Æthelwold from Winchester

King Edgar is enthroned between St. Æthelwold, Bishop of Winchester, and St. Dunstan , Archbishop of Canterbury. From a manuscript of the Regularis Concordia from the 11th century.

Æthelwold of Winchester , also Aethelwold or Ethelwold (* between 904 and 909 in Winchester , † August 1, 984 in Beddington , Surrey ), was an Anglo-Saxon saint , church leader and reformer . He was Abbot of Abingdon from 954 and Bishop of Winchester from 963 . Together with Dunstan of Canterbury and Oswald of York , he was the driving force behind the revival of monasticism in theEngland late 10th century.

Life

Æthelwold's career began at the court of King Æthelstan . After his ordination , he joined Dunstan's Reformed monastic community at Glastonbury . Around 954 he founded his own monastic house in Abingdon. According to later tradition, he was experienced in working with metals and personally contributed to the beautification of the abbey church. When he was appointed Bishop of Winchester in 963, he instituted Reformed communities in both Old Minster and New Minster and established regular monastic life in several other centers, notably in Ely , Peterborough and Thorney in eastern England .

At a synod that took place sometime between 970 and 973 in Winchester, it was agreed that all monastic communities in England should follow a common rule , the Regularis Concordia , which was essentially compiled by Æthelwold . The basis was the Regula Benedicti , some rules were adopted by European reformed houses or reflected local customs, such as: B. the emphasis on prayers for the royal family, suggesting a close relationship between King Edgar and Æthelwold. Æthelwold recommended studying the Benedictine Rule more closely and was commissioned by King Edgar and Queen Ælfthryth to translate it into Old English . Eight manuscripts or fragments have been preserved, which indicates that the work is widely used.

Æthelwold was an avid supporter of sacred art and architecture, with part of his accumulated wealth he took care of the reconstruction and the appropriate furnishing of churches. On his behalf his chaplain , the monk Godeman, later abbot of Thorney, made the Benediction of St. Æthelwold , which is considered a masterpiece of the Winchester School . In 980 his magnificent cathedral church was consecrated, which, thanks to the additions made, was now one of the largest churches in Europe. He was also responsible for moving the relics of St. Swithin to a new sanctuary within the cathedral in 971.

literature

• Barbara Yorke (Ed.): Bishop Æthelwold: His Career and Influence. Boydell Press, Woodbridge 1988.

Web links

• Æthelwold von Winchester in the Ecumenical Lexicon of Saints

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} Barbara Yorke : Æthelwold [St Æthelwold, Ethelwold] (904x9-984), abbot of Abingdon and bishop of Winchester. In: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography . Oxford 2004, ISBN 0-19-861411-X , ( oxforddnb.com ), as of September 23, 2004, accessed November 29, 2020.
2. ↑ ^{a b c} Aethelwold. In: Colum P. Hourihane (Ed.) The Grove Encyclopedia of Medieval Art and Architecture. Oxford University Press, 2013. Retrieved November 29, 2020 from Oxford Reference (Restricted Access)
3. ↑ Æthelwold von Winchester in the Ecumenical Lexicon of Saints , accessed on November 29, 2020

predecessor	Office	successor
Brihthelm	Bishop of Winchester 963–984	Ælfheah II.