personal piety and humility over dramatic supernatural interventions. This scarcity contrasts with the abundance of post-mortem legends and suggests that contemporary witnesses recorded few such events, focusing instead on his virtuous character as bishop. The most prominent and widely attested ante-mortem miracle involves the restoration of a poor woman's broken eggs, detailed in Wulfstan the Cantor's Narratio de Sancto Swithuno, composed around 975–980. While overseeing the construction of a stone bridge across the River Itchen in Winchester—part of his episcopal efforts to improve infrastructure for the community—Swithun encountered a destitute widow whose basket of eggs had been deliberately smashed by the workmen as she crossed the structure. Moved by her distress, the bishop knelt, gathered the fragments, and prayed over them; miraculously, the eggs reassembled intact, allowing the woman to proceed with her market goods unharmed. This act, symbolizing Swithun's compassion for the vulnerable, is portrayed as a direct manifestation of divine favor earned through his ascetic life. Beyond this singular, detailed narrative, Ælfric of Eynsham's late tenth-century Life of St Swithun alludes to other minor interventions, such as aiding travelers in distress or providing solace to the needy through intercessory prayer, though these are recounted summarily without elaboration. Such vague references reinforce the tradition of Swithun's quiet sanctity, where everyday benevolence sufficed to demonstrate his holiness without reliance on prolific wonders.

Post-Mortem Miracles and Visions

Following Swithun's death in 862, his body was interred in a humble grave outside the west door of Winchester's Old Minster, near a roadside cross,^[1] a site that soon became associated with numerous reported miracles prior to the formal promotion of his cult. These post-mortem events, primarily documented in the late 10th-century Latin texts by the monks Lantfred of Fleury (Translatio et miracula S. Swithuni, c. 971) and Wulfstan of Winchester (Narratio metrica de S. Swithuno, c. 975), emphasized healings occurring directly at the grave, drawing pilgrims from across England and beyond.^[9] Healings of physical and spiritual afflictions formed the core of these accounts, with the blind, lame, and demon-possessed frequently restored through invocation at the tomb. A blind Englishman, who had spent five years in futile prayer at Rome, recovered his sight instantaneously upon reaching Swithun's grave in Winchester, as detailed by Lantfred (ch. 16).^[9] Wulfstan similarly recounts the cure of a blind woman on the eve of the 971 relic translation (15 July), an event so remarkable that church bells rang out to assemble the crowds in witness (Narratio i.5).^[9] For the lame, Lantfred describes a pilgrim whose one foot was partially eased at St Augustine's shrine in Canterbury but fully healed only after reaching Swithun's tomb (ch. 13), highlighting the saint's superior intercessory role.^[9] Cases of possession included a woman overtaken by a demon after yawning without crossing herself; she was delivered and restored to health at the grave following fervent prayer (Lantfred, ch. 33).^[9] These healings often involved dramatic public elements, such as spontaneous cries of praise or the gathering of witnesses, to affirm the miracles' authenticity. Visions and dream appearances of Swithun further amplified his posthumous activity, serving as divine communications to clergy and pilgrims alike. In Lantfred's narrative, the saint manifested in a dream to a devout local woman, rebuking the monks for ceasing their praises amid the ongoing wonders and commanding her to relay the message to Bishop Æthelwold, thereby reinforcing monastic vigilance (ch. 10).^[9] Wulfstan's poetic adaptation preserves this vision, portraying it as a call to perpetual gratitude for the miracles unfolding at the grave.^[9] Such apparitions typically unveiled concealed sins among the faithful or foretold recoveries, guiding supplicants toward repentance and deeper devotion while promising cures to the penitent. Accounts of providential interventions extended to the recovery of lost or stolen property and the safeguarding of the vulnerable, underscoring Swithun's role as protector. Lantfred records how the saint supernaturally conveyed a young female slave to his tomb, shielding her from exploitation by her avaricious master and prompting communal rejoicing among the assembled pilgrims (ch. 20).^[9] These narratives, echoed in Wulfstan's verse, emphasized justice for the innocent against wrongdoing. Over the subsequent centuries, medieval hagiographic compilations expanded these early reports into collections exceeding 100 miracles, integrating them into broader vitae and lectionaries to sustain Swithun's reputation as a potent wonder-worker.

