Alfred Westou facts for kids
Alfred, son of Westou, was an English priest who lived a long time ago, from about 1020 to after 1056. He was known for collecting relics (special items connected to saints) in a part of England called Northumberland. He is most famous for supposedly taking the bones of a very important scholar named Bede and secretly bringing them to the shrine of Saint Cuthbert in Durham. However, some modern experts think this story might not be true.
Alfred also moved the remains of other saints, like Boisil from Melrose Abbey, and many other lesser-known saints from northern England who lived in the 600s and 700s. These included holy people like Balther and Bilfrid, bishops Acca, Alchmund, and Eata from Hexham, King Oswin, and abbesses Ebba and Æthelgitha. Alfred worked as the sacristan (a person in charge of a church's sacred objects) at Saint Cuthbert's shrine under three different bishops. He was well-known for how much he respected and cared for the saint.
Contents
Alfred's Life and Work
Caring for Saint Cuthbert's Shrine
Alfred worked as the sacristan at the shrine of Saint Cuthbert in Durham. This was during the time of bishops Edmund, Æthelric, and Æthelwine in the early to mid-1000s. Saint Cuthbert died in 687, and his body was believed to be miraculously preserved. His remains were kept in a large stone church called the Ecclesia Major. This church was built in 998 and later taken down around 1093 to make way for the current Norman cathedral.
Early writers from Durham, like Symeon of Durham, praised Alfred. They said he was a very religious man and an excellent caretaker of Cuthbert's relics. Another writer, Reginald of Durham, described him as living a "decent life." Alfred's great-grandson, Ailred of Rievaulx, called him an "active teacher." Modern historians agree that Alfred was highly respected by the bishops of Durham.
For some time, Alfred was the only person responsible for looking after Cuthbert's remains. Many stories grew about his deep devotion to Cuthbert. According to Symeon and Reginald, Alfred once took one of Cuthbert's hairs and found that it miraculously would not burn. Reginald also wrote that Alfred often opened the coffin to wrap the saint's body in new robes. He would also trim Cuthbert's fingernails and cut or comb his hair and beard. An ivory comb was found in Cuthbert's shrine in 1827. Reginald even claimed that Alfred and Cuthbert sometimes "talked" to each other. He said Cuthbert gave Alfred detailed instructions about what to do with the relics he collected.
Modern historians think that some of Reginald's stories might not be entirely true. They believe these tales might have been inspired by similar stories about other saints.
Alfred's Family and Hexham
Besides his duties in Durham, Alfred also looked after the church in Hexham, Northumberland. His family had been priests there for generations. Since Alfred lived in Durham, he had others, like Gamel the Elder, help with his duties in Hexham.
Alfred was married, and his wife was the sister of Collan, who was the prior (leader) of Hexham. We don't know exactly when Alfred died. Records show he was still alive during Bishop Æthelwine's time (1056–71). Some historians believe he might have died just before the Norman Conquest in 1066.
Alfred's son, Eilaf Larwa, and his grandson, also named Eilaf, both became priests in Hexham after him. Another grandson, Aldred, also helped look after the shrine. The famous saint and abbot, Ailred of Rievaulx, who lived in the 1100s, was Alfred's great-grandson.
Collecting Holy Relics
Alfred was very dedicated to collecting relics of saints for Cuthbert's shrine in Durham and for the church in Hexham. A medieval expert, Bertram Colgrave, called him "the arch-relic-hunter." This shows how popular collecting relics was at that time.
Symeon of Durham wrote that Alfred formally moved the remains of several saints. He said Alfred learned where these remains were through special visions. These saints included:
- Boisil (died 661): He was Cuthbert's teacher from Melrose Abbey. His remains were placed in their own shrine in Durham around 1020.
- Balther (died 756 or 757): He was a holy hermit from the monastery of Tyningham.
- Bilfrid: He was a goldsmith and hermit from Lindisfarne. He was known for making the beautiful case for the Lindisfarne Gospels, which is now lost.
- Acca (died 740) and Alchmund (died 780 or 781): These were two bishops from Hexham. Their remains were reburied in the church at Hexham around 1040. Some sources say parts of their relics were also moved to Durham.
- Oswin (died 651): He was a king who was murdered and had many followers in Tynemouth.
- Abbesses Ebba (died 683) and Æthelgitha: Ebba was from Coldingham. Æthelgitha was another abbess, possibly also from Coldingham or another nearby convent.
The Hexham Bishops: Acca and Alchmund
There is a different version of the story about moving Alchmund of Hexham's remains. An unknown writer, probably from Hexham, tells this story in a book called the Historia Regum. In this version, a person named "Dregmo" has a vision about Bishop Alchmund. Dregmo then asks Alfred to rebury the remains in Hexham church. Alfred agrees, but secretly takes a finger bone, planning to take it to Durham.
The next day, the saint's coffin cannot be moved. Dregmo has another vision that reveals Alfred's secret theft. Alfred admits what he did. After the finger bone is returned, the ceremony can finally continue. This story is also told by Ailred of Rievaulx.
When Bishop Acca was reburied in Hexham, several items were found undamaged in his grave. These included some of his church clothes (like a chasuble and dalmatic), his shroud, a silk tunic, and a small wooden altar. Some of these items, like the chasuble, were later listed among the relics at Durham Cathedral in 1383.
The Story of Bede's Bones
Alfred is also famously said to have stolen the bones of the important scholar and saint, Bede (died 735). Bede's bones were originally in his shrine at Jarrow. Alfred supposedly moved them secretly to Durham.
Symeon of Durham's account of this story is a bit mysterious. It doesn't mention any vision. It says that Alfred usually visited the Jarrow monastery to remember Bede's death. But one year, he came back early, leaving his friends behind, and never returned to Jarrow. Then, he acted as if he had "secured the object of his desires." When asked about Bede's bones, he said they were in Cuthbert's shrine, but told people to keep it a secret.
About 50 years after Alfred died, Cuthbert's coffin was opened before being moved to the new Norman cathedral. A small linen bag was found inside, which was later claimed to contain Bede's bones.
However, modern historians like Kendall think this story is "probably made up." They believe it was invented to explain where the unidentified bones in the linen bag came from. Other scholars also doubt the story's truth. They point out that the first written account of the bones being moved appeared at least 100 years later. There is no other proof that Alfred did this, and the secrecy meant the move didn't serve its purpose. Some suggest that monks from Jarrow might have moved the remains themselves in 1083 when a new monastery was founded in Durham.
How We Know About Alfred
We know a good deal about Alfred from several old writings. These include:
- An Account of the Early Provosts of Hexham (around 1100)
- The Libellus de exordio (1104–1115) by Symeon of Durham
- A part of the Historia Regum (1113–1164), possibly written by someone from Hexham
- An anonymous story called "Miracle 18" in Capitula de Miraculis et Translationibus Sancti Cuthberti (after 1128)
- The History of the Church of Hexham (1154–around 1160) by Prior Richard of Hexham
- On the Saints of Hexham (1154–1167) by Ailred of Rievaulx
- The Life of St Eata (12th century), a collection about Hexham saints
- The Libellus de admirandis beati Cuthberti virtutibus quae novellis patratae sunt temporibus (around 1150–1175) by Reginald of Durham
Even though few of these writers saw Alfred's actions themselves, Symeon's story was partly based on what a monk named Gamel said. Richard of Hexham knew Alfred's grandson, Eilaf. Reginald claimed some of his added stories came from Ailred and family traditions.
See Also
- Durham, a poem extolling Durham's relic collection
- St Cuthbert's coffin
