Saint Swithun

St. Swithun (or Swithin) (died 2 July, 862) was an early English bishop, now best known for the popular British weather lore proverb that if it rains on St. Swithun's day, 15 July, it will rain for 40 days and 40 nights. Swithun was buried out of doors, rather than in the cathedral, apparently at his own request, so that the "sweet rain of heaven" could fall on his grave. In 971 it was decided to move his body to a new indoor shrine, and it is said that the ceremony was delayed by 40 days of torrential rain, a sign of Swithun's displeasure at the move:

Related Topics:
2 July - 862 - English - Bishop - British - Weather lore - Proverb - 15 July - 971

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:St Swithun's day if thou dost rain

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:For forty days it will remain

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:St Swithun's day if thou be fair

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:For forty days 'twill rain na mair

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St. Swithun was bishop of Winchester in 852. Therefore, there are strong links with churches throughout the south of England, especially in Hampshire. An example is the church in Headbourne Worthy to the north of Winchester, probably not a very notable church but its setting is superb: it is surrounded on three sides by a creek that flows from a spring in the village. The Lych gate on the south is also a bridge over the creek, which is unusual.

Related Topics:
Bishop of Winchester - 852 - Churches - England - Hampshire - Lych gate

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Swithun is scarcely mentioned in any document of his own time. His death is entered in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle under the year 861; and his signature is appended to several charters in Kemble's Codex diplomaticus. Of these charters three belong to 833, 838, 860-862. In the first the saint signs as Swithunus presbyter regis Egberti, in the second as Swithunus diaconus, and in the third as Swithunus episcopus This means that if the second charter is genuine, the first must be wrong, and it is so marked in Kemble. More than a hundred years later, when Dunstan and Ethelwold of Winchester were inaugurating their church reform, St Swithun was adopted as patron of the restored church at Winchester, formerly dedicated to St Peter and St Paul. His body was transferred from its almost forgotten grave to Ethelwolds new basilica on 15th July 971, and according to contemporary writers, numerous miracles preceded and followed the move.

Related Topics:
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle - 861 - Kemble - 833 - 838 - 860 - 862 - Dunstan - Ethelwold - Winchester - St Peter - St Paul - 15th July - 971

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Swithun's best known miracle was his restoration on a bridge of a basket of eggs that workmen had maliciously broken.

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The revival of St Swithun's fame gave rise to a mass of legendary literature. The so-called Vitae Swithuni of Lantfred and Wuistan, written about A.D. 1000, hardly contain any biographical fact; all that has in later years passed for authentic detail of St Swithun's life is extracted from a biography ascribed to Gotzelin, a monk who came over to England with Hermann, bishop of Salisbury from 1058 to 1078. From this writer we learn that St Swithun was born in the reign of Egbert of Wessex, and was ordained priest by Helmstan, bishop of Winchester (838c. 852). His fame reached the king's ears, and he appointed him tutor of his son Adulphus (Ethelwulf) and considered him one of his chief friends.

Related Topics:
1000 - Salisbury - 1058 - 1078 - Egbert of Wessex - Helmstan - 838 - 852 - Ethelwulf

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Under Ethelwulf Swithun was appointed bishop of Winchester, to which see he was consecrated by Archbishop Ceolnoth. In his new office he was known for his piety and his zeal in building new churches or restoring old ones. At his request Ethelwulf gave the tenth of his royal lands to the Church. Swithun made his diocesan journeys on foot; when he gave a banquet he invited the poor and not the rich. He died on 2 July 862, and gave orders that he was not to be buried within the church, but outside in a vile and unworthy place.

Related Topics:
See - Ceolnoth - 2 July

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William of Malmesbury adds that, if Bishop Alhstan of Sherborne was Ethelwulf's minister for temporal matters, St Swithun was the minister for spiritual matters. The same writer recorded the bishop's prayer that his burial might be ubi et pedibus praetereuntium et stillicidiis cx alto rorantibus esset obnoxius. This expression has been taken as indicating that the well-known weather myth about St Swithun was already well-known in the 12th century. However, this is uncertain.

Related Topics:
William of Malmesbury - Alhstan - Sherborne - 12th century

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James Raine suggested that the legend was derived from the tremendous downpour of rain that occurred, according to the Durham chroniclers, on St Swithuns day, 1315. Another theory, more plausible, although without proof, traces it to a heavy shower by which, on the day of his move to the new shrine, the saint marked his displeasure towards those who were removing his remains. This story, however, cannot be traced further back than the 17th or 18th century at most. Also, is at variance with the 10th century writers, who all agreed that the move took place in accordance with the saint's desire expressed in a vision.

Related Topics:
James Raine - Durham - 1315

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More probable is John Earle's suggestion that the legend today comes from a pagan or possibly prehistoric day of augury. In France, St Mdard (June 8) and St Gervase and St Protais (June 19) are credited with an influence on the weather almost identical with that attributed to St Swithun in England. In Flanders, there is St Godelieve (July 6) and in Germany the Seven Sleepers' Day (June 27). Of other stories connected with St Swithun the two most famous are those of the Winchester egg-woman and Queen Emma's ordeal. The former is to be found in Gotzelin's life (c. 1100), the latter in Thomas Rudborne's Historia major (15th century), a work which is also responsible for the not improbable legend that Swithun accompanied Alfred on his visit to Rome in 856.

Related Topics:
John Earle - Pagan - Augury - France - June 8 - June 19 - Flanders - July 6 - Seven Sleepers - June 27 - 1100 - Thomas Rudborne - 15th century - Rome - 856

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