Æthelwold of Winchester facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Æthelwold
Bishop of Winchester
King Edgar seated between St. Æthelwold, Bishop of Winchester, and St. Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury. From an eleventh-century manuscript of the Regularis Concordia.
Appointed	29 November 963
Reign ended	1 August 984
Predecessor	Beorhthelm of Winchester
Successor	Ælfheah II
Orders
Consecration	29 November 963
Personal details
Born	between 904 and 909 Winchester
Died	1 August 984 Beddington, Surrey, England
Denomination	Christian
Sainthood
Feast day	1 August 19 May (POCSP)
Venerated in	Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church Anglican Church

Æthelwold of Winchester (born between 904 and 909 – died 984) was an important religious leader in Anglo-Saxon England. He served as the Bishop of Winchester from 963 to 984. Æthelwold was one of the main figures in a big movement called the English Benedictine Reform. This movement aimed to bring back and strengthen the Benedictine way of life in monasteries across England.

During the 9th century, monastic life in England had become very weak. This was partly because of attacks by Vikings. Also, many people preferred priests who were not monks, as they were cheaper and seemed to serve the local communities better. Kings like Alfred the Great were interested in the Benedictine rules. But it was only in the mid-10th century that kings started to give a lot of money to support monasteries.

Æthelwold became a strong supporter of the monastic reform. He was known for his determined methods. He was also stricter than other reformers like Saint Dunstan and Oswald of Worcester when it came to replacing non-monastic priests with monks. Despite this, he is seen as a key person in the reform movement. He also helped bring back learning and arts in England. He was an important political figure too. He supported Æthelred the Unready and advised him when Æthelred was young.

Early Life and Training

Æthelwold was born into a noble family in Winchester. In the late 920s, he worked at the court of King Athelstan. His biographer, Wulfstan, said that Æthelwold spent a long time with the king. He learned many useful things from the king's advisors.

King Athelstan arranged for Æthelwold to become a priest. He was ordained by Ælfheah the Bald, who was the Bishop of Winchester. This happened on the same day as Saint Dunstan. After studying with Bishop Ælfheah in Winchester in the late 930s, Æthelwold moved to Glastonbury Abbey. Dunstan had become the abbot there. At Glastonbury, Æthelwold studied important subjects like grammar and the writings of early Christian thinkers. He later became a dean at the abbey.

During the reign of King Eadred (946–955), Æthelwold wanted to travel to Europe. He hoped to learn more about monastic life there. However, King Eadred did not allow him to go. Instead, the king made him abbot of Abingdon Abbey. This place used to be a monastery but was then run by non-monastic priests. Æthelwold's time at Abingdon was very successful. He oversaw the building of a new church and the rebuilding of the cloister. He also made sure that the Benedictine Rule was followed strictly at Abingdon.

When King Eadred died, his nephew Eadwig became king. Eadwig sent Dunstan, who was Eadred's main advisor, away from England. However, Æthelwold still attended King Eadwig's court between 955 and 959. The future King Edgar had been taught by Æthelwold since he was a boy. Æthelwold clearly inspired Edgar to be interested in the rules of Saint Benedict. When King Eadwig died, Æthelwold naturally supported Edgar becoming king. Æthelwold seemed to work closely with King Edgar from 960 to 963. He wrote many of the official documents during this time.

Bishop of Winchester

The Entry into Jerusalem from the Benedictional of Saint Æthelwold (British Library)

On November 29, 963, Æthelwold became the Bishop of Winchester. The next year, with King Edgar's help, he took a strong step. He had the non-monastic priests from Winchester's Old and New Minsters removed. Monks from Abingdon replaced them. The king had asked the pope for permission for this the previous autumn.

Between 964 and 971, Æthelwold re-established several monasteries. These included Chertsey, Milton Abbas, Peterborough, Ely, and Thorney. He also re-established the Nunnaminster nunnery in Winchester. He was very keen on getting back land that he believed once belonged to religious communities. He worked hard to prove these claims.

