Sebbi

Essex in the early Anglo-Saxon period

Sebbi (also Sebba or Sebbe ; † around 696) was, together with Sighere , from around 664 to around 694 king of the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Essex . He is venerated as a saint .

Life

According to a late 9th century genealogy, Sebbi's father was Sexred of Essex .

King Swithhelm died around 664 when an epidemic broke out across Britain that claimed numerous victims. He was succeeded by Sighere and Sebbi as kings each over part of Essex. Sebbi remained devoted to Christianity, while Sighere and the population of his part of the empire fell back into paganism. This led to rivalries between the two, which were reinforced by the influence of Wessex and Mercia , with Wessex allied with Sighere and Mercia with Sebbi. King Wolfhere of Mercia (658–675) used this apostasy as a pretext to meddle in Essex. Around 665 he sent the Mercian bishop Jaruman to Essex for re-Christianization. In fact, it was about control of the thriving commercial center of London. As a result, Wulfhere succeeded in gaining supremacy over Essex.

Towards the end of the 680s, Sebbi gained control of the western parts of Kent and set his son Swæfheard (687 / 688-692 / 694) as king. His sons Sigeheard and Swaefred also seem to have participated in the rule at this time, as they signed charters as rex (king). But the title can also be a later addition. Æthelred, a relative of Sebbis, presumably ruled Surrey.

After Sighere's death around 690, Sebbi ruled as sole king in Essex, but abdicated, seriously ill, around 694 in favor of his sons Sigeheard and Swaefred and Sighere's son Offa , who ruled together. Sebbi, who was a religious man all his life, withdrew with his wife into a monastery and was accepted as a monk by the London Bishop Wealdhere (693-around 710). His health continued to deteriorate until he died around the year 696. Sebbi was buried in St Paul's Cathedral in London.

Adoration

Sebbi is venerated as a saint for his efforts to Christianize Essex and works of charity . His veneration has been attested since 1526, but the cult around him is certainly older. His feast day was originally March 24th, but is now celebrated on August 29th.

swell

Beda Venerabilis : Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum , Online in the Medieval Sourcebook (English)

literature

Barbara Yorke : Kings and Kingdoms of early Anglo-Saxon England . Routledge, London-New York 2002, ISBN 978-0-415-16639-3 . PDF (6.2 MB)
Michael Lapidge, John Blair, Simon Keynes, Donald Scragg (Eds.): The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Anglo-Saxon England . Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford et al. a. 2001, ISBN 978-0-631-22492-1 .
John Cannon, Anne Hargreaves: The Kings and Queens of Britain , Oxford University Press, 2009 (2nd revised edition), ISBN 978-0-19-955922-0 , p. 27.
Johannes Madey : Sebbi. In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 16, Bautz, Herzberg 1999, ISBN 3-88309-079-4 , Sp. 1432-1432. ( Article / beginning of article in Internet archive )

Web links

Sebbe 1 in Prosopography of Anglo-Saxon England (PASE)
Kings of Essex (East Saxons) in Foundation for Medieval Genealogy

Individual evidence

^ Keith Fitzpatrick-Matthews: Genealogies from BL Additional MS 23,211
↑ Beda: HE 3.27
↑ ^a ^b Beda: HE 3,30
↑ Barbara Yorke: Kings and Kingdoms of early Anglo-Saxon England , Routledge, 2002, ISBN 978-0-415-16639-3 , p. 49.
^ ^A ^b B. AE Yorke: The Kingdom of Essex , In: Lapidge et al. (Ed.): The Blackwell Enzyclopaedia of Anglo-Saxon England , pp. 174-175.
↑ EB Fryde et al. (Ed.): Handbook of British Chronology (Royal Historical Society Guides and Handbooks) , Cambridge University Press, 1996, ISBN 978-0-521-56350-5 , p. 10; see: S1171 and S1246
↑ Barbara Yorke: Kings and Kingdoms of early Anglo-Saxon England , Routledge, 2002, ISBN 978-0-415-16639-3 , p. 54.
↑ ^a ^b Beda: HE 4.11
↑ Simon Keynes: Kings of the East Saxons , In: Lapidge et al. (Ed.): The Blackwell Enzyclopaedia of Anglo-Saxon England , pp. 510-511.
↑ John Cannon, Anne Hargreaves: The Kings and Queens of Britain , Oxford University Press, 2009 (2nd revised edition), ISBN 978-0-19-955922-0 , p. 27.
^ Johannes Madey : Sebbi. In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 16, Bautz, Herzberg 1999, ISBN 3-88309-079-4 , Sp. 1432-1432. ( Article / beginning of article in Internet archive )

predecessor	Office	successor
Swithhelm possibly together with Swithfrith	King of Essex 664–694 with Sighere	Sigeheard Swaefred Offa

personal data
SURNAME	Sebbi
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Sebba; Sebbe
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	King of Essex
DATE OF BIRTH	7th century
DATE OF DEATH	at 696
Place of death	London

[1] Keith Fitzpatrick-Matthews: Genealogies from BL Additional MS 23,211

[he3-27-2] Beda: HE 3.27

[he3-30-3] Beda: HE 3,30

[4] Barbara Yorke: Kings and Kingdoms of early Anglo-Saxon England , Routledge, 2002, ISBN 978-0-415-16639-3 , p. 49.

[enc174-5] A ^b B. AE Yorke: The Kingdom of Essex , In: Lapidge et al. (Ed.): The Blackwell Enzyclopaedia of Anglo-Saxon England , pp. 174-175.

[6] EB Fryde et al. (Ed.): Handbook of British Chronology (Royal Historical Society Guides and Handbooks) , Cambridge University Press, 1996, ISBN 978-0-521-56350-5 , p. 10; see: S1171 and S1246

[7] Barbara Yorke: Kings and Kingdoms of early Anglo-Saxon England , Routledge, 2002, ISBN 978-0-415-16639-3 , p. 54.

[he4-11-8] Beda: HE 4.11

[enc510-9] Simon Keynes: Kings of the East Saxons , In: Lapidge et al. (Ed.): The Blackwell Enzyclopaedia of Anglo-Saxon England , pp. 510-511.

[10] John Cannon, Anne Hargreaves: The Kings and Queens of Britain , Oxford University Press, 2009 (2nd revised edition), ISBN 978-0-19-955922-0 , p. 27.

[11] Johannes Madey : Sebbi. In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 16, Bautz, Herzberg 1999, ISBN 3-88309-079-4 , Sp. 1432-1432. ( Article / beginning of article in Internet archive )