Development of the Cult

Initial Neglect and Revival under Æthelwold

Following Swithun's death on 2 July 862, his cult entered a period of profound obscurity that lasted over a century. Although he was buried in a prominent location outside the west door of Winchester's Old Minster, complete with a stone cross, there is no evidence of immediate veneration, shrine development, or establishment of a feast day.^[1] This neglect stemmed directly from Swithun's own directive for a humble burial, reflecting his personal emphasis on modesty rather than grandeur, which contrasted with the more ostentatious interments typical for bishops of his era.^[1] No contemporary chronicles or records mention him as a figure of devotion, and he was not regarded as a saint (sanctus) during his lifetime or in the immediate decades after his death.^[10] The revival of Swithun's cult began in the mid-10th century under Bishop Æthelwold of Winchester (r. 963–984), who actively promoted it as part of the broader Benedictine monastic reforms sweeping Anglo-Saxon England. Æthelwold, a key architect of these reforms aimed at restoring strict monastic discipline and ejecting secular clergy from religious houses, selected Swithun as a focal saint to bolster the spiritual authority of Winchester's Old Minster.^[10] In doing so, he elevated Swithun's status above that of earlier Winchester saints, such as Birinus, the 7th-century apostle to the West Saxons, by prioritizing Swithun in hagiographical narratives, financial endowments, and communal veneration—efforts that underscored Swithun's alignment with reformist ideals of humility and monastic piety over Birinus's more apostolic legacy.^[10] This promotion transformed Swithun from a forgotten local figure into a symbol of reformed monastic identity at Winchester.^[1] Central to this resurgence were the composition of hagiographical texts and the integration of Swithun into Winchester's liturgical practices around 970. Æthelwold commissioned or inspired works such as the Translatio et Miracula S. Swithuni by the monk Lantfred (c. 970s) and the Narratio Metrica de Sancto Swithuno by Wulfstan (late 10th century), which narrated Swithun's virtues and miracles to foster devotion among the monastic community and laity.^[10] These texts, produced in Latin for scholarly and liturgical use, were complemented by Ælfric of Eynsham's Old English Life of St Swithun (c. 1000), making the saint accessible to a wider audience.^[1] Simultaneously, Swithun's feast days—commemorating his death (2 July), translation (15 July), and consecration (30 October)—were added to the Winchester calendar, appearing in contemporary manuscripts like the Leofric Missal and the Portiforium of St. Wulfstan, with dedicated lections and tropes in the Winchester Troper to embed his veneration in daily monastic worship.^[1] By the early 11th century, these elements had spread to at least 19 surviving calendars, marking the cult's firm establishment within reformed ecclesiastical circles.^[1]

Translation of Relics in 971

In 971, Bishop Æthelwold of Winchester ordered the translation of Swithun's relics as part of his efforts to revive the saint's cult and promote monastic reform at the Old Minster.^[1] On July 15, the ceremony involved exhuming the remains from their original sarcophagus located outside the church, where they had been exposed to the elements since Swithun's death in 862, and relocating them indoors to a feretory within the Old Minster.^[1] This event, attended by clergy and laypeople, marked a deliberate elevation of Swithun's status, transforming his modest grave into a focal point for veneration.^[1] The translation was accompanied by reports of numerous miracles, particularly healings, which were interpreted as divine endorsements of the proceedings and Swithun's sanctity.^[1] According to the contemporary account by Lantfred of Winchester in his Translatio et miracula S. Swithuni (composed around 974), over 200 individuals were cured of various ailments within the first ten days following the ceremony, including cases of paralysis, blindness, and demonic possession.^[1] These events drew large crowds of pilgrims from across England and beyond, overwhelming the Old Minster and necessitating expanded facilities to accommodate the influx.^[1] Wulfstan the Cantor's later Narratio metrica de S. Swithuno (c. 990) corroborates this, emphasizing the rapid spread of miracle narratives that solidified Swithun's reputation as a powerful intercessor.^[1] The ceremony's success led to the establishment of July 15 as Swithun's principal feast day, commemorating the translation rather than his original death date of July 2.^[1] This shift redirected devotional focus toward the relics' new enshrining, fostering sustained pilgrimage and contributing to the cult's widespread popularity in medieval England.^[1]