Æthelwold was one of the main supporters of the English Benedictine Reform during King Edgar's reign. He wrote many important texts promoting the reform in England. He had strong support from King Edgar and his wife, Queen Ælfthryth. His writings highlighted King Edgar's role in bringing back the monasteries. He saw Edgar as God's representative in this work. He also believed King Edgar should oversee monasteries. Queen Ælfthryth, he thought, should supervise nunneries.

However, Æthelwold was stricter about monasticism than Dunstan and Oswald. They were the other major leaders of the movement. Dunstan and Oswald allowed both monks and non-monastic priests in their households. Æthelwold, however, famously removed non-monastic priests and replaced them with monks. He believed that many non-monastic priests were married and did not follow a monastic rule. Because of this, he felt they were not pure enough to serve at altars or perform divine services.

People who admired Æthelwold called him the "father of monks" and a "benevolent bishop." They saw him as a reformer and a friend to the poor. Even though he was often sick, he lived a strict life as a scholar, teacher, bishop, and royal advisor. He was described as "terrible as a lion" to those who rebelled. But he was also "gentler than a dove" to those who were humble. He is believed to have written about geometry and helped create the "Regularis Concordia." This was a set of rules for monks and nuns in England.

The Benedictine monks were much better educated than the non-monastic clergy. Æthelwold personally taught the older students at Winchester. Their writings show that they respected and loved him very much. His surviving works, in both Latin and Old English, show he was a great scholar. His writings in Old English are thought to have helped develop the standard form of the language. He used some of his wealth to rebuild churches. He also supported church art. Sadly, none of his artworks survive, but we have written accounts of them. The art workshops he started continued to be important after his death.

A century later, Æthelwold gained a great reputation as a goldsmith. People said he made many metal objects at Abingdon. These included figures and objects made of precious metal, bells, and even a pipe organ. However, his early biographer, Wulfstan, mentioned him doing other manual work like gardening and building. Wulfstan did not mention metalwork. This suggests the stories about him being a goldsmith might have been added later. Still, it shows how highly goldsmithing was valued then. Æthelwold was bishop when the Winchester school of manuscript illumination was at its best. The most important surviving manuscript from this school, the Benedictional of Saint Æthelwold (British Library), was ordered by him. He also rebuilt the Old Minster at Winchester, which was finished in 980.

Political Role

Æthelwold also played a significant role in politics. When King Edgar's successor was being decided, Æthelwold supported Æthelred. Æthelred was the son of Ælfthryth, who was a major supporter of Æthelwold. Dunstan and Oswald, however, seemed to support Edgar's son from an earlier marriage, Edward the Martyr. Edward became king.

After Edward was murdered in 978, Æthelwold seems to have given a lot of advice to Æthelred when he was young. It is important to note that Æthelred only started acting against some of the reformed monasteries after Æthelwold died in 984. One place that suffered was Abingdon Abbey. In a document restoring its rights in 993, the king admitted that Æthelwold's death had taken away "one whose hard work and care helped not only me but also everyone in the country."

Death and Legacy

Æthelwold died on August 1, 984, in Beddington, Surrey. He was buried in the crypt of the Old Minster at Winchester. Twelve years later, a man named Ælfhelm from Wallingford claimed that visiting Æthelwold's tomb had cured his blindness. This was seen as a sign that he should be formally recognized as a saint. His body was then moved from the crypt to the choir. By the 12th century, Abingdon Abbey had acquired some of his remains.

One of Æthelwold's students, Wulfstan of Winchester, wrote a biography about him. This book helped promote Æthelwold's status as a saint. Around 1004, Ælfric, another student and abbot, made a shorter version of Wulfstan's work in Latin and Old English. However, Wulfstan's description of Æthelwold inspired respect more than deep devotion. His cult never became very popular. Wulfstan's saint is shown as a very strong and strict leader.

Æthelwold's importance to the reform movement has always been recognized. But the full range of his contributions to learning and scholarship has only been understood more recently.

His special day, or liturgical feast, is celebrated on August 1.

Images for kids

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  King Edgar seated between St. Æthelwold, Bishop of Winchester, and St. Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury.

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  The Entry into Jerusalem from the Benedictional of Saint Æthelwold.