Cuthman from Steyning

The Holy Cuthman Steyning (* probably 681; † 8th century) was an Anglo-Saxon hermit , church builder and saint.

Life

birth

In the "Biography of the Saints", the so-called Acta Sanctorum , which is kept in Fécamp Abbey in Normandy , it is stated that Cuthmann was born around the year 681 in Devon or Cornwall . From today's perspective, it is more likely that he was born in Chidham near Bosham . A birth in Chidham at this time would also bring him close to Saint Wilfrid , the Apostle of Sussex , who presumably converted and baptized him.

Trips to Steyning

Legend has it that Cuthman was a shepherd who tended to his paralyzed mother after his father died. In times of great hunger, which forced them to beg, Cuthman built a one-wheeled cart with ropes attached to the handles to make it easier for him to move. With the help of this cart he wanted to travel around with his mother. This journey, which began immediately after completion, led them eastwards, but after a short time one of the ropes broke, so that Cuthman had to make a new one from wicker . While he was making the new rope, he decided to see another break of the rope as a sign from God and to build a church at the point where this would happen. This then happened at the point where the village of Steyning is today . Here Cuthman prayed:

“Father Almighty, you have brought my wanderings to an end; now enable me to begin this work. For who am I, Lord, that I should build a house to name? If I rely on myself, it will be of no avail, but it is you who will assist me. You have given me the desire to be a builder; make up for my lack of skill, and bring the work of building this holy house to its completion. "

“Almighty Father, you have brought my wanderings to an end; now give me the strength to begin my work. Who am I, Lord, to build this great house? If I rely on myself it will be of no use, but it is you who will support me. You made me want to be a church builder; make up for my lack of skills and bring my work on this holy house to its completion. "

The former St. Cuthman's Church in Steyning, today St. Andrew's Church

After building a small cabin to house himself and his mother, Cuthman began work on the church with the help of the locals. When construction was nearing completion and Cuthman was having problems with the roof beam, a stranger came by and showed him how to fix the beam. When asked about his name, the stranger replied:

"I am he in whose name you are building this church."

"I am the one in whose name you are building this church."

Whichever period of life is attributed to Cuthman, it is certain that the church at Steyning existed in the year 857 , since the then King of Wessex , Æthelwulf , was buried here that year.

More legends

According to legend, the were keep Chanctonbury Ring and other hill near Steyning by the devil built the on the Christianization was so angry England that he wanted to dig a channel to the Christians of Sussex to drown in the sea. However, Cuthman saw through the devil's plan and defeated him with a trick. So he put a candle behind a sieve and woke the local rooster. Irritated by the light that resembled the rising sun and the crowing rooster, the devil fled without completing his plan.

According to another legend, the shepherd Cuthman drew a line around his flock with his shepherd's staff and left it to get food. When he returned, the herd had not crossed the invisible line. This miracle is said to have taken place in a field known for centuries as St. Cuthman's Field or St. Cuthman's Dell , near Chidham. For a long time, supernatural powers have been ascribed to a stone in this field, which is supposed to mark the place where the flock of sheep waited.

Adoration

Even before the Norman conquest of England, Cuthman was venerated as a saint in the region around Steyning. This is evidenced by documents from the time of William the Conqueror in which Steyning is known as St. Cuthman's Port or St. Cuthman's Parish .

Bringing his relics to Fécamp made Saint Cuthman known on the continent and led to his feast day, February 8, being celebrated in many religious families in Normandy. Furthermore, a work by the German stone sculptor Martin Schongauer is known that shows him with his cart. There is also a 15th century choir stalls in Ripon Cathedral showing him with a three-wheeled wheelbarrow. According to Henry VIII's tax records , there was a taxable guild of Saint Cuthman in Cuthman's birthplace, Chidham .

More recently, the play The Boy with a Cart was dedicated to Saint Cuthman by Christopher Fry in 1938 , which was performed at the Lyric Theater in Hammersmith .

photos

The Shepherd Cuthman, church window in the south nave of St. Andrew's Church in Steyning
The church builder Cuthman in the same window

literature

Acta Sanctorum Volume II. Pp. 197-199
GR Stephens, WD Stephens: Cuthman. A Neglected Saint. In: Speculum 13.4 (1938) pp. 448-453.
C. Grant Loomis: The American Tall Tale and the Miraculous. In: California Folklore Quarterly 4,2 1945, p. 119.

Web links

Saint Cuthman of Steyning (English)

Individual evidence

↑ After the Norman conquest of England , the church of St. Cuthman in Steyning became the property of this abbey. The monks of Fécamp converted the church at Steyning into a monastery church and transferred the remains of Saint Cuthman to Fécamp. In 1260 the Norman monks' abbey in Steyning was dissolved, the church was renovated and dedicated to St. Andrew.
↑ If one considers Cuthman's journey from his place of birth to Steyning, the distance of 40 kilometers between Chidham and Steyning is more manageable in the given time than that from Cornwall to Steyning.
↑ Other sources speak of a wheelbarrow
↑ According to legend, this was accompanied by mocking laughter from some farmers in the area who were just bringing in their hay. Immediately afterwards, a heavy rainstorm destroyed the entire hay harvest. Later versions of the story report that from then on, a heavy shower of rain fell over these fields every harvest season.
↑ Comparable to the farmers in the hayfield, many residents feared a “divine punishment” if they did not help.
↑ i. e. Christ who was a carpenter before his ministry.

personal data
SURNAME	Cuthman from Steyning
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Anglo-Saxon hermit, church builder and saint
DATE OF BIRTH	at 681
DATE OF DEATH	8th century

[1] After the Norman conquest of England , the church of St. Cuthman in Steyning became the property of this abbey. The monks of Fécamp converted the church at Steyning into a monastery church and transferred the remains of Saint Cuthman to Fécamp. In 1260 the Norman monks' abbey in Steyning was dissolved, the church was renovated and dedicated to St. Andrew.

[2] If one considers Cuthman's journey from his place of birth to Steyning, the distance of 40 kilometers between Chidham and Steyning is more manageable in the given time than that from Cornwall to Steyning.

[3] Other sources speak of a wheelbarrow

[4] According to legend, this was accompanied by mocking laughter from some farmers in the area who were just bringing in their hay. Immediately afterwards, a heavy rainstorm destroyed the entire hay harvest. Later versions of the story report that from then on, a heavy shower of rain fell over these fields every harvest season.

[5] Comparable to the farmers in the hayfield, many residents feared a “divine punishment” if they did not help.

[6] . e. Christ who was a carpenter before his ministry.