Veneration and Patronage

Medieval and Reformation-Era Practices

Following the translation of St Swithun's relics in 971, his shrine in Winchester Cathedral emerged as a prominent pilgrimage destination, drawing devotees from England and abroad for nearly six centuries until 1538.^[1] Pilgrims sought healing and intercession, leaving offerings of gold, silver, jewels, unicorn horns, and other valuables, while records of vows for miracles—such as cures for ailments—appear in contemporary charters and hagiographical accounts.^[11]^[1] The shrine's reputation for efficacy, with reports of up to 200 healings in the first ten days after translation, fueled its popularity and generated significant revenue for the cathedral through these donations.^[1] St Swithun's veneration was integrated into medieval liturgical practices, with his feast days—July 2 (death), July 15 (translation), and October 30 (dedication)—commemorated in local and regional calendars, including variants of the Sarum Use prevalent in southern England.^[12]^[1] Relics from the shrine were loaned on occasion for royal ceremonies, notably during the 1486 christening of Prince Arthur at Winchester, where they featured in processions and hymns alongside substantial offerings.^[11] The Reformation brought an abrupt end to these practices in 1538, when Henry VIII's commissioners suppressed the shrine amid the Dissolution of the Monasteries, demolishing the structure, stripping its silver and jewels (valued at around 2,000 marks), and scattering the relics across England and Europe.^[11]^[13] Some fragments survived abroad, including in Norway, preserving traces of the cult beyond England's borders.^[13]

Attributes, Feast Days, and Modern Observance

In iconography, Saint Swithun is often depicted as a bishop, sometimes holding a model of a bridge to symbolize his role in constructing the bridge over the Itchen River in Winchester, or with broken eggs at his feet referencing the miracle where he restored a poor woman's basket of eggs crushed by builders. His association with rain stems from the legendary torrential downpour during the 971 translation of his relics, fulfilling his wish for a humble outdoor burial and underscoring themes of divine humility and providence in artistic representations. Additionally, apples and raindrops serve as emblems, linking to traditions where rain on his feast day "christens" the apple harvest, evoking his patronage over weather and orchards.^[14] Saint Swithun's principal feast day is July 15, commemorating the 971 translation of his relics, though his death on July 2 is observed in some calendars. In the Church of England, July 15 is a lesser festival with a specific collect emphasizing his gentle governance and call to build the Church in unity: "Almighty God, by whose grace we celebrate again the feast of your servant Swithun: grant that, as he governed with gentleness the people committed to his care, so we, rejoicing in our Christian inheritance, may always seek to build up your Church in unity and love; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord..." Readings draw from the Common of Bishops and Pastors, without unique scriptural selections. In the Episcopal Church of the United States, commemoration falls on July 2, aligning with his natale, and integrates into the sanctoral cycle using the Revised Common Lectionary's daily office provisions. Eastern Orthodox veneration honors him on July 2 (Julian calendar equivalent to July 15 Gregorian) with a troparion in Tone IV: "The grace of God manifestly revealed thee to thy flock as a teacher of compunction, a model of meekness and a defender of the Church, O Father Swithun; wherefore, by thy intercessions, O all-blessed one, save our souls."^[15]^[16] In the 21st century, veneration centers on physical sites tied to his legacy, with no widespread revivals but sustained scholarly and liturgical interest. Winchester Cathedral maintains a modern memorial shrine in the retrochoir, marking the 1476 relocation of his relics, while the nearby St Swithun-upon-Kingsgate, a 14th-century chapel perched atop the city gate, hosts occasional services and preserves his dedication. Norwegian connections persist through Stavanger Cathedral (Stavanger domkirke), dedicated to Swithun since the 12th century and part of the Lutheran Church of Norway, where his cult endured post-Reformation as a civic and religious symbol, evidenced by a 19th-century revival of interest in his cult, the persistence of his day in folk tradition, and the 2024 rediscovery of relic fragments. In May 2024, archaeologists from the University of Stavanger discovered remains of a reliquary—including a gilded copper panel, silver medallion, and glass ornaments—containing a fragment of St Swithun's arm bone, hidden in the cathedral's north tower cellar to evade destruction during the Reformation.^[1]^[17]^[13]^[18]

