THE
P RTAL
August 2012
Page 12
Anglo-Saxon Saints
of Salisbury
by Harry Schnitker
There is a particular problem in identifying an Anglo-Saxon saint for Salisbury: the city dates back
only to the thirteenth century! Even its predecessor, at Sarum, gained in importance only after the Norman
conquest of1066. This is a pity, as few places exercised such great influence on the pre-Reformation Church
in England as Sarum.
the Use of Sarum
It was here that the liturgical variant on the Roman
Rite was born, known as the Use of Sarum. This would
gradually become the dominant liturgical usage in
England, and indeed in Scotland, the hallmark of the
Catholic Faith in these Islands. With the Reformation,
it was removed, although there are several elements in
the Anglican ritual that recall the Sarum Use.
Iwig or Ywi of Lindisfarne
However interesting, all of this is distinctly post
Anglo-Saxon, and since this series concentrates on
that period, we have to dig a little deeper. Our first
candidate is a very obscure saint. He was originally
from Northumbria, and even his name, Iwig or Ywi of
Lindisfarne, does not suggest a Wiltshire connection.
His feast day is on the 8 October, and he is of particular
interest to students of the history of the diaconate.
‘exile for Christ’
He was a follower of the ascetic St Cuthbert, who
was ordained a Deacon, but who never became a priest.
Like so many in the seventh century, he was inspired
by the notion of being an ‘exile for Christ’, and his life
took on the character of a permanent pilgrimage. He
boarded a ship with an unknown destination, surely
one of the more interesting ways to go and evangelise.
This took him to Brittany, where he became a hermit,
renowned for his healing powers.
relics
We simply do not know what happened to his
relics, but they were somehow preserved. However,
it would appear that the saint was not happy outside
England, for when, somewhere in the ninth century, a
group of French clerics visited Wiltshire, they brought
Saint Ywi’s relics with them. These were placed on the
altar of Wilton Abbey, some three miles from where
Salisbury now stands.
Quite what the clerics were doing in this house of
Benedictine nuns is unclear, but Saint Ywi refused to
be moved on: when the Frenchmen tried to take his
relics with them the next day, they could not lift them.
glamorous regal association
The relics were in good company, for Wilton was
a veritable house of saints. Its first abbess had been
Saint Æthelburh, daughter of King Eahlmund of Kent
and half-sister of King Egbert of Wessex, who entered
the house upon her husband’s death in 802. This
had provided the house with the kind of aristocratic
pedigree required for its success. This glamorous regal
association was enhanced by the relics of Saint Edith,
illegitimate daughter of King Edgar I ‘The Peaceful’
of England. According to her hagiographer, Goscelin,
she once refused the crown of England itself during a
power struggle after her father’s death, but refused out
of humility. Renowned for her beauty and learning,
she had many churches dedicated to her name, and
became one of England’s patron saints. In Wiltshire,
before the coming of the Normans, her abbey was the
most important place of pilgrimage. Little wonder
Saint Ywi wished to remain there!
On Pilgrimage - 1
Thursday 9th - 12th August 2012
Blessed John Paul II Walking Pilgrimage
Members of the Ordinariate are taking part
in the Blessed John Paul II walking pilgrimage
to Walsingham for the New Evangelisation in
England & Wales. The 50 mile pilgrimage starts
with Mass in the ruins of the Abbey at Bury St
Edmunds and concludes at the Sunday Mass in
the National Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham.
Accommodation and food are provided as is
transportation each day for luggage. Morning
& Evening Prayer is sung each day and Mass is
celebrated en route with prayers, hymns, rosary
and talks as the pilgrims walk along. The cost is
£55 per person. Further information and booking
from [email protected]