Councils of Clovesho facts for kids
The Councils of Clovesho were important meetings held a long, long time ago in Anglo-Saxon England. Kings, bishops (church leaders), abbots (heads of monasteries), and powerful nobles would gather together. These meetings happened in the 8th and 9th centuries, but nobody knows exactly where the place called Clovesho was! It was somewhere in the Kingdom of Mercia.
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Where Was Clovesho?
The exact spot of Clovesho is still a mystery! Scholars believe it was in or very close to the kingdom of Mercia. It also needed to be easy for southern English bishops to reach. One expert, Catherine Cubitt, called it "the most famous lost place in Anglo-Saxon England."
The name clofeshoch comes from Old English. The first part, clof, means 'a cleft' or 'a chasm'. The second part, hóh, means 'a heel-shaped spur of land'. This name suggests the place might have been in southeastern Mercia.
Today, many think Clovesho might have been at Brixworth in Northamptonshire. There's an old Anglo-Saxon church there, All Saints' Church, Brixworth, which shows it was an important place back then. Other places like Cliffe, Abingdon, and Tewkesbury were once suggested, but they are not thought to be correct anymore. More recently, Hitchin, Royston, Dunstable, or somewhere near Hertford have been put forward as ideas.
We know the dates of several Councils. Some mentions are not certain, like one from 716 and another from 742. But we have good proof for Councils held in 747, 793-796, 794, 798, 803, 804 (maybe), 824, and 825.
What Was the Purpose of the Councils?
When Archbishop Theodore of Tarsus held the Council of Hertford in 672 or 673, he said that yearly meetings should happen. He wanted them to be held on August 1st each year "in the place which is called Clofeshoch." This was a big deal! It was like the first "parliament" in the British Isles. It had the power to make decisions for all English people. Meetings were held at Clovesho for over 150 years.
The councils at Clovesho were special because they were "mixed assemblies." This means they included not just church leaders like bishops and abbots, but also the king of Mercia and his most important nobles. They were like both a church meeting (synod) and a royal assembly (Witenagemot).
The bishops made decisions about church matters. The archbishop was in charge of the bishops. The king led his nobles and approved their decisions. The king did not interfere with the church's spiritual rules. Even though England was not yet one united kingdom, the decisions made at Clovesho affected the whole English Church south of the Humber river.
The Council of 747
The Council of 747 was one of the most important meetings for the Anglo-Saxon Church. Archbishop Cuthbert led this council. King Æthelbald and his princes and chiefs were also there.
First, two letters from Pope Zachary were read aloud. These letters were very important. They warned the English people to follow the Church's teachings. If anyone refused, they could be punished by being removed from the Church.
After reading the Pope's letters, the council created thirty-one rules, called canons. Most of these rules were about how the Church should be run and how services should be performed.
Two rules, the thirteenth and fifteenth, showed how closely the Anglo-Saxon Church followed the Holy See (the Pope in Rome).
- The thirteenth rule said that all important Christian festivals, like baptisms and Masses, should be celebrated in the same way. This way was "according to the sample which we have received in writing from the Roman Church." It also said that saint's days should be kept on the same day, following the Roman Church's calendar.
- The fifteenth rule added that during daily prayers, clergy should only sing or read things approved by the Roman Church.
Other rules said that special prayers and processions should be done with great respect, "according to the rite of the Roman Church." The feasts of St. Gregory and St. Augustine (who was sent to England by Pope Gregory) were to be celebrated. Clergy and monks were told to always be ready to receive Holy Communion. Ordinary people were encouraged to take Communion often. People who did not know Latin were taught to pray for the living and the dead in English. Finally, clergy and monks were not allowed to live in people's homes or wear clothes like ordinary people.
The Council of 794
The record of the third Council of Clovesho is a document where Offa of Mercia gave land for religious reasons. This document says it was made "in the general synodal Council in the most celebrated place called Clofeshoas."
Around this time, King Offa had convinced Pope Adrian I to create a new archbishopric (a church area led by an archbishop) at Lichfield. This meant that churches in Mercia would now report to Lichfield instead of Canterbury. So, at this Council in 794, Higbert of Lichfield signed as an archbishop.
The Council of 803
The Council of 803 was very important. Its records show that the Mercian churches were returned to the control of province of Canterbury by the authority of Pope Leo III.
In 798, Coenwulf of Mercia wrote a long letter to the Pope. He explained the problems with the new archbishopric at Lichfield. He asked the Pope for his blessing and promised to follow his decision.
Æthelhard, the Archbishop of Canterbury, went to Rome to ask for the churches to be returned to Canterbury. In 802, Pope Leo agreed. He sent a letter saying that Canterbury would have full control again. The Pope also sent this decision to King Coenwulf.
This decision was announced at the Council of Clovesho the next year. Archbishop Ethelheard told the meeting that with God's help and Pope Leo's approval, they all agreed to give Canterbury its rights back. They also declared that an archbishopric should never again be founded at Lichfield. After this, Higbert, the Archbishop of Lichfield, stepped down and went to a monastery. The Mercian churches then returned to Canterbury's control.
Later Councils
Two more councils were held at Clovesho in 824 and 825. King Beornwulf and Archbishop Wulfred were in charge of these meetings. The first meeting settled a disagreement about an inheritance. The second meeting ended a dispute between the archbishop and an Abbess named Cynethryth.
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