Cultural Legacy

The St. Swithun's Day Proverb

The St. Swithun's Day proverb is a piece of British weather folklore stating: "St Swithun's day if thou dost rain, For forty days it will remain; St Swithun's day if thou be fair, For forty days 'twill rain na mair."^[19] This rhyme predicts that the weather on 15 July—St. Swithun's feast day—will persist for the following 40 days, either as continuous rain or fair conditions.^[2] The proverb's origins trace to a medieval legend associating prolonged rain with divine displeasure over the 971 translation of Swithun's relics, during which storms reportedly lasted 40 days, evoking biblical flood imagery from the story of Noah where rain fell for 40 days and nights.^[19] The earliest surviving written reference dates to the 14th century, though some accounts link it to a severe storm on 15 July 1315 that reinforced the folk belief.^[2] It represents folk etymology rather than a causal miracle, blending hagiographic tradition with weather observation.^[20] Meteorologically, the proverb has a partial basis in the timing of mid-July weather patterns over the United Kingdom, when the jet stream often stabilizes and influences the onset of the Azores High pressure system.^[2] If the jet stream positions north of the UK, the Azores High can extend northward, promoting warm, dry conditions for much of the summer; conversely, a southern position allows Atlantic low-pressure systems to dominate, leading to cooler, wetter weather that may persist.^[2] However, historical records show no instances of exactly 40 consecutive dry or wet days following 15 July, indicating the proverb's predictive power is correlative at best rather than literal.^[2] The proverb endures in cultural traditions, appearing in historical almanacs such as Poor Robin's Almanack from 1697 and modern ones like the Old Farmer's Almanac, which referenced it in its 2025 calendar entry.^[21]^[22] It continues to feature in media coverage of summer forecasts, including a 2025 RTÉ Brainstorm analysis tying it to that year's unpredictable weather, though dismissed as superstition without supernatural basis.^[20]

Scholarly Interpretations and Enduring Influence

Scholars have debated the historical foundations of Swithun's cult, noting the scarcity of evidence for his veneration prior to 970, which suggests that the cult was largely a construct orchestrated by Bishop Æthelwold to advance Benedictine reform and royal propaganda under King Edgar.^[23] Michael Lapidge's comprehensive analysis highlights how Æthelwold's circle, including monks like Wulfstan, fabricated and amplified narratives of Swithun's miracles to legitimize the monastic revival at Winchester, transforming an obscure bishop into a patron saint. This interpretation aligns with earlier studies emphasizing the political utility of saintly cults in consolidating ecclesiastical power during the late tenth century.^[1] In the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, key works have deepened this understanding, including Lapidge's 2003 critical edition and translation of Wulfstan's Narratio de S. Swithuno, which provides the primary Latin account of Swithun's post-mortem miracles and underscores the cult's rapid institutionalization. More recently, a 2024 publication from Winchester Cathedral examines the cult's evolution, drawing on archaeological and textual evidence to highlight understudied Scandinavian connections, such as the dissemination of relics to Norway and their role in medieval North Sea networks.^[13] These studies reveal how Swithun's veneration extended beyond England, influencing liturgical practices in regions like Ireland and Scandinavia through exported manuscripts and artifacts.^[1] Swithun's enduring influence manifests as a symbol of humility in Anglo-Saxon sainthood, exemplified by hagiographical accounts of his preference for an unadorned grave, which contrasted with the grandeur imposed by his posthumous cult.^[23] This theme of modest piety persists in minor literary references and toponymy, with churches and institutions bearing his name—such as St Swithun's Priory in Winchester—serving as ongoing markers of his legacy in English ecclesiastical geography.^[1] Despite these advancements, scholarly gaps remain, particularly in the digitization of miracle narratives from medieval manuscripts, where post-2020 initiatives like Winchester Cathedral's online archives have begun to catalog texts but require broader integration with international databases.^[24]

