Juthwara facts for kids

Juthwara or Jutwara was a young woman from Dorset, England. She is known as a virgin (someone who never married) and a martyr (someone who died for their religious beliefs).

Her story says she lived in the 700s. She was a Saxon and the sister of Sidwell. However, some historians think she might have been a Briton from the 500s. Her holy items, called relics, were moved to Sherborne during the time of King Ethelred the Unready. We don't know much else for sure about her life.

Juthwara's name comes from the Anglo-Saxon language. Some people think her name might come from the British name Aud Wyry. This name means "Aud the Virgin" in Brittany, a region in France. However, "Aud" is a Germanic name, not Celtic. So, it's more likely that "Aud Wyry" is a Breton way of saying her original name. Those who believe she lived in the 500s think she might have been the sister of Paul Aurelian and Wulvela. But this idea is still debated.

The Legend of Saint Juthwara

The story of Juthwara comes from old writings. One important book is Nova Legenda Angliae by John Capgrave. This book was based on earlier works from the mid-1300s.

According to her legend, Juthwara was a very religious girl. She often prayed and gave money to the poor. She also fasted, meaning she went without food for a time. After her father died, she started feeling pain in her chest. People thought this pain was from her sadness and her strict religious practices.

Her stepmother became very jealous of Juthwara's goodness. The stepmother told her own son, Bana, that Juthwara was hiding something. Bana then hurt Juthwara, and she died. A spring of water appeared right where she died. The legend says Juthwara then miraculously picked up her own head and carried it back to the church. In the Breton version of the story, Bana felt very sorry for what he did. He became a monk and started a monastery on a battlefield.

Where Juthwara Lived

Juthwara's death is said to have happened at a place called Halyngstoka. Most people agree this is Halstock in Dorset. In Halstock, she is known as Juthware. Local stories point to a field there that is still called by her name, now modernized to 'Judith'.

Some historians, like Baring-Gould and Fisher, suggested another place. They thought it might be Lanteglos-by-Camelford in North Cornwall. The church there is now named for Julitta. But it might have originally been named after Juthwara.

About ten miles east, at Laneast, the church is dedicated to her sisters. However, this seems to be a modern mix-up. The dedication at Laneast in 1436 was to Saints Sativola and Thomas the Martyr. The name Wolvela didn't appear until much later.

In July 2012, the parish church of St Mary in Halstock added Juthware to its dedication. This was done to honor the local tradition about her.

Honoring Saint Juthwara

Juthwara's feast day (a special day to remember her) is on November 28. However, some old calendars list July 13 or December 23.

Juthwara's body was moved to Sherborne Abbey in the early 1000s. Her shrine, a special place for her holy items, was a popular spot for pilgrimage (religious journeys). People visited it until the Dissolution in the 1500s. The Sherborne Missal, a prayer book from around 1400, includes a special Mass for Saint Juthware on July 13. This date marks when her body was moved. The book also has a picture of Juthwara's beheading.

You can see Juthwara in the Great East Window of Sherborne Abbey. She is also shown on several altar screens in Devon, often with her sister Sidwell. Her special symbols are a round soft cheese or a sword. In a statue from the late Middle Ages in Guizeny, Brittany, she is shown as a cephalophore. This means she is carrying her own head.