References

[1]
[PDF] The Cult of St Swithun - Winchester Cathedral
Swithuni (Life of St Swithun), Swithun was a pious and exceedingly humble man. Other records and accounts indicate that he was a cleric promoted within the ...
[2]
Behind the folklore: St Swithin's Day: Does rain today really mean a ...
Jul 15, 2019 · The St Swithin's Day legend is an old one –the earliest surviving written reference dates back to the 14th century – although its roots are much disputed.Missing: origin | Show results with:origin
[3]
The Cult of St Swithun - Michael Lapidge - Google Books
St Swithun was an obscure ninth-century bishop of Winchester about whom little was, and is, known. But following the translation of his relics from a ...<|control11|><|separator|>
[4]
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle : Ninth Century - Avalon Project
Swithun, bishop. A.D. 865. This year sat the heathen army in the isle of Thanet, and made peace with the men of Kent, who promised money therewith; but ...
[5]
Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Swithun - Wikisource
Dec 29, 2020 · SWITHUN, Saint (d. 862), bishop of Winchester, is said to have been born of noble parents, and, when he had passed boyhood, ...Missing: career ordination tutelage Æthelstan 853
[6]
[PDF] This article was published in an Elsevier journal. The ... - CORE
... Michael Lapidge's The. Cult of St Swithun (Lapidge, 2003, chaps. 1–4), it will be referred to extensively. All references to the contemporary writers ...
[7]
ST. SWITHIN OR SWITHUN, C. BISHOP AND PATRON OF ...
Swithun, called in the original Saxon language Swithum, received in this ... He was of noble parentage, passed his youth in innocent simplicity, and in ...
[8]
None
Summary of each segment:
[9]
[PDF] Æthelwold's Circle, Saints' Cults, and Monastic Reform, c. 956-1006
Swithun at Winchester more intensively than the relics of seventh-century saints at the. Old Minster, but at Ely they prioritized the seventh-century saint ...
[10]
[PDF] notes on the shrine of st. swithun
The shrine of St. Swithun was, next to that of St. Thomas, at Canterbury, one of the most famous and important in the. South of England.Missing: medieval | Show results with:medieval
[11]
Companion to the Kalendar | The Sarum Rite - MacSphere
The older Sarum Kalendars have the Feast of Saints Processi and Martiniani, rather than the Visitation. Some Kalendars have Saint Swithun. The York ...
[12]
[PDF] SPECIAL REPORT Lost St Swithun reliquary found in Stavanger ...
In 1539, Henry VIII's commissioners pulled down the reliquary of St Swithun in the Cathedral's retroquire, stripping its silver and dispersing its relics.
[13]
Religions - Christianity: Saint Swithin - BBC
Jun 29, 2011 · On 15 July 971 though, Swithin's remains were dug up and moved to a shrine in the cathedral by Bishop Ethelwold. Miraculous cures were ...
[14]
Lesser Festivals | The Church of England
The following readings may supersede the readings in the Daily Eucharistic Lectionary. The daily Psalms and readings at Morning and Evening Prayer are not ...
[15]
Holy Hierarch Swithin, Bishop of Winchester and Wonderworker
Jul 28, 2019 · St. Swithin (the original form: Swithun, meaning a strong bear-cup) is one of the greatest wonderworkers of England and most beloved and popular saints.
[16]
[PDF] Swithun in the North: A Winchester Saint in Norway
The medieval link between Stavanger and Swithun has received some excellent attention from Michael Lapidge in his 2003 book, The Cult of St Swithun.ii In his ...
[17]
St Swithun-upon-Kingsgate historic church, Winchester
This very small church occupies a most unusual location atop the arch of Kingsgate, just a few yards from the Cathedral Close.
[18]
St Swithins Day or St Swithuns Day 15 July - Will it Rain? - Historic UK
St Swithun's Day (or 'Swithin' as he is also known) is the feast day of a ninth century Anglo-Saxon Bishop of Winchester who died in 862 AD. Swithun was born in ...Missing: proverb records
[19]
The legend of St Swithin and his July 15th weather forecast - RTE
Jul 15, 2025 · The English Book of Common Prayer (1549) attributed a "plague of rain and waters" to human sin. And in 1598, a preacher from Sussex, in the ...Missing: proverb | Show results with:proverb
[20]
July 15th - The Book of Days
Swithin's Day is thus alluded to in Poor Robin's Almanac for 1697: 'In this month is St. Swithin's Day, On which, if that it rain, they say, Full forty days ...Missing: proverb | Show results with:proverb
[21]
Daily Calendar for Tuesday, July 15, 2025 | Almanac.com
Jul 15, 2025 · ... proverb regarding rain on July 15: “St. Swithin's Day if thou dost rain, / For forty days it will remain.” Question of the Day. My brown ...Missing: Swithun's modern
[22]
The Cult of St Swithun - Archaeopress
The Cult of St Swithun. By Michael Lapidge. Hardback £115.00. Includes PDF. Open Access PDF eBook. Download. Add to basket. Add to wishlist. Following the ...Missing: early | Show results with:early<|control11|><|separator|>
[23]
"Holy Body, Holy Place: The Veneration of St. Swithun from the Old ...
By considering the way that medieval people would have responded to the hagiography, relics, and shrine of St. Swithun based on their experience as readers and ...Missing: early | Show results with:early